Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1900 - 1924 (Creation)
- 1702 - 1753 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1 folder handwritten and typed
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
P.E. Roberts worked at some time with Sir William Wilson Hunter in compiling statistics regarding India. He completed the second volume of Hunter's A history of British India after Hunter's death. Roberts was a Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford, teaching history, and was part of the College's governing body in 1936. He authored books about India.
Repository
Archival history
The material was sent from P.E. Roberts to W.H. Moreland.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
it is unknown how the material became part of the Society's collections. Presumably, W.H. Moreland, a member of the Society, deposited them at some juncture.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
The Papers of P.E. Roberts consists of lists extracted from the India Office Letter Books for 1702 to 1753. These handwritten lists detail, for each year, all the East India Company ships sent out from Britain, their tonnage, the destination of each and the value of the cargo.
With the lists are two typed letters from Roberts to William Harrison Moreland, sent from Worcester College, Oxford. The first, dated 12 January 1924, explains that Roberts had been looking through old papers and had come across the lists which he had made about 23 years ago. Feeling he would not use them, he was about to dispose of them when he thought Moreland might find them helpful. He therefore asks if Moreland would like them. Roberts also comments on his admiration for Moreland's books on Indian Economic History.
In the second letter, dated 15 January 1924, Roberts thanks Moreland for his letter and writes to send him the extracts. Roberts recalls that he was working for Sir William Hunter at that time he made the lists and, that subsequently, he found the lists were accurate according to Hardy's Shipping Register.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open. Please contact the archivist. Details can be found here : https://royalasiaticarchives.org/. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.
Conditions governing reproduction
Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The Society's collections hold a few books written by P.E. Roberts. Details can be found in our Library catalogue: https://ras.koha-ptfs.co.uk/.
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Roberts P. E. 1873-1949 (Subject)
- Moreland William Harrison 1868-1938 (Subject)
- Hunter Sir William Wilson 1840-1900 (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
These papers were catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2022.