The contents are as follows: Notebook, 1784, containing descriptions with many rough diagrams of mills, bridges etc., visited by John Rennie in the course of a journey through the south of Scotland and England as far south as Birmingham (MS.19831);

Notebook, 1789, of John Rennie containing a note of a conversation with John Southern of Boulton and Watt, and of miscellaneous millwork (MS.19832);

Notebook, 1789, of John Rennie: Millwork, Dover harbour, North Foreland light, Ramsgate harbour, Walker's mashing machine (MS.19833);

Notebook, 1789-1790, of John Rennie: Wilsontown railway, Kelvin aqueduct, Symington's engine for dragging boats, Banks and Company's boring mill, Ketley ironworks, Stourbridge canal (MS.19834);

Notebook, 1790, of John Rennie: Littlebury mill, Fen drainage, Bishop’s malt distillery at Maidstone, Birmingham canal, Brierley ironworks, and other ironworks in the neighbourhood of Birmingham (MS.19835);

Notebook, 1791, of John Rennie: New valve made by Boulton and Watt, Marlborough townmill, various papermills in Kent (MS.19836);

Notebook, 1791, of John Rennie: Various works at Wilsontown, Whatman's mills, mines and machinery at Leadhills and Wanlockhead, including a description of a Symington engine (MS.19837);

Notebook, 1791, of John Rennie: Papermill at Alton in Hampshire, Leeds and Liverpool canal, Royd and Son's fulling stocks, mill for Philadelphia (MS.19838);

Notebook, 1791, of John Rennie: Lancaster canal, note of a conversation with Andrew Meikle about a threshing machine constructed by John Rastrick of Morpeth, boats on the Aire and Calder canal, Crowther and Oldfield's mill at Luddenden, Rawdon's mill at Todmorden, Rochdale canal, Leeds and Liverpool canal, Holywell copper mills (MS.19839);

Notebook, 1791 of John Rennie: Burgess’ mill at Milton, Elgar's papermill at Chatford, Bury canal, Blakey's steam-engine, Godwyn's coal machine (MS.19840).