The thirteen documents are depositions taken by Lord Selkirk concerning the conflict with the North West Company at the Red River Settlement in Manitoba and at Fort William. On 11 June 1815, representatives of the North West Company attacked and fired upon the colonists, and demanded the surrender of Governor MacDonell, who, to avoid the loss of blood, gave himself up voluntarily. He was taken to Montreal as a prisoner, and charges were laid against him by his enemies, but his case was not tried. These depositions concern this case.

Abbott's papers reflect her family background, education and private life, as well as her research and publications on medical history. There are no materials relating to her work as a pathologist. Abbott's family background is documented by a printed history (1931) of St. Matthew's, Grenville, of which Joseph Abbott was the first rector, and glass negative views of the family home in St. Andrew's. Records of her education comprise notebooks (1886-1890) for courses at McGill in classics, philosophy, English literature, and science, her graduation photograph, and a photocopy of her address as Donalda Valedictorian in 1890. Private records include diaries (1930-1940), a commonplace-book (1929-1938), and a bundle of notes, clippings, poems, letters and invitations. Three versions of her autobiography survive: the finished "Autobiographical sketch" of 1928 (photocopy), part of an undated autobiography, and a brief autobiographical note. Records of Abbott's historical research and publications include extensive notes on the history of medicine in Québec as well as papers relating to the publication of her History. Other files contain notes on the admission of women to McGill and other universities, the establishment of the Medical Museum, the amalgamation of the medical faculties of Bishop's and McGill with some administrative records of the medical faculty. Dr. Abbott's professional correspondence is represented only by a file on the Federation of Canadian Medical Women, 1938.

Fonds contains correspondence and manuscripts. The correspondence is largely devoted to the Tait family’s property in Nova Scotia and other domestic matters, but there are also files regarding Tait’s work at McGill (1928-1942) and at the Nova Scotia Summer School in Education (1927-1941). The fonds also contains a few letters to and from Vincent Massey (1926-1940). Approximately a third of Tait’s papers are drafts of publications on practical psychology, behaviour and behaviourism, educational psychology, psychopathology and social applications of psychology. (ca 1920-1930).

Fonds primarily documents Armstrong’s social life. They consist overwhelmingly of correspondence for the period 1909-1933. Letters from his professional colleagues, such as Sir William Osler, F.J. Shepard, Edward Archibald, William J. Mayo and others in the Mayo Clinic, are concerned largely with personal greetings, association memberships, or Medical Faculty business, particularly honorary degrees. Armstrong's non-medical correspondents include Lord Beaverbrook, Lord Atholstan, Sir Hugh Allan, Arthur Meighen, George Foster and Herbert Symonds. Topics include politics, Armstrong's war work and honours, some medicals matters, and personal news. Appended to this main series are obituaries and letters of sympathy to Armstrong's widow (1933), six photographs, including one of Armstrong in an operating room, and admission cards and diplomas from Armstrong's student years.

Fonds consists of private correspondence related to Clarke’s professional work, a few musical manuscripts and texts of addresses, and a large body of personal financial accounts. His correspondence falls into two series. The general correspondence discusses arrangements for concerts in England and Canada, compositions (his own and others), the problems of musical life in Montréal, and private matters such as travel arrangements and club memberships. Much of the correspondence concerns the social aspects of music and of Clarke's position: patronage of musical events, organization of celebrations for the Jubilee of 1935 and the Coronation in 1937, and complementary tickets to concerts. Amongst his correspondents are a number of musicians and composers, including Sir Ernest MacMillan and Healey Willan. A very small percentage of this material concerns university business. A second series consists of invitations to address or attend meetings, with related correspondence. Both series cover the years 1929-1952.

Over half of the papers consist of personal financial accounts (1929-1953) for Clarke's insurance, taxes, apartment rental, various domestic expenses (e.g. groceries), telegrams, travel, and transportation.

There are two undated addresses: one on Christmas and the second on musical education. There are also two music sketchbooks from around 1920. Pictorial material comprises two photographs (approximately 1923, 1954) and a pencil sketch (1933).

Fonds consists of a scrapbook largely devoted to McGill affairs. It contains correspondence addressed both to Fleet and to other members of the McGill community such as B.J. Harrington, C.H. McLeod and A.F. Gault, largely on administrative and ceremonial business of the university. There are a few communications from J.W. Dawson, including Dawson's draft for the Peter Redpath memorial tablet. Also included are newsclippings on McGill events including numerous invitations, announcements,
addresses, programs and memorabilia from convocations, university dinners, athletic meets and musical performances.

Fonds consists of a scrapbook primarily devoted to Chipman’s diplomas and certificates, photographs and obituaries, collected between 1894 and 1947.

Fonds consists of original documents and printed materials concerning King’s research, but there is also some general correspondence, student materials, and personal papers.

Research materials comprise manuscripts, addresses, and research notes. The manuscripts and addresses (1901-1933) contain essays on fog-signals and the transmission of sound, radiation, the physics of viscous fluids, the hot-wire anemometer, astronomy, and theoretical problems. The research notes (1904-1935) comprise approximately 50 files. Eight of these concern fog-signal research (1915 1926) and include some correspondence. Other topics include radiation, physics of gases and liquids, acoustics, astronomy, electromagnetism and mathematical problems.

General correspondence covering the years 1908-1936 contains letters from his fellow physicists, including Rutherford, A.N. Shaw, E.S. Bieler and H.T. Barnes, on research and personal matters. There are also letters of introduction (1905), correspondence regarding his appointment at McGill, letters to the editor of Nature (1926), the National Research Council (1933-1934), and the Central Computing Bureau (1918). As well, files concerning ice research (1920), tests at Prescott, including his diary of the expedition (1920), and the St. Lawrence waterway (1931-1932) can be found here.

King's private papers comprise a diary for 1902, reading notes and reviews of Maria Chapdelaine (1919-1921), his pension papers, and an inventory of periodicals in his library. There are also two formal photographs and a number of snapshots of school groups, Cambridge scenes, and laboratory equipment.

Fonds consists primarily of Meek’s manuscripts of his keyboard and church music compositions, from approximately 1930-1975. Also included are programmes for his organ recitals, 1928, 1933, 1953-1957, 1960-1968, a scrapbook of clippings concerning his performance of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach, 1949-1950, and lecture notes and examinations for his McGill course in analysis, 1969-1973.

Fonds consists of papers (originals and photocopies) comprising the drafts, both English and French, of the Report of the Royal Committee of Enquiry on Education in Québec (the "Parent Commission"), 1962. Also included is a file of notes, transcriptions of printed articles and archival documents, as well as some original material pertaining to the history of the McGill Normal School (1881-1943).