Letter from Robert Owen of Braxfield, [Lanarkshire] to 'the London Partners in the firm of Robert Owen and Co', 24 Oct 1814. Sending monthly accounts [missing]. Attributing poor trading in cotton to political instability in Europe; explains that unprofitable sales in Russia must continue until the market improves so that the mills [at New Lanark] can be kept working.

Manuscript volume containing a contemporary copy of the charter of the British Linen Company, dated 5 Jul 1746.

Manuscript account book of Jones and Co, London cloth merchants, giving details of cloth sold from 18 Feb 1760-6 Mar 1775, and details of buyers. Most entries contain a sample of the cloth involved.

Manuscript volume containing information relating to the finances of France, [1757]-1766, namely a report on the actual state of affairs concerning the finances of the kingdom of France, 1766, including the revenues and expenditure of the king, the extraordinary transactions in France from 1755 to 1763 due to the war against the English, and annual transactions made in the kingdom in favour of the Court of Rome, bishops, dukes, counts and peers; a report giving particulars of the general and specific financial schemes of France, with political observations, 1766; a report on the actual state of the secret and general finances of France and of the organisation of those finances, [1757]; a printed pamphlet by John Holker, being an instructive memoir on the fabric and other woollen goods of England, published in Paris, 1764.

Manuscript letter appointing Louis Casimir Brown Inspector of Manufactures in Caen producing cloth or materials used in its treatment, 15 Sep 1780. With the signature of Jacques Necker, Director General of Finances, the signature of the Intendant of Caen, and a note dated 27 Feb 1783 of registration by the greffiers of the bailliage of Caen.

Manuscript volume containing a copy of a letter dated 9 Jun 1744 from Elizabeth Forbes of the School of Sprinning, Jedburgh, [Roxburgh], to David Flint, Trustees Office, Parliament Close, Edinburgh, complaining of her summons by the baillies of Jedburgh for contravening the 'Acts in the Trades Seal of Cause' by ordering equipment from Kelso.

Manuscript orders made by the Hamburg Company, 26 Jan 1668, to prevent 'employing unfreemen to buy and shipp off woolen' .

Memorial signed by Thomas Wroe of Hollinwood near Manchester, cotton manufacturer, addressed to the Rt Hon Spencer Perceval and the Lords of the Treasury, seeking compensation for the loss of his steam-powered cotton mill at West Houghton, which was destroyed by a 'riotous mob', dated 24th April, 1812. Endorsed to the effect that there does not appear to be any means of indemnifying Mr Wroe.

A signed holograph proposal, 1739, for preventing the illicit practice of wool, tea and brandy smuggling, submitted to both Houses of Parliament.

The collection contains a memoranda book covering the years 1783 to 1785, with additions and annotations. The contents include notes of orders, bills, advertisements, names of customers, tables showing different qualities of worsteds and a 'black list' of employees.

Manuscript volume, originally used as a stock book for haberdashery, belonging to John Clark [of Bridgewater, Somerset], containing lists of hosiery, thread, pins, ribbons, laces, tapes, bobbins, blankets, flannel and other cloths, furs, tippets, muffs, capes, silk cloaks, cambric handkerchiefs, pasteboard, paper and umbrellas, 1832-1837. Many pages have had pasted on to them newspaper cuttings and illustrations from popular magazines, [1838-1852], including plans for the new parish church of Paddington, 1840. From folio 18, the volume has interspersed on previously blank pages a draft continuation by Clark of Byron's Don Juan (i.e. cantos xvii-xxiv), described by the author as 'rough copy - incorrect' (each leaf being cancelled presumably as the fair copy was made) and signed by himself as 'completed 1842 September 1, at X a.m. clk. struck, & flute playing in the street'.. There are also some notes on Byron's original poem, his life and literary style accompanying the continuation, which date from later in the 1840s. The vellum cover is inscribed 'John Clark's first copy of his poem'.

Account books, 1807-1827, of John Ferguson's textile manufacturing company, Robert Ferguson & Son.

Minutes of evidence of the Committee to consider the state of the linen trade in Great Britain and Ireland, given at twelve sessions held between 1 March and 12 May 1774.

Letters and accounts, mostly concerned with the cloth and clothing trade, between 1755 and 1763. The material was created by both Benjamin Wilson and Jonathan Dickinson, who appear to have been business partners.

Working papers of the Survey of 'Labour and Life of the People' and 'Life and Labour of the People in London' by Charles Booth 1886 - 1903 comprising the original survey notebooks and papers: interviews, questionnaires, statistics, reports and colour coded maps describing poverty.
The papers and the original survey notebooks reflect the three areas of investigation undertaken in the survey: poverty, industry and religious influences.
The poverty series interviewed School Board visitors about levels of poverty in households and streets. The survey also investigated trades of East London connected with poverty: tailoring; furniture and women's work.
The industry series comprises interviews of employers, trade union leaders and workers for each trade and industry and questionnaires concerning rates of wages, numbers employed, details of trade unions and domestic details (food, dress and circumstances etc) which were completed by employees and trade union officials. The following trades and industries are covered by the survey: building trade; wood workers; metal workers; precious metals, watches and instruments; sundry manufacturers printing and paper trades; textile trades; clothing trades; food and drink trades; dealers and clerks; transport and gardeners; labourers; public service and professional classes; domestic service. Case histories of the inmates of Bromley and Stepney workhouses during 1889 and people who received outdoor relief from the union were also transcribed.
The religious survey includes reports of visits to churches and over 1450 interviews with ministers of all denominations including Church of England, Methodist, Presbyterian, Jewish, Roman Catholic. Salvation Army officers and missionaries were also interviewed. The reports of the interviews contain printed material relating to the churches. Questionnaires were also completed as part of the survey. The investigation went beyond documenting religious influences and incorporates a description of the social and moral influences on Londoners' lives.
The Maps Descriptive of London Poverty 1898-1899 are probably the most well known documents which survive from the survey. The Maps Descriptive of London Poverty 1898-1899 are twelve sheets colour coded by social class and poverty from black [semi-vicious] to yellow [middle and upper class, well-to-do]. The maps cover an area of London from Hammersmith in the west, to Greenwich in the east, and from Hampstead in the north to Clapham in the south. The working and printed copies of the maps are contained within the archive.
The social investigators accompanied police around their beats in London in order to update the existing street-level information for the Maps Descriptive of London Poverty 1898-1899. The reports of the walks are known as the 'police notebooks' and contain descriptions of London streets. All the notebooks have been digitised.
Other papers include an inventory undertaken in 1925 by Thomas Macaulay Booth, son of Charles Booth; additional manuscripts concerning the survey: circulars, statistics etc and booklets collected during the survey.

Business papers, articles of agreement, correspondence, tax assessments etc.

Papers of the National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers, including the Amalgamated Society of Tailoresses and the United Clothing Workers' Union, comprising 1. Amalgamated Society of Tailors; 2. London Society of Tailors and Tailoresses (formerly West End Branch of the Amalgamated Society of Tailors and Tailoresses); 3.United Clothing Workers' Union; 4. National Unions of Tailors and Garment Workers.