The Keystone of Diplomacy
Recataloguing Treaties in The
National Archives
James Cronan
28 November 2014
The project
• 272 catalogue entries in the principal series for
treaty protocols and ratifications, have had their
descriptions enhanced to include the name by
which they were more popularly known
•
Convention on Prisoners of War, 27 July 1929 – Geneva Convention
•
Protocol of Proceedings of the Berlin Conference, 02 August 1945 –
Potsdam Agreement
•
Agreement on Northern Ireland, 15 November 1985 – Anglo-Irish
Agreement
Principal series
• SP 108 1579-1780 Protocols and ratifications (556
boxes)
• FO 93 1775-2003 Protocols (9300 items)
• FO 94 1782-2005 Ratifications (3269 boxes and
volumes)
Types of treaty
• Marriage and alliance
• Pacifications
• Truces
• Trade - Mercantile intercourse and agreement
What has changed
What has changed
Sources used
• Encyclopedia Britannica
• Whittaker’s Almanac
• Foreign Office index to treaties 1635 - 1913
• The Oxford History of the British Empire
• Wikipedia
7
1703 Portugal: Full Powers to negotiate
Treaty of Commerce SP 108/389
1713 France: Treaty of Perpetual Peace
and Friendship SP 108/72
1783 America: Treaty of Peace FO 93/8/2
1839 Belgium: Ratification of the Treaty
of Peace FO 94/54
1855 Japan: Ratification of Convention
of Commerce etc. FO 94/459
1856 Siam: Ratification of Treaty of
Friendship and Commerce FO 94/492
1864 Turkey: Ratification of Treaty of
Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece
FO 94/573
1878 Turkey: Convention of Defensive
Alliance between Great Britain and Turkey
FO 93/110/27B
1878 Germany: Ratification of Treaty of
Berlin FO 94/654
1898 China: Ratification of the
Convention for Extension of Hong Kong
Territory FO 94/839
1902 South Africa: Article of Agreement
for the Cessation of Hostilities
FO 93/107/9