The papers fall into two main categories: papers relating to John Maitland, Duke of Lauderdale, including an account of fees paid by him on his installation as a Knight of the Garter, 1672, printed in ‘The Herald and Genealogist’, volume iii (1866), pages 222-224; and papers relating to Catherine Murray, Countess of Dysart, including a number of passes signed by prominent parliamentarians, such as Warwick and Essex. There are also typescript copies of correspondence between Richard Almack and the historians Froude and Agnes Strickland, concerning a copy of a letter to Mary, Queen of Scots, said to have belonged to Secretary Maitland. At the end of the volume are four letters to Richard Almack concerning his proposal to sell a copy of Penn's Charter of Liberties.

The contents are as follows.

(i) Correspondence of the Maitlands, 1598-1679, undated (folio 1);

(ii) Typescript of (i) above (folio 32);

(iii) Papers relating to Catherine Murray, Countess of Dysart, 1639-1649 (folio 63);

(iv) Typescript of (iii) above (folio 103);

(v) Copy of letter, 1567, to Mary, Queen of Scots, and correspondence (typescript) relating thereto (folio 128);

(vi) Letters to Richard Almack, 1872-1873, undated (folio 148).