Letter from Sir Charles Lyall to Secretary of Royal Asiatic Society to request that a representative of the Royal Asiatic Society attend the India Office to discuss the question of accommodation.

Correspondence and notes regarding the legality of the intention to determine the Lease as the original Lease included that the contract could not be terminated unless Asprey's needed the premises for their own business. Letters primarily between the Royal Asiatic Society, their solicitors T.L. Wilson & Co., and Asprey's solicitors, Richardson, Sadlers and Callard.

Correspondence and notes concerning negotiations to lease 74 Grosvenor Street

It appears that in 1939 the Royal Asiatic Society were looking at different options for their premises. There are two items of correspondence:

• Letter from Col. D.M.F. Hoysted, RAS Secretary, to Sir Edward Maclagan to inform that the freeholder's Solicitors have approved of the Society leasing Farm House. He encloses a financial statement and will seek Mr Perowne's advice (RAS Treasurer). Dated 14 July 1939.
• Letter from Edward Maclagan to Col. Hoysted to discuss the figures and to suggest that it doesn't go before the Committee before he has heard from Mr Perowne. Dated 15 July 1939.

Two copies of photograph of the frontage of 74 Grosvenor Street, one of which is mounted on board. Of unknown date.

This material contains underleases for rooms sublet on the Ground Floor of 56 Queen Anne Street, and selected correspondence. There is also a print block for the "Exhibition of Embroidery Then & Now" 1959 for the Embroiderers' Guild Expansion Fund. This must have been left at the premises.

Lease agreements and correspondence concerning the residential flat on the second floor of 56 Queen Anne Street. These include:

• Correspondence regarding the setting of the rent in 1958. The tenant Richard Bailey had taken a 13 year lease in 1947 and in 1958 began to inquire as to whether his tenancy would be renewed.
• Correspondence with Richard Bailey regarding the renewal of his lease in 1962
• Lease Agreement between the Royal Asiatic Society and Richard Bailey for the 2nd floor flat, dated 28 February 1962.
• Correspondence regarding Richard Bailey leaving the flat in 1964 and the tenancy being taken on by Dr A.A. Alderdice.
• Letter concerning the surrendering of the lease by Dr Alderdice in 1965.
• Correspondence regarding a Dr Layard assigning the remainder of his lease to Mr Hugo Alyasha Kensho, 1968.
• Correspondence regarding the relinquishing of the lease by Layard and its reassignment to Messrs Parry and Norris, 1970.
• Correspondence regarding Mr Norris's guests and his damage of the property, 1976 -1978.
• Correspondence regarding the tenancy of Professor Charles Beckingham, potential conflict of interest as a member of the Society and his subsequent relinquishment of the flat when the Society vacated the premises, 1978 -1988.

The correspondence is primarily between the Royal Asiatic Society, the tenants, and their solicitors.

Correspondence regarding the lease of the third floor flat. These include:

• Correspondence with Mr Seal regarding an extension to his lease, 1956.
• Correspondence regarding the transfer of the lease from Dr Seal to Elizabeth Holloway (later Mrs Erleigh), 1961.
• Correspondence regarding the Erleigh's tenancy. This includes a newspaper cutting about the unexpected birth of Mrs Erleigh's child, 1962 -1965.
• Correspondence regarding temporary/unofficial residents, Mr Leon and Mrs Hardy, 1968.
• Correspondence regarding the relinquishment of the lease by Mrs Erleigh and its reassignment to Mr N. A. Lane and Mr M.E. Feirtag, 1969.
• Correspondence regarding the relinquishment of the lease by Mr N. A. Lane and Mr M.E. Feirtag and reassignment to Howard Anthony Jacobs and Michael Horowitz, 1971.
• Correspondence regarding the tenancy of Mr and Mrs Jacobs, 1976 - 1985.
• Director's Note regarding possible tenancy of Mr and Mrs Davidson, 1986.

The majority of the correspondence is between the Royal Asiatic Society, their tenants, and their respective solicitors.

In 1987 the Society looked to release itself from the lease for 56 Queen Anne Street. The lease was bought back from the Society by Howard de Walden Estates for £430,000. This series contains correspondence regarding the sale of the lease for 56 Queen Anne Street. This correspondence includes that with the Howard de Walden Estates, solicitors, the building surveyors, Morton-Smith & Co., and Charity Commissioners.

Internal correspondence concerning the use of the premises at Queen's Gardens. These are:

• Correspondence from Godfrey Goodwin to Dennis Duncanson concerning the changes that may be needed to Queen's Gardens, handwritten and typed, dated 18 September [1987].
• Report from Godfrey Goodwin, Librarian, to the Director concerning the Library and its collections, handwritten, dated 26 September 1987.
• Quotations for Library Shelving, typed with annotations, undated.