The documents are chiefly in the hand of Matthew Crawfurd professor of ecclesiastical history at Edinburgh in the beginning of the 18th century. The last part of the volume appears from a note of Crawfurd’s to have been copied for him by David Casley, Keeper of the Cotton manuscripts. At the beginning of the volume is a list, also in Crawfurd’s hand, of ‘the blazoning of the arms of a great many surnames in Scotland’ copied from the original by Professor Thomas Crawfurd who died in 1664.

One leaf of the list is placed erroneously after page 34 of the collection, but the leaf which stood there is wanting.

The description of the manuscript in the folio catalogue (F.R.186) includes the reference: Jac.5th.5.5.