British Museum (British Library)

Sydney Smirke, reading room designer. Reading-room, British Museum, London, England.Between 1890 and 1910. Illus. in: Scrapbook HS M2 in the AIA/AAF Collection. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

The manuscripts in the British Museum insofar as they relate to American history are described in two printed guides published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington, under the general editorship of Dr. J. Franklin Jameson. These are Guide to the Manuscript Materials for the History of the United States to 1783, in the British Museum, in Minor London Archives, and in the Libraries of Oxford and Cambridge, by Charles M. Andrews and Frances G. Davenport (Washington, 1908), and Guide to the Materials in London Archives for the History of the United States since 1783, by Charles O. Paullin and Frederic L. Paxson (Washington, 1914). These guides are linked below.

The reproductions of manuscripts in the British Museum consist of transcripts unless otherwise designated. The Library of Congress has reproductions of practically all the material in the British Museum described in the Carnegie Institution guides. The reproductions are supplemented by copies of collections acquired by the British Museum since the publication of the guides. The collection of material found in the British Museum is organized as follows:

Cottonian Manuscripts
Lansdowne Manuscripts
Stowe Manuscripts
Harleian Manuscripts
Hargrave Manuscripts
King's Manuscripts
King's Maps
Egerton manuscripts
Sloane Manuscripts
Additional Charters
Briefs or Church Briefs
Additional Manuscripts (a separate guide has been created for "Additional Manuscripts"- see below)

The following collection titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content, including finding aids for the collections, are included when available.

Antiquarian Collection of Sir Robert Cotton, 1577-1608
The collection assembled by Sir Robert Cotton (1571-1631) contains many original state papers. Included are selections from the Augustus, Otho E, Vespasian, and Titus B series. Additional Cottonian Manuscripts have been digitized by the British Library and can be found by searching “Cotton MS“ in the [Manuscripts] search box on their online catalog, linked in the shelflist below.
William Petty Lansdowne Collection, 1568-1776
The collection consists of 1,245 volumes and includes the Burghley papers (state papers and original correspondence of William Cecil, Lord Burghley (1520-1698); state papers and correspondence of Sir Julius Caesar (1558-1636), judge of the admiralty, chancellor of the exchequer, and master of the rolls; the papers of Dr. White Kennett (1660-1728), Bishop of Peterborough and one of the original members of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts; and others. This collection of reproductions spans the years 1561-1782 and consists chiefly of items relating to early North American history.
George Nugent Temple Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham, Collection of Stowe Manuscripts, 1375-1818
The Stowe manuscripts were collected by the first Marquis of Buckingham (1753-1813). The collection derives its name from the fact that the manuscripts were kept at Stowe, the seat of the Grenvilles, dukes of Buckingham. They were purchased in 1849 by the Earl of Ashburnham and acquired by the British Museum in 1883. The reproductions in this collection span the years 1612-1805 and relate chiefly to British colonial history in North America.
Collection of Harleian MSS., 1592-1728
The collection was gathered by Robert Harley (1661-1724) first Earl of Oxford, and his son Edward Harley (1689-1741) second Earl of Oxford. The reproductions in this collection span the years 1592-1728 and relate to British colonial policy in North America, chiefly from the 17th century, with a particular emphasis on trade and revenue.
Francis Hargrave Collection, 1701-1763
This collection of legal manuscripts was made by Francis Hargrave (1741-1821). Included are selections from five volumes numbered between 141-194. The reproductions in this collection span the years 1702-1763 and relate to British colonial policy in the Americas.
Additional Hargrave Manuscripts have been digitized by the British Library and can be found by searching “Hargrave MS“ in the [Manuscripts] search box on their online catalog, linked in the shelflist below.
British Museum. King's Manuscripts and Maps, 1721-1784
The King's Manuscripts and Maps were reproduced in microfilm and transcribed from originals in the British Library, London, England. Manuscript and map formats are described separately in the shelf list. Additional King’s Manuscripts have been digitized by the British Library and can be found by searching “Kings MS“ in the [Manuscripts] search box on their online catalog, linked in the shelflist below.
Francis Henry Egerton, Earl of Bridgewater, Papers, 1877-1880
Egerton was a clergyman and antiquarian. The reproductions from his collection span the years 1519-1828 and primarily focus on British colonial history in North America.
Some Egerton Manuscripts have been digitized by the British Library and can be found by searching “Egerton MS“ in the [Manuscripts] search box on their online catalog, linked in the shelflist below.
Sir Hans Sloane Collection, 1574-1744
The reproductions in this group span the years 1530-1742 with the bulk of the material from the 17th century. The materials focus on geography, science, and the natural world. Additional Sloane Manuscripts have been digitized by the British Library and can be found by searching “Sloane MS“ in the [Manuscripts] search box on their online catalog, linked in the shelflist below.
British Museum. Additional Charters, 1649-1751
The Additional Charter series parallels the Additional Manuscripts series with overlapping numbers. To distinguish between the two collections researchers use ADD or CH to request a particular number. The charters reproduced here relate to the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland and span the years 1649-1751.
Church of England Briefs, 1761-1766
Briefs in support of colleges in Philadelphia and New York (1761), and of sufferers of the great fire in Montreal (1766).
British Library Additional Manuscripts
Published/Created: 1513-1856

Shelf Lists

The below guides to these collections are provided by Manuscript Reading Room staff. Users with additional questions regarding navigation and access of the collections are encouraged to submit an Ask A Librarian for assistance.

British Museum (now British Library) (PDF, 1,138 KB)
A Shelf List to the collection in the Library of Congress.
British Museum (now British Library): Additional Manuscripts (PDF, 3.1 MB)
A Shelf List to the collection in the Library of Congress.

Descriptive Guides

The following titles link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to additional online content are included when available.

Guide to the Manuscript Materials for the History of the United States to 1783, in the British Museum, in Minor London Archives, and in the Libraries of Oxford and Cambridge by Charles M. Andrews and Frances G. Davenport
Call Number: Z1237 .A56 1965 E188
This publication is also available online through HathiTrust.External
A Guide to Manuscripts Relating to American History in British Depositories Reproduced for the Division of Manuscripts of the Library of Congress by Grace Gardner Griffin
Call Number: CD1048.U5 A35 1946
This publication is also available online through HathiTrust.External
Guide to the Materials in London Archives for the History of the United States Since 1783 by Paullin, Charles O.
Call Number: CD1048.U5 P3
Published/Created: 1914
This publication is also available online through HathiTrust.External

Foreign Copying Program: United Kingdom of Great Britain

Manuscripts: Ask a Librarian

British Museum (British Library)

Shelf Lists

Descriptive Guides