Catalogue description Foreign Office and predecessors: Tunis, Tunisia, French North Africa (formerly Ottoman Empire): General Correspondence

The earliest records of the consulate do not appear to have been subjected to any contemporary arrangement. On their arrival, indeed, at the Public Record Office they were found to have been sorted at some comparatively recent date, probably during the fourth or fifth decade of the nineteenth century, but, since the results of this resorting were not thought worth preserving, the documents were rearranged on a more accurate and logical system and now form Boxes 1 to 19.

From that point the existing arrangement was changed as little as possible, even when it appeared confused. It was often necessary, however, to subdivide an original bundle for convenience of packing. Where this subdivision has occurred, the fact has been indicated in the catalogue.

Except for the period before 1863 and between 1885 and 1891, the words 'consul general' in the catalogue description, and the like are intended to cover not only the (agent and) consul general himself but any subordinate officer acting on his behalf. By 'consul general' (etc.) is intended to be understood the British consul general (etc.) unless there is a statement to the contrary.

In the spelling of place-names within the catalogue for this series the recommendation contained in the publications of the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names have been adopted. Where these fail, Longman's 'Gazeteer of the World', ed. G.G. Chisolm (London, etc., 1906), has been taken as a standard.

This series was arranged and catalogued during the years from 1935 to 1938.

It seems that from 1863 to 1885 the British consul in Tunis was on occasion styled officially agent and consul general. During the seventeen and early eighteenth centuries this expression was sparingly used. On 16 March 1885 Lieutenant Colonel R.L. Playfair was appointed consul general for Algeria and Tunis and on 20 March in the same year T.B. Sandwith consul at Tunis.

This arrangement of a consulate at Tunis subordinate to the political agency and consulate general at Algiers persisted until 2 August 1889 when Sir Lambert Playfair was appointed consul general for the territory of Tunisia and R. Drummond-Hay consul at Tunis. The latter was advanced to the rank of consul general at Tunis on 28 July 1891. (Created K.C.M.G. on 29 May 1886.)