Royal warrant issued to Robert Stephens to apprehend Awnsham Churchill, William Churchill, John Everingham, and John Tottenham regarding the printing and publishing of a book entitled A Conference about the Next Succession to the Crown of England. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Awnsham Churchill, William Churchill, John Everingham, John Tottenham.

Hand-written records of printing at Oxford, and of seizures of illegal printing, including:

• Copy of two orders of the Bishop of London to damask books seized from Susan Streater and Nathaniel Thompson. The original order was delivered to the Company 29 October 1678
• Copy of order of Charles, Earl of Middleton to damask books seized from Benjamin Harris, 11 November 1685
• Copy of order of the Bishop of London to damask books seized from George Croome, Mrs. Harris, and James Rawlins. The order is dated 14 December 1685.
• Copy of order of Thomas Jenner, Recorder of the City of London, to all Constables, Headboroughs, and officers of the Peace, to assist the Company in searching, 17 December 1685. Copy of similar orders dated 31 December 1685 and 16 January 1686.
• Copy of an order of the Bishop of London, Henry Compton, to damask books seized from Barnard White and Robert Roberts. The sheets were discovered by Roger L’Estrange. The order is dated 26 January 1686.
• Copies of statement by John Mayo regarding an illegal printing press, 7 January 1686.
• Copy of an order from Secretary Sunderland to the Wardens to deliver a book to Robert Scott, 8 February 1686. With Scott’s receipt of the books, 10 February 1686.
• Copy of an order from Secretary Sunderland to the Wardens to deliver a book to Henry Hills, 15 February 1686. With Hills’s receipt of books, 26 February 1686.
• Copy of order to Mayors, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables and other officers, 8 April 1686.
• Agreement between Ann Humphries and the Company.
• Copy of order from the Archbishop of Canterbury to damask seized books, 8 April 1687.
• Copy of Rules to be observed by the Master and Wardens and members of the Company called to inspect imported books.
• Copy of an order for the delivery of psalms to Peter Parker and Thomas Guy. Signed in receipt by Parker and Guy, 20 June 1687.
• Copy of Mr Pollexfen’s advice touching the agreement with Oxford.
• Copy of Mr Trinder’s opinion in the case with Cambridge.
• Copy of the paper given the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, 20 May 1687.
• Copy of articles of agreement between John Bellinger, John Baker, Robert Clavell and Henry Hills.
• Copy of the state of the case concerning the printing at Oxford.
• Other miscellaneous records.

Draft minutes are dated 26 Mar 1685, 6 Apr 1685, 6, 11, 20 and 22 May 1685, 1 and 26 Jun 1685, 4 and 6 Jul 1685, 3, 18 and 22 Aug 1685, 7 and 12 Sep 1685, 5 Oct 1685, 2 Nov 1685, 7 and 22 Dec 1685, 1 Feb 1686 and 1 Mar 1686.

Some minutes have other documents inserted:

Minutes for 6 Apr 1685:

1. letter from Peter Parker and Thomas Guy, printers for the University of Oxford, to the master, wardens and court, offering to continue their former agreement that if the company pays its first quarter of rent then they will forbear to comprint, and stating that they will forgo the company's unpaid three quarters rent if the company acquits them of the Psalms they have printed, 25 Mar 1685.

Minutes for 6 and 11 May 1685:

1. Lord Mayor's precept to the master, wardens and court, requiring them to nominate a new livery and return the names of those nominated to the Guildhall on the morning of 7 July, 5 May 1685.

2. Lord Mayor's order, stating that as the liveries of several city companies are to be suspended and the livery status of these companies determined, their liveries must be newly granted, and ordering that their masters and wardens nominate loyal members to form the new livery, 5 May 1685.

3. list of members of the Haberdashers', Fishmongers', Merchant Taylors' Girdlers', Leathersellers' and Barber Chirurgeons' Companies, 6 May 1685.

4. Lord Mayor's order, listing those approved by the court as members of the new livery, 7 May 1685.

5. Lord Mayor's order, requesting that the master and wardens of several companies send their new charters to the town clerk to be enrolled in the journals of the court [of aldermen], 8 May 1685.

Minutes for 20 and 22 May 1685:

1. royal command to Roger L'Estrange, signed by Lord Sunderland, renewing regulations concerning licensing and the restriction of number of presses, 21 May 1685.

Minutes for 6 Jul 1685:

1. letter from Jo[h]n Richardson to the master, stating that by reason of commands to attend the service of his Majesty he is unable to attend the duties of renter warden, requesting that the court make a new choice and stating that he is happy to pay the fine for not serving, 6 Jul 1685.

Minutes for 3, 18 and 22 Aug 1685:

1. Lord Mayor's statement that the master, wardens and assistants had presented to the court [of aldermen] a list of names of those nominated to be liverymen of the company, and that the court approves and allows them to be of the livery, 30 Jul 1685.

2. true copy of licence and deputation from the Archbishop of Canterbury and Bishop of London to Roger Midgley, permitting him to licence books on behalf of the bishops under the revived Printing Act, 21 Aug 1685.

