Miscellaneous Manuscripts

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0117 MM
Held at	: Royal Society   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://royalsociety.org/collections/ ›
Full title	: Miscellaneous Manuscripts
Date(s)	: 15th century-
Level of description	: Collection (fonds)
Extent	: 2,550 documents in 24 volumes
Name of creator(s)	: Various
Detailed catalogue	: Click here to view repository detailed catalogue

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 & 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.

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

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Allied Materials

Related material:

Microfilm available since 1985 from University Publications of America.

Publication note:

Description Notes

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.