'Geological researches round London', comprising five volumes of manuscript copies, by a number of hands, of notes made by James Mitchell principally on the geology and botany of London and the Thames Valley during his residence in the City, [1832-1840]. Also includes some cuttings of Mitchell's published articles. An index to the papers appears at the front of each volume and the titles or subjects listed are:

VOLUME 1

Loampit Hill; Cavern on the side of Blackheath; Pit in the old Charlton Parish; Shooters Hill; Pit at New Charlton near Woolwich; Sundridge Park near Bromley; Erith; Crayford; Bexley Heath; Dartford; Road from London to Gravesend; Greenhithe Park; Northfleet (including fossils and plants); Shorne; Holly Hill; Gadshill; Pits at Chatham; Gravesend to Wrotham; Town Malling; Quarry near Maidstone; Kits Cotty; Isle of Sheppey; Cliff at Reculver; Margate Sands; Chatham to Canterbury; Key Street; Sittingbourne; Canterbury to Margate; Isle of Thanet; Sandwich; Richborough Castle; Channel Flints; Dover to Folkstone; Hayes Common; Pratts Bottom; Knockholt Beeches; Knockholt to Tunbridge; Tunbridge to Maidstone; London Clay in Kent; Sand found in the Thames; Brickmaking; Useful applications of Chalk; Limeburning; Great Lime; Lias Lime; Cement Stone; Heights in Kent; Manufacturing of Whitening.

VOLUME 2

Heights of various places in Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex above the low water according to the Trigonometrical Survey; London Clay; Remains of quadrupeds; Of gravel; Animal remains in flint found in the Clay; Kensington; Hampstead; Highgate; Tottenham Marshes; From London to Edgeware; Stanmore Common; Harrow on the Hill; London to Uxbridge; Amersham; Watford; Hatfield Herfordshire; Well at Beaumont Green; Ware; Hertford; Ware to Cambridge; London to Romford and Brentford; Brook Street; Warley Common; London to Chigwell and Ongar; Ongar; London to Cambridge by Epping; Saffron Walden; Alluvial soil on the banks of the Thames; Purfleet; Artesian Well in the Marsh near Purfleet; Button's Breach; Gray's Thurrock commonly called Grays; London to Woodbridge; Chiselhurst; Gravesend; Dartford Marshes; Orpington; Wandsworth; Knightshill; Kingston upon Thames; Croydon; Head of the Wandle; Carshalton; Beddington Surrey; Mitcham Common; Wells at Mitcham; Ashtead Surrey; Ewell Surrey; Carshalton Downs; Croydon to Merstham; London to Merstham; Merstham; Well below the Church at Merstham; Gatton Park; London to Reigate by Sutton; Reigate; London to Godstone; Godstone; The Bourne; Tilburstow; Bletchingly; Fuller's Earth Pits; London to Dorking; Dorking to Limepits; Dorking to Leith Hill; Leatherhead to Guildford; Guildford; Chelsworth House; Langdon Hills Essex.

VOLUME 3

New River Company's well at the end of Tottenham Court Road; Upper Clapton; List of minerals and fossils in the pits at Muswell Hill by Frederick Purdey; Brentford; Hounslow Heath; Hanwell; Wells at Hanwell; Harefield; Enfield; Northan; Cheshunt Street; Watford; Wades Mill; Puckeridge; Much Haddam; Royston; Tring; Strata of Essex; Waltham Abbey; Sewardstone; Epping Forest; Stratford; Dagenham; Ilford; Romford; Upminster; Peckham Rye; Counter Hill; Norwood; Epsom; Sutton; Cheam; Road from Croydon to Limpsfield; Merstham; Bletchingly; Nutfield and Fuller's Earth Pits; Barnes; Chertsey; Plumstead; Sydenham; Dartford Heath; Chiselhurst; Westerham; Farningham; Maidstone; Wrotham; Upnor; Cliff, Cooling and All Hallows; Cuxton; Halling; Isle of Sheppey; Sittingbourne; Windsor; North side of Bagshot Heath; Bagshot Heath; On the Blackheath formation; Druid Sandstone; On the changes produced on chalk flints.

