Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library: Historical documents

Items listed on this page are normally on display in the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library at St Pancras, London.

You can find out more about selected items online. You can also check out opening times and get an overview of what the gallery contains.

ANGLO-SAXON
• The New Minster Reformation Charter Cotton Vespasian A VIII
• King Eadred's Will in the Liber De Hyda Add. MS 82931
• The Will of Athelstan Atheling Stowe Charter 37
• The New Minster Liber Vitae Stowe MS 944
• tudor
• Sir Thomas Moore's letter to Henry VIII before his execution, 1535 Cotton Cleo E VI (ff. 176v - 177)
• Hanging of John Beche, Abbot of Colchester, c. 1540 Egerton 2164
• Page from Edward VI's diary from 1551 Cotton Nero C X folio 35
• Lady Jane Grey's Prayer Book Harley MS 2342 (ff. 74v - 75) more...
• Elizabeth I's reply regarding her marriage and successor. April 1563 Lansdowne 94 folio 30
• Order signed by Philip II of Spain and Mary Tudor, 26 March 1555 Cotton Titus B II folio 100

18th AND 19th CENTURY
• Captain Cook's Journal, 21st February 1775 Add. MS 27888 (ff. 337v - 338)
• Florence Nightingale: letter to Sidney Herbert, 25 November 1854 Add. MS 43393 folio 13 more...
• Captain Soame Jennings describing the charge of the Light Brigade Add. MS 78157
• Logbook of HMS Victory Add. MS 39862 (ff. 35v - 36)

20th CENTURY
• Lenin's application for a British Museum reader's pass. 1902 Add. MS 54579 folio 2
• Captain Robert Falcon Scott, The South Polar Times. 1910 - 1912 Add. MS 51040 (ff. 43v - 44)
• Captain Scott's diary showing the final entry of 29th March 1912 Add. MS 51035 (ff. 38v - 39) (pictured above) more...
• Haig's Order of the day, 11th April 1918 Add. MS 45416
• John Maynard Keynes - letter to Oswald Falk. November 1941 Add. MS 57923 folio 44

APAC HISTORICAL
• List of gifts for the Great Mogul, 1604 IOR E/3/2.f.97
• Bond for the employment of Charles Lamb - East India Company, 1810 IOR 0/1/197
• Account of the uprisings in India. 1878 MSS Urdu 132
• Cipher of Sir James Outram, 1857, from the siege of Lucknow IOR Mss Eur A 205