Personal, estate and business papers, c1820-1893, accumulated by Sir William Mackinnon, predominantly during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The material covers a wide range of commercial, imperial and humanitarian topics, and includes correspondence and papers relating to the Imperial British East Africa Company, the British India Steam Navigation Co. and the City of Glasgow Bank.

Papers, 1935-1995, of Charles Granston Richards, comprising articles, reports, books, pamphlets and correspondence reflecting his work and interests. The papers cover his work with the Church Missionary Society in Kenya, East African Literary Bureau, Oxford University Press, Christian Literature Fund and Agency for Christian Literature Development in addition to his retirement years.

Papers, 1937-1987, of and relating to Margaret Mackeson Green, comprising personal correspondence (1946-1973); Igbo material, including her original field notes and work on the Igbo language, preparatory drafts of the Igbo Language Course, notes on Igbo texts, vocabulary lists intended for inclusion in an Igbo/English dictionary, and a few miscellaneous items of anthropological significance; material relating to the Division of Inter-Church Aid Refugee World Service (DICARWS) (1968-1969); and miscellaneous material on other African languages.

Papers, c1917-1948, of William Sheldon Ridge, comprising photographs, manuscripts of books containing material used for his lectures on Chinese international relations, and miscellaneous papers. Includes papers relating to his wife Frances.

Papers, 1890-1957, of William Millman and his wife's first husband, Walter Stapleton, comprising correspondence, education and language (Lokele) material concerning missionary work in Yakusu, Belgian Congo (Zaire), Central Africa. Also includes photographs of missionaries and tribal groups, and a copy of a volume of the experiences of Edith Millman (1913-1938), taken from her letters and diaries.

Papers, c1900-1992, collected by Jean Boyd, relating to northern Nigeria from the late 18th century to the 1990s.

Papers on Nana Asma'u include copies of her manuscript poems (1820-1865) and later papers relating to her work, including translations, 1976-1984. Papers on works by Shehu dan Fodio include copies of his poems on male-female relationships (1789 and undated) and later papers relating to his work, 1975-1981. Papers on works by Asma'u's female relatives and descendants include copies of poems and writings by various authors (c1860-1934 and undated) and later papers relating to the subject, c1950-1990. Other material comprises field notes on the remnants of Asma'u's disciples, the Yan Taru, 1973-1990; papers on the milieu in which Asma'u lived in Gobir, c1900-1984, including Gobir chiefs; papers, including press cuttings, on the situation of women in northern Nigeria in the 1980s, the subjects including Muslims, prostitution, women's organizations, medical matters, and women's education.

Papers, 1903-1992, including articles, reports and press cuttings, on Sokoto relate to geological history, prehistory, palaeontology, archaeology, pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial history, the subjects including the social and economic history of the city of Sokoto, colonial administration, British fears over Mahdism, and local government and economic issues in Sokoto state in modern Nigeria.

Three volumes contain over 500 postcards, many in colour, relating to Nigeria, including images of people, cultural events, various places, and other aspects of Nigerian life [late 20th century].

Papers and correspondence, 1949-1991, of Andrew Hake, accumulated during the course of his career in Kenya as an industrial missionary. The papers reflect the diversity of his work and interest in the urban and industrial community in Nairobi. The collection also includes publications collected by Hake, including Kenyan government publications and publications of the National Christian Council of Kenya.

Papers, 1893-1940, of the Rev Charles Perry Scott and the Rev Percy Melville Scott, together with those of fellow missionaries of the North China and Shantung Mission. Also included is a continuous series of the North China and Shantung Mission Quarterly Papers (January 1893-October 1936), and the correspondence and diaries of Maurice Woodforde Scott dating from his time in China with Butterfield & Swire (1934-1937).

Papers, 1953-1986, dating predominantly from the 1960s and 1970s, on Melanesian culture, government and geography and the work of the church in the New Hebrides, collected by the Rt Rev Derek Rawcliffe.

Papers, 1827-1995, of James Hardyman, comprising writings in the form of published articles, press cuttings, typescripts, manuscripts and notes and correspondence relating to his interests in Malagasy history and culture and to his missionary work with the London Missionary Society. Also including photographs, postcards, illustrations, prints, engravings and sketches relating to Madagascar, and a collection of maps.