VOLUME 4

Section of the London and Croydon Railway; Of the London Basin; Of the London Clay; Age of the London Clay; Fossil wood in London Clay; Septaria or Cement Stone; Wells in London; Bognor Shells; Woolwich Shells; Mineralogical substances in Middlesex and Essex (Cement Stone, Pyrites, Selenite, Wood, Sulphate of Magnesium); Quartz; Gravel. Series of papers on the construction and description of water wells, including: Foul air - wells; Wells at Sanderstead, Norbury, Epsom Downs, Kent; Air pump used in well digging and well boring; Expense of well digging and well boring; Direction of underground currents; Foul air in Wells in Essex and Middlesex; Beds of sand in the blue clay beneath it; Wells rot each other; Wells at Sheerness and in Sheppey; As to whether digging or boring be preferable; Muswell Hill; Barnet; Hemel Hempstead; Tring; Buntingford; Royston; Hare Street; Danbury; Rochford and Rayleigh; Wallisea Island; Wigborough; Coast near Malden; Braintree; Croydon and the neighbouring Country; Brixton; Forest Hill; Well at Balham Hill; Well at Mortlake; St George's Hill; Kingston to Guildford; Weybridge; Well at Cobham; Godstone; Well at Merstham; Waltham on the Hill; Headley; Reigate; Red Hill Reigate; Dorking; Wells at Normanry and Ash; Wells in the Weald of Sussex; Reading; Newbury; Bexley Heath; Chelsfield and Well Hill; Wells at Margate; Great Baddon; Wells in various places.

VOLUME 5

Superficial strata of the county of Middlesex; Wells in Middlesex; Well at St Mary Woolnoth; Church Fenchurch Street; The Thames Tunnel; Mud and sand carried out by the Thames; Hampstead Heath; Watery action on the surface in Essex; On wells formed by digging and boring in Essex; Stratford in Essex; Chigwell and Chigwell Row; Kelvedon; Copford; Great Wakering; Wakering Marsh; Foulness Island; Walton on the Naze; On the watery action on the surface of the county of Surrey; On the sections at New Cross; on the strata of the of the Jolly Sailor Station of the Croydon Railway; Shirley sand pits; Addington Hills; Croham Hurst; Croydon; Woking Common; Leatherhead; Nettley Heath; Heights above the level of the Thames of places in and about London; On the foul air in the chalk and in the strata above the chalk in the country near London.

Papers of Nathaniel John Winch, [1808]-1820, comprising:

Drawing of a plan of the dykes in Montagu Main Colliery, [1808]; Sketches of sections showing dykes in Whitley Quarry and Walbottle Dean, [c 1814]; Letter to Thomas Webster describing a fossil plant found near Whitby, 1820.

Typescript copy of the diary of Peter Martin-Kaye written whilst conducting a geological survey of the unmapped Ekereku River in the Pakaraima Mountains, British Guiana, Mar-Jun 1951 (also known as the Kamarang - Ekereku - Wenamu expedition).

List of Irish counties with numbers of houses delineated by the number of hearths, whether newly inhabited and other detail, 1788. Includes comments on the nature of the survey.

Manuscript volume, 17th century, containing: Mohammed Ibn Al-Hussain Karkhi, Kitab al-kafi fi 'ilm al-hisab wa-'ilm al-misahah wa-al-khawafi (Treatise on arithmetic, geometry, land surveying etc)

Scientific and other papers sent to the Royal Society, presented at meetings of Fellows, or commissioned by the Society. They form a complementary series to the Early Letters, both of which were superseded by the Letters and Papers. Many of these items, referred to as the 'Guard Books', are duplicated in the Register Book of the Society. The classification is a simplified form of the 'Philosophical Transactions' abridgment by John Lowthorp. This arrangement was completed in 1741 by Thomas Birch. The majority of the papers in these volumes are manuscript, but a few printed documents occur throughout the series. Some of the papers are earlier in date than the grant on 15 July 1662 of the First Charter to the Society. The Committee of Trades seems to have been associated with the earlier meetings of those philosophers who subsequently became Fellows, and produced a number of practical papers, some of which were written in 1639 and which are mostly found in Volume 3(i). There are still earlier documents, mostly in Volume 25, which may have been included in the gift, in 1667, of the Arundel Library.

