Catalogue description Board of Trade: Minutes

Minutes of the Board of Trade with numerical references to the volumes of in-letters and to the individual papers contained in them.

The Board of Trade's business was conducted at nominal meetings, attended by the president and vice president and their secretaries. Against a description of the paper or letter received for discussion the president wrote and initialled a minute, recording the board's decision. Where no action was to be taken, he wrote 'read'. These descriptions and minutes were then fair-copied into a bound minute book. These books survive from 1784 to 1839 and form a complete record of the board's acts. The minute books were discontinued in 1857, and from July 1839 only the rough drafts exist in the Public Record Office. The series of minutes continued after 1857, but contains only minutes of establishment matters, and warrants for appointments signed by the president.

For minutes 1675-1782 see CO 391

Minutes for 1851 and 1888 to 1889 have not survived.

Board of Trade, 1786-1970