| RefNo | DM |
| Level | Fonds |
| Title | Domestic Manuscripts: letters and papers relating to the administration of the Royal Society |
| Creator | The Royal Society |
| Date | 1662-1884 |
| Description | Letters and papers relating to the Society's administration. The first 4 volumes contain papers (in the form of legal opinions, Council decisions, committee reports, etc.) and letters on a number of topics described at the beginning of each volume (except volume 3). These range from purely internal matters, such as elections and admissions, residences of the Society, lists of property - to the Society's involvement in external information gathering, notably the management of surveys and observatories. Volumes 5-7 differ in content, period or both, from the preceding papers; they are individually titled. Volume 5 ('Miscellaneous administrative papers of the 17th and early 18th centuries'), includes minutes of the Society's earliest committees, drafts of diplomas for Foreign Members and financial information on the Society, 1662-1733. Volumes 6-7 are concerned with bequests and property, ('Papers and letters relating to bequests, trusts and matters arising from them 1840-1900'), and 'Papers and letters concerning the Acton Estate 1857-1884'). |
| Extent | 971 documents, 7 volumes. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Arrangement | Volumes 1-4 cover approximately the same time span (volume 1, 1755-1847; volume 2, 1780-1835; volume 3, 1782-1841; volume 4, 1783-1841, with some undated earlier material). Volume 7 is the only one arranged in strict chronological order |
| FindingAids | Each volume in the series contains some indexing or listing of contents in varying degrees of detail. Volumes 1-4 have indexes at the rear of the collections, listing the number of the manuscript item, author and address, recipient, date, and notes on the subject or type of document (such as 'printed circular') In volumes 5-7 the indexing is at the front: a brief description of the document in volume 5, in volume 6 a list giving author, recipient, date and title of bequest, and in volume 7, author, recipient and date only. All volumes are listed in the Archive Card Catalogue with similar details listed. A brief hand list is available. |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| AccessConditions | OPEN - but photocopying forbidden. |
| Copyright | Royal Society |
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