Grants awarded in 2006

This collection comprises about 1,300 architectural drawings by the Exeter firm Herbert Read, predominantly of ecclesiastical woodcarving, mostly in Devon, together with a collection of order books and correspondence.

Mesens was a Belgian gallery director, curator, editor, publisher, musician, poet and artist. From 1936 until his death, Mesens was based in London where he was co-founder and partner with Roland Penrose of the London Gallery. He played a central part in Surrealism in Britain.

This collection comprises proofs of the AUTHOR's short stories and letters. It joins the larger part of the Markham Archive, first purchased by Hull University Archives in 1996.

Croft's working autograph manuscript (27 pages in his hand) with many revisions, deletions and inclusion of names of the singers.

The archive begins with John Coleridge, vicar & schoolmaster of Ottery St Mary, and his ancestors back to the 17th century.

The collection consists of c. 105 architectural drawings by Philip Tilden (1887-1956), representing 20 schemes and including alterations to Stoke Edith, Herefordshire and Anthony House, Cornwall. Many drawings are annotated or signed by Tilden.

Thomas Bradwardine, Archbishop of Canterbury, died of the Black Death in 1349. His book on geometry, illustrated throughout with remarkable marginal diagrams, is thought to be the first printed book on mathematics by an Englishman.

A small group of design archives of the metal working firm of Francis Skidmore (1817-96) and Son, makers of the Hereford Screen, now in the V&A, and many artefacts, notably to accompany the building and restoration work of George Gilbert Scott.

A very extensive archive of letters addressed to William Gunn (1750-1841) of Norfolk, art critic, collector and writer over half a century.

Two volumes of 18th century MS notes, complied firstly by John Le Neve (1679-c.1741) and relating to office holders of the Church of England; and secondly by Rev John Allen (1699-1778) relating to the history of Staffordshire. The dates of the contents are 1717-18 (Le Neve) and c. 1760-78 (Allen).

This comprehensive collection, assembled over 20 years, comprises 1,628 printed works by Darwin (including first English editions of all titles and many foreign language editions); c.

Seven letters, two by Sir Robert Sale and five by his wife from 1842, which relate to the First Afghan War and the First Anglo-Sikh War. Ladt sale's lettr of 3 October 1842 discusses her rescue - by her husband - from Kabul where she and a large contingent of British soldiers and their families had been held hostage.

Richard 'Beau' Nash (1674-1762) arrived in Bath in 1705 and was quickly appointed Master of Ceremonies, with virtual control over all Bath's social life. This collection of 68 items mostly comprise letters written to Nash by Rowland Leffever, a fellow victim of gambling debt.

Twenty-eight letters from Clive Bell to his mistress Bertha 'Lalage' Penrose containing much information about Bell himself, and illuminating Bloomsbury's relations with the French cultural world.

This set of diaries provides a rare insight into the Evangelical work of the Mission in Plymouth. Many entries relate to the victims of the cholera ourbreak.

Roget (1779-1869), best known for his Thesaurus, studied medicine at Edinburgh University. In 1795, he toured the Highlands with his uncle (Sir) Samuel Romilly, the lawyre and reforming politician.

This is one of the most important keyboard music manuscript from 16th century England. It is the earliest of four surviving MSS of this time, the others being those of Thomas Weelkes and Will Forster (BL) and the Fitzwilliam virginal book (Cambridge).

Notes written by Rosina Bulwer Lytton, estranged wife of Sir Edward Lytton, on 72 empty envelopes. The notes include trenchant personal commetns on a variety of subjects and persons, including her husband, 'that Ruffianly Blackguard Sir Liar Coward Bulwer Lytton'.

William Cole, 3rd Earl (1806-87), assembled a collection of over 10,000 fossils at Florence Court, sold to the British Museum in 1883. His scientific books were removed from the house in the 1970s, but the National Trust has succeeded in reassembling nearly two thirds of the original collection.

This substantial collection the surviving bulk of the working research papers and professional and personal correspondence of Ernest Martin (d. 2005), an important figure in North Devon and the West Country, who made a substantial contribution to social, agricultural and local history.

This archive falls into two parts. The first is the surviving archive of the Rev. Philip Hunt, who was Lord Elgin's chaplain during his embassy (1799-1803).

The Argal Manor papers cover a wide range of documents, including estate maps, deeds, leases, a Penryn Borough document from 1498 and the Gweek Coal papers of the 19th century.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles (1781-1826) was of great significance both as a colonial administrator and as a ascientific collector. He founded the modern day Singapore in 1819 and the Zoological Society of London in 1826.

Five letters from Margaret Florence (Stevie) Smith to Dr Polly Hill, and 13 drawings by Stevie Smith to illustrate The Frog Prince, published in 1966.

The photographic archive of Aerofilms, one of the largest aerial photographic companies in the world. It documents the changing face of Britian from the 1920s to the present day, and provides an invaluable record of British urban and rural landscapes, buildings and archaeological sites.