IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0117 MM
Held at: Royal Society
Title: Miscellaneous Manuscripts
Date(s): 15th century-
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: 2,550 documents in 24 volumes
Name of creator(s): Various
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Single manuscript letters or small groups of related documents considered too small to be added to the Manuscripts General series. Includes various document formats. The collection contains all manner of papers by, about or belonging to the Fellows of the Royal Society. Subject matter covers all branches of the sciences and includes non-scientific material. Current accessions are limited to materials not generated by the Royal Society, but acquired by gift or purchase; these usually number less than 10 items per accession. This has not always been the practice, so that the collection also contains relatively large groups of papers, occasionally on Royal Society business.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Documents not arranged chronologically except within small acquisition groups. Later volumes divide letters by century, so that Volume 18 is devoted to 20th century material, and volumes 20 to 24 contain 18th, 19th and 20th century papers.
Conditions governing access:
Open
Conditions governing reproduction:
No publication without written permission. Apply to Archivist in the first instance.
Physical characteristics:
Volumes 1-17, and 19 are bound. Volumes 18, 20-22 are not bound.
Finding aids:
Each volume prefaced by a a list of contents. Letters are Draft by author in the Archive Card Catalogue, detailing name and address of sender, date of recipient and reference number. A handlist for volumes 1-14 is available containing similar information. This was produced as an introduction to the microfilm publication of the series by University Publications of America.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Accruals:
Archival history:
Immediate source of acquisition:
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
Microfilm available since 1985 from University Publications of America.
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Copied from the Royal Society catalogue by Sarah Drewery.
Rules or conventions: General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.
Date(s) of descriptions: Feb 2009.