Fonds contains an inventory of joint property between the late Jean Orillat, a French Canadian merchant, and his wife, Thérèse-Amable Viger. Inventory signed by notary Mesière. ("Inventaire des biens de la communauté d’entre feu Mr Jean Orillat à dame Thérèse Viger son épouse, 19 juin. 1779.)

Collection consists of a manuscript petition in French written on behalf of Jean Baptiste Lepine for a ferry from Rivière des Prairies to the river end of Île Jésus, dated 12 April 1809. The petition is signed with his mark. The petition also includes the signatures or marks of a number of other signatories, including Jacob Oldham, Roderick Mackenzie, and Simon Fraser. On verso is a docket title and information in English about reciept of the petition and a note that the request was granted.

Fonds consists primarily of correspondence between Hertel de Rouville and members of the Canadian government, including Chief Secretary of Lower Canada Sir Thomas William Clinton Murdoch (1809-1891) and Governors General Lord Gosford and Charles Bagot, regarding financial losses he incurred during the rebellions of 1837, 1838, and 1839, and half-pay claims dating from his time as captain of the Canadian Voltigeurs during the War of 1812. Also included are five envelopes with wax seals intact.

Fonds relates to a dining club, the Philogastric Institute of McGill, and include correspondence, principally from Richard Pennington to John Bland, as well as printed menus.

Three letters from Seaton relating to the Rebellion of 1837, including a letter to General Fitzroy Sommerset about the capture of St-Eustache.

This manuscript recounts the captivity of John Knubley, Master of the Mountezumar and Alexander Scott among the Moroccans after a ship wreck in 1810.

Longstaffe's papers consist of his typescript, with manuscript corrections, of a novel entitled The Twin Sisters: a Poem in Prose.

The fonds documents John Mappin’s occupation as an independent antiquarian book seller, his personal interest in the history of print and Canadian politics, and his personal achievements as an author. The wide variety of subject files found in this collection are almost entirely North American based and span from 1733-2004. These records reflect Mappin’s particular focus on Canadian authors and Canadiana in general.

McDonald's correspondence, 1791-1860, mostly concerns business and property matters, but also includes personal correspondence. There are statements of account with McTavish, Frobisher & Co., 1799; with McTavish, Fraser & Co., 1803-1804; with McTavish, McGillivray & Co., 1808-1809. There are two volumes of autobiographical notes assembled in 1859 and covering the period 1791-1816.

There is a second copy of the autobiography, probably transcribed in the late 19th century. Written on the front fly leaf is the name: A.E. MacDonald. It has 63 leaves, and there are minor textual variants.

Fonds consists of an album of autograph letters and signatures, including letters both to and from Nichols. Correspondents include John Temple (26 November 1821) and Charles Burney Jr. (5 January 1809). Also represented in the fonds are Nichols's children John Bowyer Nichols (1779-1863) and John Gough Nichols (1806-1873), including a letter to John Gough Nichols from Sir Henry Ellis (2 December 1842).