Minutes for 7 and 22 Dec 1685:

1. memorandum reading 'Memorandum December the 7th 1685 that the precedanse of the Westminster parliament before that at Oxford where printing in partnership for Mr Faniewell Herick Mr Tho Bassett Mr John Wright Mr Francis Smith Mr Ralp Smith Mr Robert Boulter and Benjamin Harris and Richard Chigwell, witnis my hand Benjamin Harris'.

Minutes for 1 Feb 1686:

1. otherwise blank piece of paper with the inscription 'Court 1st february 1685'.

Minutes for 1 Mar 1686:

1. draft minutes of meeting of the Committee about Stall Booksellers, 5 Mar 1686, with an annotated copy.

Inserted loose:

1. copy Lord Mayor's order that booksellers free of other companies be turned over to the company, and that in the future the chamberlain of the city do not admit any stationer to any company other than the Stationers' Company, 7 May 1685.

2. small slip of paper with the inscription 'Court - 1685'.

3. warrant from the Chief Justice 'to all Mayors Sheriffs Bayliffs Constables & all other officers & Ministers whome these may concerne', requiring them to assist the company in searching out seditious printing, 3 Nov 1685.

Committee minutes are written on some Court minute documents:

Court sitting of 6 Apr 1685: meeting of the Committee about Peter Parker and Thom[a]s Guy, 29 Apr 1685.

Court sitting of 6 Jul 1685: meeting of the Committee appointed about Parker & Guy, 21 Jul 1685.

Two receipts of Robert Stephens, 24 December 1689. The first receipt in the sum of two pounds ten shillings for several services done for the Company. The second receipt in the sum of twenty shillings for expenses relating to the prosecution of Benjamin Crayle. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Thomas Parkhurst, Benjamin Crayle.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of ten shilling for going searching with Warden Vere several times, 26 December 1677. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Thomas Vere.

Itemised receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of three pounds sixteen shillings six pence from Warden Cotterell, 19 September 1684. Items include: five volumes of G. Letters Books, a statute book, porterage for bringing in the papist books, a book reflecting on the psalms. Personal names: Robert Stephens, James Cotterell.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of ten shillings for indictments against Benjamin Crayle and Joseph Streater for printing and publishing a play called Sodom or the Quintessence of Debauchery. Received of Warden Parkhurst, 14 October 1693. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Benjamin Crayle, Joseph Streater, Thomas Parkhurst.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of five shillings for subpoenas and expenses upon witnesses against Ben Crayle at his trial, in which he was found guilty for the play Sodom. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Benjamin Crayle.

Itemised receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of fourteen shillings from Warden Parkhurst, 17 February 1690. Expenses incurred at the seizing of popish books from Obadiah Walker. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Thomas Parkhurst, Obadiah Walker.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of three pounds for several searches and for discovering Corbet printing the Principles of Christian Religion, one with notes and one without. Received of Warden Parkhurst, 24 June 1690. Personal names: Robert Stephens, Thomas Parkhurst, Corbet.

Receipt of Robert Stephens in the sum of five pounds from Warden Phillipps for a press and letter that he seized on 2 May at St James's Street in the possession of William Anderton, 5 June 1693. Place name: St James's Street. Personal names: Robert Stephens, William Phillipps, William Anderton

Itemised receipt for expenses incurred by Randall Taylor in the amount of fifteen shillings. Items include "a new belt;" "a searching with mr boles(?)" and "ffor being up all night with him," and other charges. Signed in receipt by Randall Taylor. Personal names: Randall Taylor; Mr Boles(?) Endorsed "Mr Taylors Receipt."

Contains the following Acts and commentaries (mostly print):

• Appendix to A Decree of Starre-Chamber Concerning Printing made the eleventh Day of July last past, 1637

• Act against Unlicensed and Scandalous Books and Pamphlets, and for better Regulating of Printing, 1649

• An act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious, treasonable, and unlicensed books and pamphlets, 1662

• An act for preventing the frequent abuses in printing seditious, treasonable, and unlicensed books and pamphlets, 1685

• An act for the encouragement of learning, by vesting the copies of printed books in the authors or purchasers of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, 1708 (printed 1718)

• An act to amend the law of copyright, 1842

• Stamp Acts, 1757 and 1765

• Restraint against co-printing law books (manuscript, no date)

• A Letter To a Member of Parliament, Shewing, that a Restraint On the Press Is inconsistent with the Protestant Religion, and dangerous to te Liberties of the Nation, 1698 - anonymously authored tract, now variously attributed to Daniel Defoe and Matthew Tindal

• Further Reasons Humbly Offered... for making more effectual... An Act for the Encouragement of Learning - argument advanced on the Stationers' side in the Battle of the Booksellers

• A Bill for making more effectual... An act to enable to commissioners of His Majesty's stamp duties, 1735

• Legal Deposit Act, 1775 (two copies)

• An Act to enable to commissioners of His Majesty's stamp duties to stamp the paper of newspapers, 1794

• An Act for repealing the Duties on Paper, 1794

• An act from granting Samuel Buckley the sole liberty of printing and reprinting the histories of Thuanus, 1733

• Acts for prohibiting the Importation of Books re-printed Abroad, 1739 and 1746

• An Act for the further Encouragement of Learning, 1801

• Copyright Bill, 1881