The research papers and correspondence in this collection are divided into seven sectionsrelating to:
- Lucy Hutchinson's memoirs of her husband, Col. John Hutchinson, 1906-1955 (MS 116/1-5).
- Charles I and Nottingham, 1920-1957 (MS 116/6).
- Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, 1922-1923 (MS 116/7).
- James Collinson, artist, 1947-1959 (MS 116/8).
- Richard Parkes Bonington, artist, 1929-1952 (MS 116/9).
- John Chapman, physician and publisher, 1915-1953 (MS 116/10).
- Miscellanea, 1802-1951 (MS 116/11).
In the course of his research, Sydney Race corresponded with a variety of people including thedescendants of Lucy Hutchinson and John Chapman. He also corresponded about Lucy Hutchinson with SirCharles Firth, Regius Professor of History at Oxford University, and the notebooks used by Firthwhen preparing his Life of Colonel Hutchinson (1906) are in this collection (MS 116/8-9).Another significant part of the collection are the papers concerning the discovery of missing pagesof Lucy Hutchinson's manuscript in 1922 and the background to the purchase of them by NottinghamCastle Museum (MS 116/1-5).