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The Bradfer-Lawrence collection is rich and varied, ranging from medieval manuscripts to nineteenth-century business records. There are many groups of deeds and records of Norfolk families, and also papers relating to local and national government. The largest single group of papers relates to the Bagge family of Gaywood and their estates. Important smaller groups relate to a number of leading local families including Bacon of Stiffkey, Townshend of Raynham, and Paston, Earls of Yarmouth.

The principal series and categories are as follows:

Abstracts of Title, Sale Particulars, etc., [1632]-1947, BL/AB
Estate Papers and Deeds of the Adamson family of Wereham in Garboisthorpe, Shouldham, Stradsett, Crimplesham, Tilney St Lawrence, etc., 15th century-18th century, BL/AD
Antiquarian Papers, 17th century-20th century, BL/AQ
Bacon of Stiffkey, 1556-1621, BL/BC
Papers of Edward Milligen Beloe, senior, and Edward Milligen Beloe, junior, solicitors and antiquaries of King's Lynn, 19th century-20th century, BL/BE
Bagge Family, 18th century-20th century, BL/BG
Browne of King's Lynn Papers, 1680-1796, BL/BR
Castle Rising, 17th century-20th century, BL/CR
Philip Case Papers, [1423]-20th century, BL/CS
Drainage, Harbours and Navigation, 1320-20th century, BL/DR
Miscellaneous Deeds collected by Harry Bradfer-Lawrence BL/DV
Dixon of Islington, 16th century-1812, BL/DX
Everard of King's Lynn, 1646-1901, BL/EV
Families, Individuals, Autographs, 16th century-20th century, BL/F
National and Local Government, 1568-1858, BL/GT
Hamond of Westacre, 1527-1914, BL/HA
Antiquarian Papers of Revd George Hunt Holley, 19th century-20th century, BL/HO
Inclosure Papers, [1779]-1847, BL/IN
King's Lynn, [14th century]-20th century, BL/KL
Harry Lawrence Bradfer-Lawrence Papers, 19th century-20th century, BL/LW
Manorial Records, 13th century-20th century, BL/MA
Miscellanea, 1300-20th century, BL/MC
Medieval Deeds, 12th century-19th century, BL/MD
Letters and Papers of Revd George Munford [d 1871], vicar of East Winch, relating to Natural History and Antiquarian Topics, 19th century, BL/MF
Original Series of Deeds, 13th century-20th century, BL/O
MS transcripts of Parish Registers and Register Bills, mainly by Revd George Hunt Holley, [16th century-19th century], BL/PR
Religious and Charitable Foundations, [12th century]-19th century, BL/R
Records of the King's Lynn solicitors, Archer and Archer, and their predecessors, 1828-1930, BL/SL
Surveys, Reference Books and Plans, 16th century-20th century, BL/SY
Townshend Papers, 1660-nd [c 1853], BL/T
Tithe Records, 1609-20th century, BL/TI
Turnpikes, 18th century-19th century, BL/TP
Walpole of Houghton, 13th century-20th century, BL/WA
Title Deeds to property in Weeting on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, 17th century-19th century, BL/WG
Norfolk will extracts by Revd George Hunt Holley from the Norfolk and Norwich Archdeaconry Courts, the Norwich Consistory Court and the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, [14th century-18th century], BL/WL
Wyche of Hockwold Hall, 1676-1841, BL/WY
The Yarmouth Letters, 1660-1688, BL/Y
Maps and Plans, 16th century-20th century
Aerial Photographs, [? 1930s], [12th century]-20th century

This small collection consists of letters and papers of Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579), lord keeper of the great seal, and his son Sir Nathaniel Bacon (?1546-1622) of Stiffkey, mainly concerning Norfolk county administration and estate matters. Most of those papers written between 1556 and 1602 have been transcribed and published as 'The Papers of Nathaniel Bacon of Stiffkey I-IV', Norfolk Records Series, volumes XLVI, XLIX, LIII, and LXI, with further volumes planned. The page references to these transcripts are given in the calendar below.