Records, 1858-1950, of the Christian Vernacular Education Society (CVES) for India, from 1891 the Christian Literature Society (CLS) for India (and Africa from 1923), comprising minutes, 1864-1935 (Ref: USCL 232-250); copies of outgoing letters, 1859-1931 (Ref: USCL 251-306); correspondence of the CVES, 1858-1862 (Ref: USCL Add 27-31), and CLSI, 1892-1900 (Ref: USCL Add 32-3); press cuttings on its work, 1858-1871 (Ref: USCL 308-10); annual reports, 1859-1928 (many gaps) (Ref: USCL 358-365, USCL Add 35); Baptist Missionary Society minutes, 1859, relating to a CVES letter concerning scholarships for theological students (Ref: USCL Add 8); minutes of the Society for Promoting Female Education in the East, 1859 (Ref: USCL Add 9); papers on the CVES/CLSI Madras depot, 1873-1910 (Ref: USCL Add 10); document on CLSI mergers in Madras and Calcutta, 1922-1924 (Ref: USCL Add 12-13); Calcutta Christian Tract and Book Society annual report, 1922-1923 (Ref: USCL Add 36); draft deeds and correspondence concerning CLSI premises in Madras, 1930 (Ref: USCL Add 14); miscellaneous papers of the Madras branch, c1900-1950 (Ref: USCL 307).

Records, c1725, 1799-1986, of the United Society for Christian Literature (USCL) and its predecessors, including the Religious Tract Society, comprise:

Executive Committee minutes for the RTS, 1799-1935 (some gaps) (Ref: USCL 1-113), continued under the USCL, 1935-1953 (Ref: USCL 113-122), and other minutes, including copyright, finance, and local associations, for the RTS, 1806-1935, and USCL, 1935-1972 (Ref: USCL 123-149, USCL Add 6, 15, 19-22);

copies of outgoing RTS letters, 1824-1889 (Ref: USCL 150-195); miscellaneous correspondence of the RTS, 1824-1847 (Ref: USCL Add 23-26);

annual reports for the RTS, 1820-1935 (many gaps) (Ref: USCL 311-336, USCL Add 34), USCL, 1935-1962 (Ref: USCL 337-357, USCL/S 69-72, 99-103, USCL Add 38), and RTS (China), continued under the USCL, 1884-1947 (Ref: USCL 366-376);

ledgers and accounts, 1836-1952 (Ref: USCL 196-231);

papers of the RTS, succeeded by the USCL, relating to copyright, 1825-1835 (Ref: USCL Add 1-2); reports of sub-committees on anti-popery, 1839, and new warehouses, 1844 (Ref: USCL Add 3-4); salaries books, 1851-1938 (Ref: USCL Add 5); letters, report and pamphlet relating to the Assam mission, India, 1857-1859 (Ref: USCL Add 7); legacies book, 1911-1986 (Ref: USCL Add 11); USCL register of members, 1946-1963, also including declarations of employee names, 1948-1972 (Ref: USCL Add 16); USCL papers concerning premises in Lusaka, Rhodesia, 1949-1955 (Ref: USCL Add 17); reports on USCL officials' visits to India and Ceylon, Northern Rhodesia, and Zambia, 1950-1969 (Ref: USCL Add 18); papers documenting USCL history, 1927-1976 and undated, including notes, chronology, printed material, and photographs, including the fire damage of 1941 (Ref: USCL Add 64-71);

RTS and USCL printed tracts, c1920-c1950 (Ref: USCL 400-401); annotated listings of RTS publications, 1842-1859 (Ref: USCL Add 39); RTS publications, 1822-1934 and undated (Ref: USCL Add 41-57); USCL publications, 1935-1962 and undated (Ref: USCL Add 57-62); miscellaneous publications, c1725, 1816-1960, including some on the work of the RTS but also including other publications, some by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (Ref: USCL 377-399, USCL Add 40, 63).

There are also records, 1858-1950, of the Christian Literature Society (CLS) for India (and Africa) and its predecessor; and records, 1885-1977, of the UCSL (Scotland) and its predecessors.

Records, 1885-1977, of the UCSL (Scotland) and predecessors, comprising:

minutes of the Christian Literature Society (CLS) for China Scottish Central Committee, 1891-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 1-3), including annual meetings of the Society, 1893-1901 (Ref: USCL/S 1), Edinburgh Committee, 1893-1921, 1940-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 2, 7), and Glasgow Committee, 1893-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 5); USCL Scottish Central Committee, 1942-1977 (Ref: USCL/S 4), and Glasgow Committee, 1943-1972 (Ref: USCL/S 6); CLS for India and Africa Edinburgh Auxiliary Committee, 1926-1935, continued by the USCL Edinburgh Auxiliary, 1935-1976 (Ref: USCL/S 8), and USCL Glasgow and South of Scotland Auxiliary Committee, 1935-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 9);

other papers, 1885-1942, relating to the history of the CLS for China (Scotland) and USCL (Scotland) and their union (Ref: USCL/S 10-13);

annual reports for the Book and Tract Society of China, 1885-1890 (Ref: USCL/S 14-19), Society for the Diffusion of Christian and General Knowledge Among the Chinese, 1893-1895 (Ref: USCL/S 20-22), Christian Literature Society for China, 1893-1905, 1912-1942 (Ref: USCL/S 23-68, USCL Add 37), and USCL (Scotland), 1943-1971 (Ref: USCL/S 73-98);

miscellaneous publications, c1893-1966 (Ref: USCL/S 104-130).