The General Correspondence section (3813/1/-) is the largest, and includes many letters to friends and acquaintances he met after the success of 'Journey's End'', and throws light on his literary career, as well as his interests in cricket and rowing. A notable quantity of the letters relate to his working relationship with the actress Jeanne de Casalis, with whom he wrote the 1936 play 'St Helena'. The Correspondence with Family and Friends section (3813/2/-) is much smaller, but includes several letters which offer a rare glimpse into Sherriff family life in the wake of 'Journey's End'.
Further material reflecting Sherriff's involvement with both literary and non-literary organisations in sections (3813/10/-, 3813/11/- and 3813/12/-), span both the professional and private dimensions of his life.
The Photographs section (3813/2/-) contains photographs relating to his army service in the First World War, as well as publicity shots from different phases of his literary career, and photographs of various houses owned at different times by the Sherriff family.
A detailed summary of the contents follows:
3813/1/ GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE 22 Apr 1929-25 Sep 1958
3813/2/ CORRESPONDENCE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS 21 Mar 1929-16 Dec 1956
3813/2/2 First World War letters from Sherriff to his father Herbert 'Pips' Hankin Sherriff 22 May 1917-8 Dec 1918
3813/3/ DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENCE AND PAPERS 30 Sep 1933-7 Nov 1957
3813/4/ CAR AND TRAVEL CORRESPONDENCE 9 Apr 1929-29 Aug 1947
3813/5/ FINANCIAL PAPERS 19 Feb 1930-4 Jan 1957
3813/5/1/ Correspondence with accountants, banks and related papers 1930-1939
3813/5/2/ Royalty statements 30 May 1930-23 May 1940
3813/5/3 American financial papers 4 Dec 1930-1937
3813/6/ LEGAL PAPERS 9 Nov 1932-30 Nov 1955
3813/6/1/ Property 9 Nov 1932-29 Aug 1947
3813/7/ PAPERS RELATING TO LITERARY WORKS BY R C SHERRIFF c.1930-May 1951
3813/8/ KINGSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL 18 Feb 1935-Jul 1939
3813/9/ UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD Jun 1937-15 Nov 1939
3813/10 LITERARY AND THEATRICAL ORGANISATIONS 4 Feb 1929-10 Nov 1939
Includes Beefsteak Club, Dramatists' Club, Dramatist's Guild of the Authors' League of America, Esher Dramatic Club, Eugene Field Society, Incorporated Society of Authors, Playwrights and Composers, Incorporated Stage Society, League of Audiences, League of British Dramatists, London Playgoers' Club, PEN Club [organisation for writers now known as International PEN], OP Club [organisation for theatre goers], Repertory Players, Royal Literary Fund, Vic-Wells Completion Fund
3813/11/ OTHER ORGANISATIONS 13 May 1931-1957
3813/12/ PERSONAL INTERESTS 2 Apr 1929-13 Dec 1949
Including archaeology, gardening, rowing and cricket
3813/13/ INVITATIONS, BUSINESS AND CALLING CARDS 1929-1957
3813/14/ PHOTOGRAPHS nd [c.1890s-1950s]
3813/14/1/ Personal photographs of Sherriff and family nd [c.1890s-1940s]
3813/14/2/ Publicity shots of Sherriff nd [c.1930s-c.1950s]
3813/14/3/ Photographs of properties owned by the Sherriff family nd [1900s-c.1950s]
3813/15 PAPERS OF R C SHERRIFF'S MOTHER, CONSTANCE SHERRIFF 27 Mar 1932-6 Jun 1939
Includes two letters from Constance to her husband Herbert, 27 Mar-14 Apr 1932. Written at the Château Élysée Hotel in Los Angeles, during Sherriff's first visit to Hollywood.
3813/16/ PAPERS OF R C SHERRIFF'S FATHER, HERBERT 'PIPS' HANKIN SHERRIFF 1871-Jan 1940
3813/16/2/ Herbert Hankin Sherriff's financial papers 1874-1936
3813/16/5/ Papers relating to Herbert Hankin's travels in Britain and Europe 1882-1921
3813/16/6/ Herbert Hankin Sherriff's diaries 1871-1931
3813/16/7/ Herbert Hankin Sherriff's notebooks 1874-[1880s]
3813/17/ PAPERS OF R C SHERRIFF'S BROTHER, CECIL 'BUNDY' SHERRIFF 1899-1938