The papers of Nathaniel Bacon passed to his descendants, the Townshends of Raynham. The introduction to 'The Papers of Nathaniel Bacon of Stiffkey I', by A. Hassell Smith, contains details of the life and career of Sir Nathaniel Bacon, and also a detailed breakdown of the various sales which resulted in the dispersal of much of the Townshend archive. Harry Bradfer Lawrence acquired these papers piecemeal - some came from the King's Lynn antiquary Edward Milligen Beloe, and others from various dealers.

Edward Milligen Beloe (c 1826-1907) and his son, Edward Milligen Beloe (1871-1932), the younger, were solicitors and antiquaries of King's Lynn. This section contains transcripts of original records, correspondence, and papers relating to the Greenland Fishery Museum at King's Lynn, founded by E.M. Beloe the younger in 1912. The notes are mostly by E.M. Beloe the younger and relate to King's Lynn and the surrounding area; they reflect his legal interests, containing analyses of court books of the Guildhall, King's Lynn, and notes on cases heard at the quarter sessions. The collection contains notes for published articles by father and son on King's Lynn, Castle Rising, memorial brasses, etc. They were also keen collectors, both of original manuscripts, and of works by other antiquaries. On the death of E.M. Beloe the younger in 1932, most of his notes were given to Bradfer-Lawrence by his widow, Edith Beloe. His collection of original manuscripts was sold, many were purchased by Bradfer-Lawrence, and these papers will be found throughout the collection.

This part of the Bradfer-Lawrence collection contains the executorship papers of Samuel Browne, merchant, of King's Lynn, who died on 7 November 1784. He married Hester, daughter of Philip Case, attorney and alderman of King's Lynn. She pre-deceased him, as did their only son, and he died leaving two under-age daughters as co-heiresses. Browne named three executors: his partner Edward Everard, his father-in-law Philip Case, and his brother Scarlet Browne.

This is an artificial collection. Harry Bradfer-Lawrence acquired these papers from at least twenty different sources which are listed in BL/CS 11/1/1. They therefore only document part, and probably a very small part, of Case's total business. Bradfer-Lawrence arranged many of these acquisitions in a single chronological run, which he transcribed. Later acquisitions were added, some were arranged in separate runs. Researchers are not advised to use these transcripts. Case's papers have been identified throughout the Bradfer-Lawrence collection and assembled here, and it is likely that further material which will eventually be added to this catalogue. As far as possible, the collection has been reassembled into the original bundles, so that all Case's dealings with each client are now together. These are listed separately from his general correspondence. They include a good run of letters to Case from the third viscount Townshend, and his papers as one of Townshend's executors; papers as land agent to William Paston of Appleton, and to Cyrill Wyche of Hockwold; papers as one of the trustees for the property of the daughters of Isaac Leheup, with correspondence from Mary Leheup's husband, Sir Edward Williams of Llangoid. There is also correspondence and accounts relating to Case's comptrollership of the customs at King's Lynn, his correspondence as mayor and alderman of King's Lynn, papers relating to the 1747 election in King's Lynn, and letters from Thomas Walpole and Crisp Molineux, candidates in the 1767 election. Case's papers as executor to his son-in-law Samuel Browne have been listed separately as BL/BR, but BL/CS includes his papers as executor to his nephew Thomas Younge, grocer and farmer of Watton.

Contains papers of Thomas Dixon (1709-1790) of Islington, and other members of the Dixon family, which originated in Cumberland. Dixon was an attorney and land agent for several local landowners. He had a considerable estate, mainly in Islington and Tilney, but he also had property near Whitehaven. He had no children and his heirs were his sister's sons, William and Thomas Bagge. It is probable that the bulk of these papers were part of the Bagge archive at Gaywood. Other papers of Thomas Dixon may be found in sections BL/DR and BL/MA.