Documents relating to John Augustus Lloyd's paper on the difference of level of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans entitled 'Account of Levellings Carried across the Isthmus of Panama, to Ascertain the Relative Height of the Pacific Ocean at Panama and of the Atlantic at the Mouth of the River Chagres; Accompanied by Geographical and Topographical Notices of the Isthmus', 1830.

Observations for ascertaining the distances across the English Channel made by direction of the French and English Governments, bearing the signatures of François Arago, Henry Kater and Thomas Colby.

Tables prepared by Sir George Everest for the use of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India.

Letters addressed to William Buckland (DD, FRS, Dean of Westminster and Reader in Mineralogy and Geology in University of Oxford) and other posthumous correspondence relating to his work.

Bearings and positions by A C Hoey of Lake Baringo to Addis Abbaba, 1909.

Observation files of Sir Alfred Sharpe, including positions, Lake Mweru, 1892 and positions on and near Lake Nyasa including letters and calculations, 1894-1895.

Papers relating to the work of the Royal Geographical Society, cientific enquiries, instruments and instruction, 1830-1938, including rough minutes of the Scientific Committee, 1830; note on the potential effects of the projected magnetic expedition, 1842; draft letter to Sir Robert Peel, 1843; plan for correcting and extending knowledge of the Chinese Empire; suggestions for the captains of vessels proceeding to the Antarctic seas, 1892; notes on instruments including of the Instruments Committee, 1857-1860; memorandum on training travellers to make useful scientific observations, by Clements Markham, 1879; draft of proposed arrangement with Mr Coles for instruction, 1879; rough minutes of Scientific Purposes Committee, 1879; instruction and instrument report, 1881; list of instruments lent to travellers, 1877-1883; proposals for instruments, 1884; report on instruments, 1894; prospectus for a 'Course of Instruction in Practical Astronomy and Surveying…' as given by E A Reeves, 1922; 'Course of instruction in exploratory survey and field astronomy', by Col C F Close, 1931; minutes, notes and correspondence of the Committee of Supervision of Instruction, 1936-1938 and instruments catalogues, 1862-1941.

Papers of Arthur Hinks including private scientific correspondence, proofs of articles and other papers, 1896-1930, concerning map projections and methods of survey; typed list of Hinks' contributions to the Geographical Journal and papers relating to A E Young.

Three survey notebooks, Belgian Congo, 1910-1913.

Papers of Sir Charles Frederick Arden-Close, 1934-1944, comprise a copy of 'The International Congress of Geography', Warsaw, 1934; three scrapbooks of letters, notes and memos from 1927-1930, the period when Close was President of the RGS; one volume of papers on the Anglo-German Nyasaland/Tanganyika Boundary Commission, 1898; proof of a review written by Close for Nature on the RGS publication of English county maps, 1933; bound volume of printed papers, news cuttings and a photo of the 'centenary meeting' showing Close and the Prince of Wales all marking the centenary celebrations of the RGS, 1930; bound diary illustrated with photographs of the survey of the Niger Kamerun Boundary, 1895 and papers referring to the National Atlas Project 1940-1941.

Pre-publication duplicated typescript, by C G C Martin entitled 'Malawi - A study of maps and surveys'.

Papers of Ernest Ayscoghe Floyer comprising computations of positions, Egypt, 1892 and other papers relating to Egypt, the Nile valley and Sinai.

Papers of Edward Ayearst Reeves, 1909-1930, including notes on Robert E Peary's report and observations from his expedition to the North Pole, 1919, 'On terrestrial magnetism', letters, maps, and observations (of which some are copies of Peary's and others unidentified), 1909 and memoirs of Reeves' time at the Royal Geographical Society, 1930.

Papers of Edward Whymper, 1871-1911, including computations of heights in the Andes, 1880 and watercolour, 'View of Greenland'.

