Registry records

REG

Registry records

1912 - 2017

From 1866 to 2018 there have been a number of different series of correspondence, some of which have overlapped, that are referred to as S Papers, jackets or registered files. All of this correspondence has been weeded, resulting in some source data being lost and an incomplete record of the Office’s working and decision making being the result.147 Some of this was undertaken with little understanding of the long term value of these records, particularly those from World War Two. A formal registry system involving specific series of registers, files and indexes, appears to only have left such records from 1908. Before this period the records, such as correspondence, can be found in the LB, LP, LP1857, MB, MLP, MP, SL and SLB collections.

REG 1 to REG 10 contain reference numbers to files created by Registry Staff. Each entry has a unique identifying number. However, not all the files have survived. It is possible, in some cases, to find references to subjects the office were involved with.

From 1988 the filing was split between geographical information (HH series) and administration (HA series). The HH series was closed in 2009 and all source data became classed as departmental record. The HA series was closed in 2018. The titles of both series of files are held electronically, from 1967 to 2018.148

Content

Bath series, 1939-1945 – H series (5 figure numbers).

During and just after the Second World War, 1939-1945, parts of the Professional and Naval Divisions were housed at Bath. Jackets in the H series started at Bath were given 5 figure numbers instead of the usual 4 figure numbers.
CIB Chart Issues Branch series (1914-1923)

*Please note: this series has been weeded and as a result the source data no longer exists. This series did contain information relating to chart sales and chart depots for the period when Chart Issues Branch was housed separately to the remainder of the department during the First World War, 1914-1918.

H Hydrographic Department series, 1908-1988

These are the continuation of the H papers. The files are in folders also known as jackets. The jackets are continued in bundles sorted chronologically for each year. The series contains correspondence and consequential action arising in the chart branch and naval division of the department and deal mainly with hydrographic matters. Since 1968 this series has also contained information relating to chart production and sales.
550 linear metres.

HA Hydrographic Administration series, 1988-2018

These files provided a record of business by aggregating papers covering the same activity. Only files which were deemed to be of long-term historical or evidential value have been kept, in accordance with UKHO records management procedures and legal obligations.

The titles were made up of two layers of business related keywords and then a free text title. The document H390A provided a list of keywords and is available to search. Each file should have had an enclosure minute sheet and its contents were filed in reverse chronological order, and remained open for 5 years only.

Keyword Significance
First General Work area
Second Area of interest/topic
Third Specific title

First word grouping table.

Numbers Title Area

100-199 General
200-299 Administration
300-399 Bodies
400-499 Charts
500-599 Naval
600-699 SOS (previously MS6)
700-799 SOS (previously MS7)
800-899 Personnel
900-999 Books/Publications

The contents of the files can include: correspondence, in the form of letters, fax, email; reports; abstracts; minutes; agenda; extracts of charts; financial information; memoranda; personnel information; legal information; copyright; agreements.
The information is usually on paper but also includes Compact Discs and 3 ½” floppy discs.

HC HC series, c. 1923-1967

These contain information relating to chart production and sales, and was extant during the time that the Printing and Sales division were housed separately from the Chart Branch and the Naval Division.
Contents can include: copy charts; correspondence; memoranda; financial information and legal information.

HH Hydrographic Information series, 1988-2009

This is a geographically arranged series. It contains a unique collection of decisions and minutes relating to data received between 1988 and 2009. The file numbers indicated the country and area of interest, and also used keywords.

Keyword Significance
First Country
Second Area of interest/topic
Third Sequential part number

Contents can include: publications; leaflets; updates to publications; Notices to Mariners; correspondence; notes and reports; reference material; photographs; minutes; graphics; charts.

HMO H(MO) series, 1968-1978

In 1968, the Metrological and Oceanographic Branches of the Navy came partly under the administration of the Hydrographer, with joint offices in the Ministry of Deference headquarters building, Whitehall. This series contains correspondence and matters relating to the Metrological and Oceanographic Branch and from 1968-1974 the correspondence and administrative matters relating to the Hydrographer staff in Whitehall, formerly the H(W) sequence.

Contents can include: Minutes, correspondence; reports; photographs; graphics.

HP Hydrographic Printing series, 1939-1945

This series deals with matters arising at the stand-by printing establishment at Exeter. There is overlap between HP (Nottingham).

There were only 2 files located.

Contents can include: Correspondence, report and plans.

HP (Nottingham) Hydrographic Printing (Nottingham) series, 1940-1945

*Please note: this series has been weeded and as a result the source data no longer exists. This series did contain material dealing with printing and personnel matters arising in Nottingham and possibly Armidale, where stand-by printing establishments had been set up during the Second World War, 1939-1945, in case the main printing works in London was destroyed. A department was also set up at Exeter – see HP series.

HS Hydrographic Supplies series, 1939-1941

*Please note: this series was badly weeded and as a result the files no longer exists. This series dealt mainly with chart supplies and chart depots, from when the Chart Supplies Branch was housed in London separate to the printing and Production Division, from 1939, until it moved to Taunton in 1941.

HW Hydrographic Department, Whitehall series, 1951-1993

These files contain administrative and personnel matters such as movement and refits of surveying ships, officers appointments, etc. dealt with by members of the Hydrographer’s staff housed in the Ministry of Defence Headquarters building, Whitehall. For the years 1968-1974 see the H(MO) series.

