Consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of Sean O'Brien's published and unpublished work, as well as articles and press cuttings relating to his work. Also includes O'Brien's personal notebooks from 1970 onwards, correspondence from and to O'Brien in both a personal and professional context, and miscellenous material relating to his cultural roles and activities including jobs, residencies and fellowships.

The diaries of Thomas Sopwith (1803-1879), mining engineer, land surveyor and philanthropist in the north-east of England, cover the period 1828-1879. We hold both the original diaries, and a copy of the material held on 16 reels of microfilm. They form a meticulous account of the professional life of Sopwith, detailing his work, projects and his travels both for business and for enjoyment. The diaries also include sketches and illustrations of people, views, and buildings and often include descriptions of lectures and conversations with people Sopwith met on his travels.A particularly notable aspect of the diaries is Sopwith's descriptions of journeys he made by rail, often along newly-opened railway lines in a period where rail travel was in its early stages.

Consists mainly of letters to Robert Spence Watson. Topics include, but are not limited to, British politics and the Liberal party, contemporary Europe, Armstrong College (later Newcastle University), the Peace Society, lectures at the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne, and contemporary literary and scientific achievements. Other regular recipients of letters include Elizabeth Spence Watson, Frederick Weiss, and Charles Prestwich Scott.

The Spence Watson's wide-ranging public activism, make their correspondence a valuable source of opinions on the social and political matters of the day from a wide range of prominent persons.

The Stanford Collection comprises the musical manuscripts (published and otherwise) of Irish composer Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) and was brought together by Dr. Frederick Hudson, at one time a member of staff in the Department of Music.The collection, representing approximately seventy-five percent of Stanford's output (symphonies, operas, chamber, concerto, piano and organ works, church music and choral works), includes autograph manuscripts and photocopies of autographs, as well as transcripts of Stanford's letters to The Times, essays and articles. For many years organists in Canada and England were of the opinion that there were no brass or percussion parts for St. Patrick's Breastplate but the score proves that there were!

Sir Joseph Swan (1828-1914) was a North East physicist, chemist and inventor who is best known for his innovation in the photographic process and the invention of the incandescent light bulb. This small collection comprises of items retained by various members of the Swan family, until donated to Newcastle University in the 1960s/1970s. The collection includes personal family items such as medals and certificates, original Swan lamps and a silk dressing gown, together with items which appear to come from Sir Joseph Swan's home workshop including a number of photographic prints, presumed to date from Sir Joseph Swan's experiments with various photographic print techniques.

The papers held at Newcastle are a substantial repository of the personal papers and plans of Sharp. The major part of the collection consists of papers collected from Sharp's Oxford house on his death by the now-retired Professor Brenikov of this University. The papers were subsequently put into storage. Their significance realised they were deposited with the University Library Special Collections. The principal elements of the collection are as follows:

Collectively these resources:

Consists of digital copies of the personal diaries of the poet Rosemary Tonks, plus correspondence between Tonks and Joan Moat from the University of Exeter, and photocopies of Tonks' personal records including birth, death and marriage certificates.

The archive mainly comprises correspondence relating to Charles' activities as a Civil Servant and administrator. There are also publications relating to these activities and Charles' wider interests.

There is also personal content, including travel diaries, family correspondence and papers regarding inheritance of the Wallington estate in Northumberland.

This archive includes content accumulated and created by both Charles and Mary, and other family members. It reflects the family's personal activities from Charles' childhood in the 1870s to Mary's death in 1966, but also includes some content from Charles' professional life. It can support research into a broad variety of areas, including political history (particularly the Liberal and Labour parties, socialism and international relations), World War I (particularly dissent and the peace movement), childhood and education (from both a personal and political perspective), domesticity, class and landed estates.
This extensive personal archive is mostly comprised of correspondence. This includes: Correspondence to Charles in his role as MP Correspondence to and from Charles relating to the operation of the Union of Democratic Control Correspondence to and from Charles relating to his positions in government Correspondence relating to the management of the Wallington estate and the donation to the National Trust Correspondence between members of the Trevelyan and Bell families, much of which is domestic in tone Correspondence to and from Charles and Mary's children from their early childhood to adulthood Correspondence from visits abroad including North America, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Russia and Germany The correspondents include family members such as Charles' brothers George Macaulay Trevelyan and Robert Calverley Trevelyan, Mary's sister and brother in law Elsa Richmond and Admiral Sir Herbert William Richmond. Other correspondents include Sir Winston Churchill, J Ramsay MacDonald, E D Morel, Arthur Ponsonby, Walter Runciman, Herbert Samuel, George Bernard Shaw and Jennie Lee.

Other documents include: Papers relating to Charles, Mary and their childrens' educations, including exam papers and school ephemera Personal Diaries, in particular a short run of Mary's personal diaries as a young woman Official political papers, including Cabinet Conclusions, draft bills[?] and copies of Hansard Pamphlets and leaflets written by and collected by Charles, many relating to socialism and the UDC Transcripts of speeches given by Charles and Mary in professional and personal capacities Personal notebooks with draft speeches and essays Family photograph albums and glass negatives, recording family events, daily life, and Charles' political career Press cuttings and scrapbooks relating to family events and Charles' career

Comprising most of family correspondence, with some content relating to estate and property and George Otto Trevelyan's political career. Also includes autographs and cuttings of notable figures.