Journals and logs of Foley Charles Prendergast Vereker, 1865-1886, relating to his service in RN Survey ships: Vol. 1, 1865-1867 as a midshipman in HMSs VICTORY, MUTINE, SUTLEJ, MALACCA, SCOUT and MUTINE again, home and South American (Atlantic and Pacific) stations; Vol. 2, 1867-1870 as a midshipman in HMSs MUTINE, NASSAU and DUKE OF WELLINGTON, Pacific and Home stations; Vol. 3, 1870-1872, as officer in HMS DUKE OF WELLINGTON, East Indies and China Seas; Vol. 4, 1873-1877, in HMSs NASSAU and THAMAR, Pacific; Vol. 5, 1878-1883, as lieutenant in HMS ALERT, South American Stations; Vol. 6, 1883-1884, as lieutenant in the P and O ships SS CLYDE, ROHILLA and BAUCA and as a lieutenant commanding HMS MAGPIE; 1884-1886, as lieutenant commanding HMS RAMBLER. Illustrated with watercolour drawings and charts, with mounted photographs at the end of each volume.

Two notebooks of Frank Kingdon Ward, 1911-1958, including bearings, positions and topographical notes made in Tibet, 1933-1934, and statement of the results of his observations.

Papers of Gertrude Caton-Thompson, 1935-1985, comprise artwork including preliminary drawings of maps, an offprint of an article 'Lake Moeris, re-investigations and some comments' by G Caton Thompson, E W Gardner and S A Huzayyin from Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte, T. XIX, 1936-1937 and photocopy of article 'Recent geological work in the Faiyun...' by O H Little from Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte, T. XVIII 1935-1936; aerial photo taken autumn 1938 by US pilot prospecting for oil, showing drainage pattern on edge of high plateau between Mukalla and Wadi Hadhramaut; Watercolour by Edith Hughes of the Fayum depression and preliminary drawing of map/sections of Wadi 'Amd at Hureidha, prepared for plate LXXII in the book Tombs and Moon Temple of Hureidha published in 1944.

Papers of George Holland including cartographer's notebooks and correspondence with Brian Moser, 1962, about a map of the Rio Piraparana.

Papers of Gerald Roe Crone, 1951-1960, are yet to be catalogued.

Typescript drafts of works of George Robert Farrar Prowse on the charting of the coast from Baffin Land to Maine, including copy of Cartological Material vol I: Maps, 1936, and Cartological Material vol III: Names, 1942, and extract from Prowse's Cartological Material vol IV: Voyages 'John Cabot sails for Hudson Strait known before 1073', 1944.

Workbooks containing hydrographic survey observations and calculations of George S Richie comprising Vol. 1: HMSS HERALD, JASON and FRANKLIN,1937-1939, China Sea; Vol. 2: HMSS FRANKLIN and ENDEAVOUR, 1939, 1942-1943, Labrador, North Africa; and Vol. 3: HMSS SCOTT, SHARPSHOOTER, OWEN, CHALLENGER, HMZS LACHLAN and HMS DALRYMPLE, 1943-1959, North Africa, Scotland, Malaya and the River Thames.

French documents collected by Sir George Fordham relating to posts, routes and cartographers in 18th century France including a receipt and two letters signed by Jacques Cassini; a memoir and a letter of Pierre Tardieu and papers of Rigoley d'Ogny including three letters.

Papers of Harry St John Bridger Philby, 1918-1955, including notebooks, journals, observations, letters and annotated typescript of Arabian Highlands. The journal and notebooks cover his journey across the Empty Quarter (Al Rub al Khali) in 1932. Typewritten reports cover his motorised journeys around Saudi Arabia from 1946-1955. His observations formed the basis for maps of Arabia prepared and published by the Royal Geographical Society.

Letters and articles by various authors relating to maps and map making, sent to the Royal Geographical Society for publication in its Journals, 1830-1952. The articles were often sent to referees and their reports are often to be found with the article, in some cases the referee report has been retained even though the article has been returned to the author.

Correspondence of Gen James T Walker, comprising two volumes of correspondence, 1876-1882, to Walker from correspondants in India and Europe with some draft letters from Walker, principally concerning the Survey of India and pendulum apparatus, correspondents include: G B Airey, David Gill, W J Heaviside, J Herschel, Fr. A Hirsch, Clements R Markham, T G Montgomerie, Lord Roberts, O von Stubendorf, Richard Strachey, H L Thuillier, and Colonel Henry Yule. Copies of extracts from Walker's letters, 1867-1876, from the records held in the Geodetic Branch Library, Dehra Dun, transcribed by R Phillimore, 1964.

