Partners’ filing
In about 1900 the correspondence of the partners was reorganised. In- and out-letters were then arranged in date order and letters were filed according to subject and, in some instances, correspondent. All the papers on a file were indexed, always by in- and out-correspondent and very often by subject. The filing system was therefore very sophisticated; the technique used may well have been imported from the US and was doubtless implemented by specialists.
The files gradually replaced the House Correspondence contained in the annual deed boxes and therefore this series constitutes a highly important source. After 1900, and especially after 1910, the deed boxes were used mostly for storing telegram messages, copies of which were held on Partners’ Files.
Files cover the wide range of subjects with which the partners dealt. They exist for every major transaction, including proposed ones which did not take place. Most of the transactions were bond issues; few papers relating to the work of the Credit Dept exist. In addition there are files of letters exchanged with specific firms, for example corresponding banks and agents, and other files contain miscellaneous papers relating to specific countries and are referred to as ‘Affairs’. Some files relate to the administration of the firm, e.g. premises and staff matters.
A second ‘supplementary’ series of Partners’ Files exists. They are thin files and, presumably for convenience, were stored in the annual deed boxes. However their content is of the same nature and importance as the ‘main’ series of Partners’ Files.
Between 1900 and the 1950s approximately 1000 ‘main files’ and about 300 ‘supplementary’ files were created. The following selection of titles indicates some of the subjects covered.
- Accepting Houses Committee, 16 vols, 1914-55
- American Papers, 21 vols, 1917-53
- American Telephone & Telegraph Co, 6 vols, 1900-14
- Anglo Canada Bond & Share Corp, 3 vols, 1927-35
- British Railways in Argentina, 5 vols, 1935-48
- Argentine Government Advance, 2 vols, 1899-1902
- Argentine Government Affairs, 20 vols, 1916-54
- Argentine Government Conversion Loan, 6 vols, 1900-05
- Argentine Miscellaneous Papers, 20 vols, 1902-52
- Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd, 30 vols, 1922-38
- Baghdad Railway, 3 vols, 1903-14
- Bank of England Administration, 3 vols, 1916-28
- Bankers Industrial Development Co Ltd, 4 vols, 1930-45
- Banque de Paris et des Pays Bas, 14 vols, 1902-14
- Barcelona Traction Light & Power Co Ltd, 5 vols, 1920-54
- Baring & Co, New York, 3 vols, 1907-26
- Baring Brothers Liverpool Correspondence with London, 22 vols, 1919-55
- EB Baring in Argentina, 3 vols, 1934-35
- Baring Magoun & Co & Kidder Peabody New York, 6 vols, 1900-05
- Windham Baring in Buenos Aires, 8 vols, 1905-11
- Belgian Government Affairs, 12 vols, 1913-52
- Bill Statistics, 1 vol, 1909-15
- 8 Bishopsgate Extension, 3 vols, 1912-17
- 8 Bishopsgate Administration, 12 vols, 1912-55
- Brazil Affairs, 8 vols, 1923-54
- Brazil Government Coffee Loan, 7 vols, 1922-35
- Brazil Iron Ore Project, 15 vols, 1911-50
- British Banking Committee for German Affairs, 18 vols, 1947-54
- City of Buenos Aires Loans, 10 vols, 1908-39
- Province of Buenos Aires Loans, 11 vols, 1905-47
- Buenos Aires Waterworks, 2 vols, 1891-1924
- Cambridge University Appointments Board, 1 vol, 1908
- Canadian Railways, 2 vols, 1924-37
- Canning Industry, 1 vol, 1930
- China Affairs, 3 vols, 1912-46
- Civil Aviation Industry, 1 vol, 1929
- Commercial Cable Co, 2 vols, 1911-35
- Committee on Imperial Defence, 1 vol, 1911-15
- Credit Department Annual Reports, 7 vols, 1906-15
- Lord Cromer, 1 vol, 1899-1908
- Cuban Government Proposed Loan, 1 vol, 1903-04
- Cunard Steamship Co Ltd, 4 vols, 1904-12
- Czechoslovakia Affairs, 15 vols, 1921-46
- Denaby & Cadeby Colleries, 2 vols, 1923-32
- Dutch Exchange Rehabilitation, 6 vols, 1916-19
- Lord Errington at St Petersburg, 1 vol, 1911-12
- Foreign Trade, 2 vols, 1919-28
- German Affairs, 6 vols, 1924-46
- Great Northern Railroad, 8 vols, 1905-23
- Information Miscellaneous, 16 vols, 1899-1955
- Iraq Affairs, 8 vols, 1932-51
- Japan Railways, 7 vols, 1901-05
- Japan Government, 6 vols, 1902-08
- Kidder Peabody Acceptance Corp, 9 vols, 1920-33
- Konversinskasse fur Deutsche Auslandsschulden, 20 vols, 1933-39
- Lancashire Cotton Corp, 10 vols, 1927-49
- Leng Roberts Correspondence, 15 vols, 1913-20
- London Electric Railway Co Ltd, 4 vols, 1930-32
- London General Omnibus Co, 3 vols, 1926-32
- London United Tramways Ltd, 1 vol, 1904
- Metropolitan Water Board, 2 vols, 1904-05
- Metropolitan District Railway Co Ltd, 3 vols, 1927-32
- Morris Prevost & Co, 2 vols, 1913
- Mortgage Co of Egypt Ltd, 1 vol, 1910
- City of Moscow Loan, 3 vols, 1908-12
- New York Telephone Co, 3 vols, 1909-16
- North American Export Drive, 4 vols, 1949-51
- North Metropolitan Power Station Co Ltd, 4 vols, 1935-45
- Poland Affairs, 5 vols, 1919-39
- Portuguese Government, 14 vols, 1901-38
- Russian Exchange Rehabilitation, 3 vols, 1905-18
- Sao Paolo State Coffee Realisation Loan, 14 vols, 1930-49
- Staff Memoranda, 5 vols, 1845-1953
- Trans Persian Railway, 11 vols, 1910-45
- Turkey Affairs, 14 vols, 1908-46
- Vickers Sons & Maxim Ltd, 3 vols, 1897-1908
- War Office, 4 vols, 1914-17
- Yorkshire Amalgamated Colleries Ltd, 3 vols, 1934-47