Treasury: Skeleton Registers

Each piece of correspondence received in the Treasury was allocated a running chronological number, the first piece of correspondence in each year being allocated number 1. When in-coming correspondence was related by subject to previous correspondence, the earlier documents were incorporated into correspondence bearing the new number. In some cases, this process of incorporation lasted several years during which time, files of correspondence could be allocated a variety of new numbers. To enable the registry to trace the records, the skeleton registers recorded the correspondence's original paper room number on the left hand side of the page (recorded from 1850), and the new number in the centre of the page.

In addition, the registers were used by the Deputy Keepers of the Public Record Office to ensure that all Treasury correspondence records had been sent to them, seen by them, and noted as either preserved for transfer to the PRO, or destroyed.

Where records were preserved, the register was marked with a black tick; where records were destroyed under a schedule to Public Records Acts 1838-1877, the register was marked with a red tick accompanied by the schedule number.

Two other marks are entered in the registers: 'BB' referring to a 'back bundle' of records relevant to the correspondence in T 1 which has been transferred within the T 1 and is referred to in the T 1 list; and 'L' referring to a 'Long Bundle', a collection by subject relevant to correspondence in T 1, which can be found in T 1/3411-4404.

Where the records have been preserved the final document reference should be checked in the list for T 1, with the reference number and the year.

The registers were created by the Paper Room to enable them to record papers and were also used by the Treasury Registry to trace records identified in the subject index registers, registers of papers and reference books.