Papers of John Walter Greogory, 1903-1922, including photostat of annual report of the Secretary for Mines and Water Supply to D McLeod, State of Victoria Australia, including a report by Gregory, Director of the Geological Survey, 1903; hyposometric and astronomical observations, Yunnan and Tibet, 1913; and notes and letters from E A Reeves and A R Hinks of the Royal Geographical Society to J W Gregory and C J Gregory, 1921-1922.

Papers of Michael Corbet Andrews, 1909-1934, comprising notes, photographs, tracings and drawings made by M C Andrews from 1909-1934. They refer to early cartographers, calendars, calendar staves, medieval and Sixteenth Century maps of the world with particular attention to the placenames of Scotland and Ireland. This collection notably includes calendars and almanacs; calendars including notes on lunar notations; correspondence notably concerning maps and calendars; descriptive notes on the work of cartographers; tracings and photographs of medieval maps; maps inlcuding Higden maps; photographs and photostats including maps of British Islands and Scotland. The collection also includes portolan charts and some County and medieval maps.

Papers of Michael Terry, 1921-1950, including observations and lists of collections made during an expedition to Central West Australia, 1932-1933, used as appendices to an article by Terry, 'Explorations near the Border of Western Australia', published in The Geographical Journal, Vol. 84, No. 6 (Dec, 1934), pp. 498-510; observations from Central Australia, 1928; and geological map with notes.

Correspondence, log books survey notes, maps and other papers concerning the members and the work of the Commission and the publication of its results, 1909-1921, including correspondence with H S Toppin; calculations of positions; survey notebooks, angle books and log books of H S Toppin, 1911-1913 and log book of C G Moores, 1911.

Papers of Richard Routley Adams Richards including diary on board HMS CHALLENGER, 1872-1876, Atlantic, Antarctic and Pacific oceans: seven volumes, illustrated with sketches; photographs including photographs taken during the voyage of the HMS CHALLENGER, notably Marion Island, Kerguelen Islands and Antarctic sea; four diaries, 1892-1894, Riviera and Carlsbad; and cartoons by Sub Lt Channer.

Notebook of Sir Cromer Ashburnam containing details of a journey from Mombasa to Uganda, 1894, with notes on surveying and lists of kit and typescript copy of letter from Ashburnham to Lady Baker offering to send her Sir Samuel Baker's gun, plus photocopy of original.

Papers of the Survey of India Reunion, 1955-1988, including accounts, records of meetings; lists of members; letters to the Reunion; unpublished accounts of (20th century) life in India; correspondence, 1967-1986; Bulletins; album of photographs of all Surveyors General of India and of room of the Surveyor General and seal of the Survey of India.

Observation files of Maj Seymour Vandeluer, 1893-1901, comprising observations on altitudes and bearings in Uganda, 1895 and observations on altitudes, meteorological observations and bearings, upper Nile and Sudan, 1899.

Papers of Thomas Howard Molyneux including Molyneux's journal of a survey of the Dead Sea, 1847 with a transcript by E O Eriksen and copies of notes and a map by Molyneux and lists of soundings in the Dead Sea.

Papers of Capt William Shakespear, 1908-1915, including field notebooks on 'Kuwait tours' giving route and bearings, 1909-1913; observations in Kuwait, 1911; tour to Nejd and a single page with depths of desert wells, Kuwait hinterland, Mar-Apr, 1913; notes on route and bearings, Feb-May 1914; computations of aneroid observations, 1914; observations of the sun's meridian, 1911, 1913 and 1914; copies of letters and papers including the last letter from Shakespear to his brother, 14 Jan 1915.

Papers of Walter Mersh Strong, 1905-1906, comprising notes on secondary positions, notebook containing maps, language notes, bearings and positions, Mafulu to Kambodi, New Guinea, 1905 and two mapping books, New Guinea, 1905-1906.