The papers here are those which have come to the archives separate from other of Frere's papers and records of college administration, or which have been stored separately. Some of his College bursarial and financial papers survived as part of the official College Archive and are listed as part of this elsewhere. The fact they were stored separately suggests that they were considered by Frere to be his private papers. There is no proof of this and they may have been sorted out after his death. Annotations on letters suggest they may have been kept by Thomas Worsley after his succession as Master. Many of the papers do concern Downing College business.
Also included here are photocopied and transcribed Frere family letters, the originals of which seem to have had a different custodial history again.