Consists largely of correspondence and draft deeds of the firm of Whincop & Lane, solicitors of King's Lynn, Frederick Lane being the son-in-law of Edward Everard III. These papers probably came to H.L. Bradfer-Lawrence from their successors, Archer & Archer. The deeds in sections BL/EV 1-2 may have been purchased from antiquarian booksellers; they relate to some of the property of the Everard and Holley families, mainly in King's Lynn. Items numbered in sequence 'AA' were catalogued by Bradfer-Lawrence in BL/LW 3/2.

Contains documents of title relating to estates in Bawsey, Leziate, Congham, South Wootton, Tilney, etc., belonging to the Hamond family of Westacre, and papers relating to their wills and family settlements. They were acquired by H.L. Bradfer-Lawrence from several different sources. The Congham title deeds came from Archer & Archer, the King's Lynn solicitors, and so presumably did the Congham manorial records in BL/MA 1. The Bawsey and Leziate title deeds which relate to land sold to R.L. Bagge in 1911 must have come from Gaywood in the early 1930s after the death of Sir Reginald Bagge. Most of the correspondence about wills, settlements and estate matters comes from the archive of the solicitors Whincop & Lane, and was acquired by Bradfer-Lawrence from their successors, Archer & Archer.

Apart from these solicitors' records, the Bradfer-Lawrence collection contains copies of correspondence of Whincop and Lane of King's Lynn with clients in the 1820s-50s [see particularly BL/EV and BL/HA] and many runs of deeds, all of which were acquired from Archer & Archer in the early 20th century.

This part of the Bradfer-Lawrence papers relates to the Townshend family of Raynham Hall, Norfolk. These papers were presumably among those sold in 1911 and 1924 when the bulk of the great Raynham Hall archive, calendared by the Historical Manuscripts Commission in 1887, was dispersed. This dispersal is described by A. Hassell Smith in his introduction to The Bacon Letters (Norfolk Record Society, XLVI). Many of the papers passed into the hands of dealers who subsequently sold them in small lots. Harry Bradfer-Lawrence purchased a number of letters in batches, mainly in the 1920s and 1950s. The most significant of the Townshend papers catalogued here are the diplomatic papers of Charles, 2nd Viscount Townshend (1674-1738) and the papers of his grandson the 1st Marquess Townshend (1724-1807) relating to the raising of militia and yeomanry for the defence of East Anglia during the Napoleonic wars. Where possible, references to items listed in HMC 10: 11th R.IV (Townshend) have been given.

The seven great 'bailiwicks' of the Townshend estate were at: Stanhoe; Langham and Morston; Stibbard and Ryburgh; Stiffkey; South Creake; East and West Rudham; and East Raynham. The Bradfer-Lawrence collection contains a vast number of deeds for these areas, many of which are Townshend documents of title. However, because Bradfer-Lawrence acquired his papers from a number of sources it cannot be assumed that all deeds to land in parishes or in manors where the Townshends had property came originally from the Raynham Hall archive, and these bundles of deeds have not been transferred to this section. Similarly although many estate papers and some volumes of accounts are to be found in this list, others were included in Bradfer-Lawrence's original numbered groups and it has been thought best to leave these groups intact within the main Bradfer-Lawrence collection. All bundles catalogued in this list have been cross-referenced with their previous reference number from the main Bradfer-Lawrence list.

This is a collection of miscellaneous letters and papers relating to the Walpole family of Houghton. With the exception of the letters to the third earl of Orford (BL/WA 2/2) which came from the collection of E.M. Beloe, most of these documents were acquired by H.L. Bradfer-Lawrence in 1954 and were originally in folders marked 'Walpoliana from Stanley Edwards MSS via Ralph Rye, 4/11/54' although it is not always clear how the documents relate to the Walpole family. This purchase included miscellaneous letters and papers of Carlos Cony [c 1727-1806], the third earl's man of business, and relate mainly to the earl's debts and those of his grandfather, Sir Robert Walpole, to family settlements, and to the proposed sale of the Houghton collection of paintings to the Empress Catherine of Russia.