The contents of the volume include:

(i) Genealogical accounts in a variety of hands of a number of British peers, collected while Beatson was gathering material for his work on the English Peerage. (See also Adv.MSS.33.5.9-33.5.10). For another copy of the account of the family of Calder (folio 29), see MS.9982.

(ii) An account, in Beatson`s hand, of the Parish of Dysart, his birthplace, undated (folio 57).

(iii) Description of a Tour of Scotland made by Beatson, undated (folio 60).

(iv) Copy by Beatson of a ‘Complete Journal of the Seige of Louisburg and other operations of the forces during the expedition against the French settlements on Cape Breton. Drawn up by order of Wm. Shirley Esq., Governor of Massachuset’s bay and approved of by General Pepperell the commander of the Land forces on that expedition, 1745’ (folio 66).

(v) Copy of a ‘Journal of the Expedition to Port L`Orient in Brittany under Lieutenant-General St. Clair, 1746’ (folio 72).

(vi) Copy of a ‘Journal of the Seige of Pondicherry, 1748’ (folio 86).

(vii) Copy in an unidentified hand of ‘Action 17th April 1780’ describing an encounter of the French fleet with Admiral George Brydges Rodney, and published in ‘Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain from 1727 to 1783’, volume 5, pages 55-62 (folio 90).

(viii) Copy in the same hand of ‘Capture of the East and West India Convoy by the combined Fleet of France and Spain, 1780’, also published in ‘Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain from 1727 to 1783’, volume 5, pages 149-154 (folio 96).

(ix) Copy, by Beatson, of a letter to Admiral Philip Patton from `the notorious` Luke Ryan, 1781 (folio 100).

(x) An Account of Copper Sheathing of the bottoms of Ships, undated (folio 101).

(xi) Disposition of Mrs Anna Beatson to Captain Robert Beatson, 1785 (folio 107).