Alphabeta litterae, caracteres et habitus variorum populorum, besides the alphabets, there are numerous traced copies of illustrations-a few in colour-from travel books, etc of the 16th to the early 19th centuries, depicting costumes, ceremonies, occupations, etc. The fourth volume, uniformly bound, is lettered on the spine: 'Salutatio angelica. Symbolum Apostolorum Nicenum S. Athanasii. Decalogus. Praecepta Ecclesiae. Te Deum laudamus. Signum S. Crucis. Orationis Dominicae. Fragmenta polyglotta'. Probably compiled in France: the latest entry is dated 1840.

Diaries and notebooks of James Theodore and Mabel Virginia Anna Bent, 1883-1898, comprising:
Mabel Bent's diaries of visits to the Greek Islands, 1883-1884; Greece and Egypt, 1885; Constantinople [Istanbul] and the Greek Islands, 1886; Greece, 1887; Turkey and Russia, 1888; India and Persia [Iran], 1889 (3 volumes); Cilicia, Turkey, 1890; Central Africa (Mashonaland), 1891 (2 volumes); Hadramout, 1893-1895 (3 volumes); Suez, Kourbat and Athens, 1895-1896; Socotra, Yemen, 1896-1897; Greece and Egypt, 1898;
Theodore Bent's diary of visits to Hadramout, Yemen, 1893-94; Muscat, Dec 1894; Socotra, Yemen, Dec 1896-Mar 1897; notebook, containing Greek inscriptions, 1888; notebook on language in Socotra [1896-1897].

An outline of a system of shorthand, 1802-6, and information on its application.

Papers relating to the Advisory Committee on Oriental Materials (ACOOM), 1982-1991, comprising Committee minutes and papers, 1988-1991; Annual Meetings minutes, 1988-1991; correspondence, 1987-1990, including administrative matters; Chairman's working papers, 1988-1991, including administrative arrangements and policy; Officers' correspondence and papers, 1982-1989; miscellaneous papers, 1987-1989, including papers relating to rules concerning ACOOM administration, answers to a questionnaire relating to conservation facilities for Oriental materials, and papers relating to the Union Catalogue of Asian Publications. Subjects covered by the papers also include a project on romanization systems and the future of SCONUL.

Papers of Russell Scott, including correspondence and publications reflecting the wide range of Scott's interests in linguistic unification, Esperanto, Basic English, alphabet reform and simplified spelling, in particular the Kunowski phonetic alphabet 'Sprechspur' or 'Speech-Tracing' and its use in German schools. The papers include newsletters of the Phonetic Alphabet Association, 1955-1961, and associated correspondence; and material relating to George Bernard Shaw's interest in the reformed alphabet movement, including carbons of letters to Shaw, correspondence about his will, press cuttings and publications.

Transcript of the parish registers of Saint John, Smith Square, Westminster, including baptisms 1728-1755, marriages 1728-1754 and burials 1731-1754. Also some notes made by Noble for various publications.

Manuscripts written in and about shorthand, 16th-20th centuries.

Transcripts of an extract from "St Paul's Liber" (folios 51-54), a survey of property in London belonging to St Paul's Cathedral, 1130.

Transcript of the parish registers of Thaxted, Essex, including baptisms 1558-1812 and marriages 1538-1754.

The collection of Richard Long, 1885-1950, including:

MS 77

Manuscript and typescript notes made by Long, extracted from periodicals and books.

MS 78

Scrap paper notes made by Long.

MS 79

Correspondence between Long and S.G. Morley.

MS 80

Three notebooks containing abstracts. [Kilcavan, Geashill, 1885-1896].

MS 81

'Researches of Maya astronomy' translated 1-6, [by] Hans Ludendorff, Berlin, 1930-1933.

MS 82

Proofs of Maya hieroglyphic writing, by J.E. Thompson, Washington, 1950 with notes by Long inserted.

MS 83

Notes and abstracts from papers by various authors including on Mexico, Maya and Egypt.

MS 84

Typescript 'The new and the old in Guatemala' and 'The calendar of Soloma and of other Indian towns', by Robert Burkitt. 1929-1930 and proofs of 'The calendar of Soloma', published in Man, 1929.

MS 85

'Book of Chilam Balam of Tizimen: Tun prophecies, with comparisons from the Mani version', translated by Ralph Roys, [11 June 1948].

MS 86

Collection of reprints and photostat copies of papers by Robert H. Merrill, [1941-1947].

MS 87

Collection of reprints by various authors, including correspondence and notes, [1924-1949].

MS 88

'Further implications of Thompson's readings of Maya inscriptions at Copan', 2 Apr 1948.

MS 89

Biography of Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford (1593-1641).

