The items in this series include bills, financial accounts, receipts, memoranda on works to be done or ideas for works, elevation drawings, agreements, correspondence and petitions. They are eclectic but are all papers which would have required the Duke's acknowledgement or input in a similar way to correspondence. They offer some insight into the building and upkeeping process of a country house and garden such as Chatsworth. Most of the papers date from 1688-1750s with two items from 1833.
The items include records of:
- ground work and garden planting completed by George London and Jo' Rivers, August 1690- March 1692;
- wood work completed on the new building at Chatsworth, measured by Alexander Fort, the King's joiner, 25 September 1691;
- details of William Talman's work to be carried out at Chatsworth with costings and materials to be used, 1693;
- various memoranda of works to be done at Chatsworth, 1693-94, c. 1700, 1720;
- various financial accounts of bills for works carried out and money imprested to household servants by James Whildon;
- financial accounts of William Barker for charges and disbursement at Chatsworth, 1706-1711;
- agreements for the creation of a parterre on the south side of Chatsworth House, 1694;
- an agreement for work to be carried out by John Chaplin, joiner, 20 June 1700;
- an agreement for the building of the west front of Chatsworth by John Fitch, including drawing elevations for multiple designs for the west front, c. 1700;
- William Talman's progress at Chatsworth in a letter to James Whildon and his formal petition for remuneration for his travel expenses, 1695- c.1708;
- Sarah Wisternerey [Wisternoff ]'s request to the 6th Duke concerning the table beer for Peter the coachman, 1833;
- the expertise of Eliza Harrison concerning epiphytes seeds for Mr Paxton, 1833.