The bulk of the papers listed here concern Bulwer's diplomatic career, principally in Spain, the Danubian Principalities and Constantinople. There are several boxes of papers relating to his Parliamentary career in the 1830s but very little about his short spell as M.P. for Tamworth 1868-71. There are seventeen boxes containing MSS of Bulwer's published works and drafts of articles for newspapers. Personal papers are scanty, but they show how, in the 1850s-60s, Bulwer was troubled both by poor health and financial difficulties.

Attaché at Berlin 1827, Vienna 1829, The Hague 1830 bdl 1
Attaché at Paris 1832-33 bdl 2
M.P. for Wilton 1830, Coventry 1831-35 and Marylebone 1835-37 bdl 3-10
Printed papers about British Auxiliary Legion in Spain, 1834-40 bdl 11
Financial and business affairs, 1830-54 bdl 12
Chargé d'affaires, Brussels, 1835-37 bdl 15-16
Secretary of embassy at Constantinople, 1837-38 bdl 17-18
Secretary of embassy at Paris, 1839-43 bdl 19-20
Minister-plenipotentiary and envoy-extra-ordinary at Madrid, 1843-48 bdl 21-78
Minister plenipotentiary and envoy extra-ordinary at Washington, 1849-52 bdl 79-97
Minister plenipotentiary and envoy extra-ordinary at Florence, 1852-55 bdl 98-108
Misc. undated letters from the 1850s bdl 109
Papers relating to Costa Rica and Central America, 1852-56 bdl 110-114
Papers relating to the Guyandotte Land Co., 1854 bdl 115-117
Commissioner to investigate the condition of the Danubian Principalities 1856-58 bdl 118-160
Ambassador extraordinary at Constantinople, 1858-65 bdl 161-360
Personal and miscellaneous papers 1865-72 bdl 361-378
M.P. for Tamworth 1868-71 bdl 379
Societé des Travaux Publiques et Banque d'Orient, and Euphrates Valley Railway Co., 1870-72 bdl 380-91
Letters from various persons to Edward W. A. Tuson, 1856-58 bdl 392
Misc. political and diplomatic papers, 1820s-60s. bdl 393-394
Literary MSS and notes bdl 395-418
Miscellanea bdl 419
Newspapers and printed material from 1872 bdl 420
Part of draft biography and biographical notes bdl 421-422
Lists of HLB's papers bdl 423
Addenda. bdl 424