(1) Official correspondence, 1883-1896

Papers concerning the appointment of staff at the Royal Observatories at Greenwich and the Cape of Good Hope; the general reorganisation of Observatory staff; increases in scales of salary; additions to staff allowance for the Greenwich Observatory; a comparison table showing the difference between existing and proposed staffing levels; and copies of past correspondence between Sir George Airy and J.J. Scudamore on the same subject. The correspondents are R.D. Awdry, W. Green, Lord George Hamilton, W. Jackson, G. Lynn, R.R.W. Lingen, E. MacGregor, F. Mowatt, W. Swainson and J. Walrond.

(2) Semi-official correspondence, 1887-1895

Correspondence between the Astronomer Royal, the Board of Visitors, the Hydrographer of the Navy and other officials on increasing the number of assistants allocated to the Royal Observatory and increases in the existing assistants' salaries. The correspondents are R.D. Awdry, Sir Henry Browne, G. Darwin, Sir John Donnelly, the Revd J. Glaisher, W. Huggins, C. Pullen, G.G. Stokes, Sir Reginald Welby and W. Wharton.

(3) Memoranda and petitions from staff, 1884-1890

Requests and official memoranda from the assistants at the Royal Observatory concerning increases in salaries and the promotion of Second Class Assistants to First Class Assistants to replace external appointments. There are also replies and petitions from W. Ellis, T. Lewis and J. Powers. The correspondents are R.D. Awdry, G. Criswick, A. Downing, W. Ellis, H.T. Hollis, T. Lewis, E. MacGregor, E.W. Maunder, C. Nash, J. Powers and W. Thackeray.

(4) Memoranda, 1887

'Names of Assistants engaged at the Observatory'; 'Summary of the salaries of the staff of the Observatory'; 'Summary of Royal Observatory estimates in differing years'; 'A comparison of Cape and Greenwich observatory salaries'; 'Note on the increase of utilitarian work in the Royal Observatory'; 'Additions and changes to Instruments'; 'Annual payments to Computers'; and 'Notes on United States Naval Observatory, Washington'.