Contains the following:

1. Matriculation certificate, 15 November 1843, of John Cairns at Berlin University signed by the Rector, Dr Lachmann

2. Letters, undated (circa 1845), of Sir William Hamilton probably to Dr John Cairns

3-6. Letters of William Cairns to his brother, John:

22 August 1844

8 February 1845

18 September 1846

11 July 1856

7. Some Memorials: Memories of My Maternal Grandfather, by William Cairns, circa 1860

8. Letter of Lord Lister to J Niven, 17 March 1877

9. Jessie M Cairns, letter to her mother from Kreuznach, 12 October 1875

10. Letter, Dr John Brown to his uncle the Rev D Smith, Biggar, circa 1860

11. Part letter, undated, of Rev David Cairns to his fiancée, Elizabeth Smith, Biggar

12-13. Letters, 28 May 1880, 1 April 1880, of Rev John Cairns (Junior), later of Dumfries, to his father

14. Testimonials for Alison H Cairns

15. Letters, (5 complete, 1 incomplete, 1907, 1911-1914, of Mary Slessor, the missionary, to Mrs Elizabeth Cairns (1, 1907) and to Mrs Fyfe Findlay, wife of Dr Adam Fyfe Findlay, Master of Christ’s College, Aberdeen

16-17. Letters, 23 July 1894, 23 August 1908, of Rev John Cairns, the former from France to his father, the latter from London to his sister Jessie, describing a debate in the House of Commons

18. A note, undated, of Principal Robert Rainy to Principal John Cairns