ORIGINAL SERIES (4th group): 1935-1938 (plus strays 1873-1934)

This sub-series (known as 'Original Series, Group 4') like other parts of ADM 1 contains a wide range of documents sent to, or created by, different departments within the Admiralty.

These records cover a short transitional period during which the organisation of papers fluctuated between different systems, and for the first time, large numbers of 'stray' records from outside the period in question were included amongst papers sent to the Public Record Office. These strays, the earliest dating from the 1880s, have been segregated on the on-line catalogue for ease of reference (although in the paper catalogue these are still integrated with the main listing).

Papers registered in 1935 (ADM 1/8780-8830) and 1936 (ADM 1/8831-8868) have been listed in 1935 Admiralty Secretariat Digest Code Number heading order. Each code number denotes a different subject heading. However, the ordering of pieces is in alphabetical order of subject headings, not numerical code number order. For example, pieces under the heading 'Aviation' (code 90) precede those for 'Buildings and Land' (code 14a). Papers registered in 1937 (ADM 1/9060-9190) and 1938 (ADM 1/9429-9443) are generally in original Admiralty reference number order.

Readers seeking papers registered in 1938 are also directed to pieces within Series I of ADM 1 (specifically ADM 1/9444-9749). There are also significant numbers of strays from 1935-38 in Series I, Series II and the Final Series of ADM 1 (ADM 1/9444-31037 which mainly hold pieces registered 1938-1964).

The ADM 12 Indexes (registers listed by personal or ship names) and Digests (registers listed by subject) are useful finding aids for this series. Other registered papers for this period can be found in ADM 116.