These papers comprise one of the six series of instance papers. They continue four earlier series of instance papers, and are themselves continued in series V.
The papers include a wide variety of documents, such as affidavits, allegations, answers, decrees, petitions, etc, as well as accounts, bills of lading, ships' logs, etc. The proceedings to which they relate concern such matters as bottomry, collision, damages, salvage, wages, etc.
The later cases, although initiated in the High Court of Admiralty, include papers filed from November 1875 in the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division of the High Court of Justice.