The contents are as follows.

(i) Statements, 1879-1880, concerning the sales of John Hill Burton's books, ‘History of Scotland’ and ‘Queen Anne’. (Folio 1.)

(ii) A list of the obituary dates of various friends of Burton. (Folio 6.)

(iii) 'The history of Peter Anderson', an anonymous short story in the form of an autobiography. (Folio 11.)

(iv) Notes on accounts of building works, 1674-1679, carried out by Sir William Bruce. (Folio 41.)

(v) Undated agreement between Burton and William Blackwood and Sons concerning the publication of ‘Queen Anne’. (Folio 58.)

(vi) Legal papers, 1854-1879, concerning Burton's involvement as executor or trustee to various estates. (Folio 62.)

(vii) Insurance policies (folio 163), application forms for reading books in the British Museum Library (folio 236), and miscellaneous household receipts (folio 244). A few further household receipts relating to taxes and rents are scattered throughout the volume.