The first page of each Agreement and Account of Crew is stamped with "G. R. & R. O." date received. It records the name of ship as well as its official number, port of registry (all Leith), port number and date of registry, registered gross and net tonnage and nominal horse-power of engines (if any). It then records the name and address of the registered managing owner and the number of seamen for whom accommodation is certified, as well as particulars as to load line. The terms of agreement are detailed, as is the voyage route, which includes the outward and inward port as a minimum. The name of the witness to the signing of the agreement is recorded as well as the port and date of commencement of voyage, the port terminated, date of delivery of lists to Superintendent and the signature of the Master. Subsequent pages are numbered and contain the signature of each crew member as well as personal details including nationality, address, dates of joining ship and particulars of discharge. Entries also record wages and capacity in which they served. Thereafter, entries record certificates or indorsements made by consuls or by Officers in British possessions abroad.
Some agreements made before the 20th century also contain details of apprentices, deaths and marriages onboard. Some of the agreements are half-yearly agreements for when the ship was engaged in home trade only. The earliest accounts of crew (c1860s) take the form of loose sheets of paper rather than a bound document but record essentially the same information as those after the change in format. This results in only an account of crew for some voyages in this series.
Some of the earlier agreements and accounts of crew (before c1876) are accompanied by the ship's official log book. Log books vary over time but generally record details of the ship, its crew (including name, position and remarks), Master and voyage route as well as any occurrences as recorded by the Master.
Some agreements contain forms detailing the transmission of crew wages.
- Adriatic (1874-1882);
- Alexandra (1863-1873);
- Algiers (1875-1882);
- Annie Laurie (1864-1880);
- Araby Maid I (1859-1862);
- Araby Maid II (1869-1894);
- Benan (1875-1889);
- Bencleuch I (1860-1869);
- Bencleuch II (1875-1898);
- Golden Pledge (1865-1869);
- James Wishart (1865-1885);
- May Queen (1863-1875);
- Mic Mac (1870-1881);
- Ocean Chief (1868-1871);
- Palmyra (1874-1883);
- Royalist (1861-1880);
- Vicksburg (1868-1884);
- Wanderer (1861-1864);
- William Mitchell (1861-1872).