Papers of John Urpeth Rastrick, 1800-1855, comprising a miscellany of correspondence (including drafts of copies of outgoing letters), with notes, engineering drawings, etc. Many of the notes and calculations are written in Rastrick's private cipher. Major correspondents include the London shipping iron merchants Henckell and Du Buisson; the 2nd Earl of Powis; John (later Sir John) Gladstone [father of W E Gladstone]; the lawyer, estate manager and politician James Loch and [?his son] George Loch; and Rastrick's sons and employees. Topics covered include the canal and railway interests of Rastrick and the other correspondents, as well as the iron industry. Most of the letters were dispatched to or from London or the industrial areas of South Wales and the West Midlands.

Biographical material is not extensive. An overall sense of Davies's life and work is provided by the contents of his 'Personal' folder of biographical notes, curricula vitae, lists of publications, examples of projects undertaken, etc. There is a little material recording Davies's schooling and university education and some documentation of his career. An unusual insight into the companies for which Davies acted and individuals with whom he came into contact later in his career is given by a collection of his business cards, some annotated. Also documented in this section is Davies's interest in various types of puzzles. There is a little posthumous material, including obituaries. As a number of biographical papers have been retained in family hands, some of the material is photocopy only.

Research material forms the largest part of the collection. These materials were found in Davies's labelled 'transfer cases' or box files which form the basic unit of organisation. There is a sequence of 'Notes of Miscellaneous Scientific Work', covering an extended period, 1952-1996. The contents of many of the containers relate to Davies's security interests with material from 1970s onwards, for example 'Data Security MS Notes', 1978-1984 and 'Public Key Ciphers' (two containers), 1970-1997. Papers relating to packet switching are to be found in Section F Historical Topics.

Papers relating to lectures and publications, presents sequences of papers designated by Davies as either lectures of publications. The lectures sequence covers a relatively short period, 1990-1995, and relates to computer history and security questions. The publications material covers a much more extended period, 1956-2000, and includes off prints, photocopied papers and copies of the journals in which publications by Davies appeared. There may be additional material relating to Davies's lectures and publications in other sections of the catalogue, especially Research and Historical topics and Correspondence.

Societies and organisations, is not an extensive section, comprising just four bodies, covering the period 1987-2000: British Computer Society, International Council for Computer Communication (ICCC), Royal Society and Worshipful Company of Information Technologists.

Papers relating to consultancies, provides documentation, 1986-1998, relating to a small number of consultancies which Davies held after his retirement from the National Physics Laboratory.

Papers relating to historical topics, presents important documentation of some of Davies's most important research, such as packet switching, as well as interest he pursued in his spare time such as Second World War cipher machines. These materials were found in Davies's labelled 'transfer cases' or box files which form the basic unit of organisation. There are interesting records relating to early computers organised in relation to a meeting held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Pilot Model ACE (Automated Computing Engine) in the year 2000. Packet switching is represented by a sequence 'Historical Notes / Early Packet Switching etc' 1949-2000, which includes copies of original documentation and historical reflections by Davies and others. There is an extensive record of Davies's interest in the history of cryptography including correspondence with others who shared his interests, typescript drafts of articles by Davies, photographs and photocopies of original documentation. Also represented in the section are Davies's interests in the history of the National Physics Laboratory itself and the Turing Machine.

Correspondence, is not extensive and is presented in four sequences. The first is the contents of Davies's folder of 'Misc. Correspondence', 1970-2000. Although the great bulk comes from the last fifteen years of Davies's life, the sequence also includes three letters from Sara Turing, mother of Alan Turing, 1970-1971, relating principally to their mutual interest in Second World War German cipher machines; of publications correspondence, 1988-1999; and of correspondence relating to a patent case 1994-2001. There is also an index of correspondence.

Transcripts of baptism, marriage and burial registers for Saint John at Hackney (1545-1812); White Colne, Essex (1558-1812); and Little Waltham, Essex (1538-1812).

Transcripts of the parish registers of Thurcaston with Cropston, Leicestershire, covering baptisms 1561-1800, marriages 1561-1754 and burials 1561-1800.

A manuscript Bible containing both Old and New Testaments copied out in shorthand, 1846-50. Included is a treatise on the system of shorthand used and a watercolour portrait of Thomas Bourne.

Papers, 1902-1998, of the Parsons family, comprising three volumes of typescript copies of letters (1902-1926) written by the Rev and Mrs Parsons from Yunnan, China, the subjects including family matters and mission activities, descriptions of local people and culture, and references to the Miao language; unpublished Hua Miao-English dictionary and phrase book written by P Kenneth and R Keith Parsons, 1998; publications using 'Reformed' Pollard script, 1951-1994, including text books and school primer (some photocopies), collected by them.