Contents can include: Correspondence, reports and plans.

This is a high-level catalogue of the data types and collections held in the UKHO Archive. As well as providing a description of all the collections held in the Archive, it lists the series within each collection, together with covering dates. It predominantly covers analogue records, with a few exceptions for records held on CD. The UKHO?s practice for selecting born digital records will remain essentially the same as that for paper and steps are currently under way to plan for their availability. We plan to maintain the availability of our products for researchers across the transition from the paper chart to succeeding electronic forms.

Collections have been arranged by creator if possible. In some cases, due to the seemingly ever changing office structure, it has not proved possible to identify the creator?s role, or office and therefore the material has been arranged by record type. It is hoped that when the individual series within each of these collections is catalogued in greater detail, a creator can be identified and the records transferred to sit within the appropriate collection. As cataloguing progresses the following collections? descriptions, listings and covering dates will be refined and updated. The terminology used in this document has been simplified wherever possible. The term ?Hydrographic Office?, or ?H.O.?, refers to the office established in 1795 that is today?s UK Hydrographic Office. This has been used instead of the term ?Department? as there were many departments within the Hydrographic Office during the period when the vast majority of classes of records were created.

Due to the large amount of transformation work and retrospective cataloguing work required within the archive, some of the records in this guide may require appraisal and selection before being formally accessioned and recognised as the part of the UKHO?s place of deposit. This is a work in progress.

Until such time as all the 19th century records have been catalogued in full, this catalogue of corrections should be used in conjunction with ACF David?s A Provisional Catalogue of Logs, Journals, Documents, Letters, Record Copies of Books and Pamphlets Published by The Hydrographic Department, 1974.

The UK Hydrographic Office is working on cataloguing uncatalogued material and making it available. Please contact us for more information.

The Archive comprises the following collections:
AAC Additional Admiralty charts (not OCB ‘old copy bundles’)
ACB Air Chart Branch records
ACO Artificial collection
ACS Accessions (2016 onwards)
ADM 344 Views
APR Admiralty Raster Chart Service (ARCS) production records
ART Artifacts
BDR Bathymetric data records
CAB Cables records
CBR Chart Branch records
CCP Catalogues of printed charts and publications
CIB Chart Issues Branch records
CMU Chart Maintenance Unit records
COD Catalogues of original documents
CON Conservation records
CPY Copies of records
CRB Composite Remark Books
CTR Contracts Branch records
DIS Displays created by the Archive and other departments
DVY Discovery Committee records
EPR Electronic Navigational Charts production records
FNR Finance records
GDY Geodesy records
GEB GEBCO (General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans) records
HD Registered Files HD Papers
HIG Hydrographic instruction graphics
HOL Hydrographic Office library
HOO Hydrographic Office orders
HOP Hydrographic Office pictures
HOR Hydrographic Office reports
HRR Human Resources records
HTP Hydrographic Office technical papers
IHO International Hydrographic Organization records
ILB Indexes to Letter Books
IMB Indexes to Minute Books
IPR Intellectual Property records
ISLB Indexes to Surveyors' Letter Books (out letters)
LB Letter Books
LLR Lights Lists records
LOD Lists of oceanic depths
LOS Law of the sea records (and maritime limits)
LP 1857 Incoming Letters prior to 1857
LR Long rolls
MAM Marketing advertising material
MAP Maps
MB Minute Books
MBE Enclosures to Minute Books
MEL Meteorological data
MLP Miscellaneous Letters and Papers
MP Miscellaneous Papers (Remark Books)
MR Miscellaneous rolls
NAO Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office records
NEM NEMEDRI
NMR Notices to mariners records
NPR Nautical publications records
OAW Original artwork
OCB Record copies of Admiralty charts (‘old copy bundles’)
OCC Other printed chart catalogues (non UKHO)
OCG Official corporate gifts
OCS Cancelled Foreign Government Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms on charts
OCY Oceanography records
OD Original Documents
ONM Other notices to mariners records (non-UKHO)
OPC Other printed charts and maps (non-Admiralty)
OPT Offprints
PGY Photogrammetry records
PMC Polar Medal Committee records
PRR Production records
REG Registry records, see also:
Bath Bath series files
CIB CIB series files
H H series files
HA HA series files
HC HC series files
HH HH series files
HMO HMO series files
HP HP series files
HP HP (Nottingham) series files
(Nottingham)
HS HS series files
HW HW series files
RSR Radio Signals records
S Papers S Papers
SAR Sailing Directions records
SCR Ships’ commissioning records
SCT Secretariat records
SFD Survey field data
SL Incoming Surveyors’ Letters
SLB Surveyors' Letter Books (out letters)
SLG Ships’ logs
SMB Special Minute Books
SPD Ships’ plans and diagrams
SPR Survey planning records
TBR Tidal Branch records
UHR Unofficial Hydrographic records
UNR Unidentified records which require further investigation
USR Unofficial staff records (including clubs, societies, publications etc)
WKO Wrecks Office records

MLP Miscellaneous Letters and Papers

LP Incoming Letters prior to 1857

MP Miscellaneous Papers (Remark Books)

SL Incoming Surveyors’ Letters

S Papers S Papers

Access is by appointment only. Please see our contact details for more information.