The fonds consists of a typescript copy of the diary kept by Mercy Anne Coles during the trip to the Quebec City Conference in 1864 with her parents. It describes the many activities scheduled for relatives of the delegates such as daily sightseeing tours around Quebec City and the dinners and balls held in the evenings. There are many prominent politicians named in her diary: D'Arcy McGee, William McDougall, Alexander Campbell, Alexander Galt, George Etienne Cartier (Mercy referred to him as Mr. Carter), John A. MacDonald, Leonard Tilley and Louis Riel. She refers to some of them by first name. The daily entries describe travelling from Charlottetown by boat to Shediac, N.B., then by train through the United States to Quebec City and leaving Quebec City by boat to Niagara Falls en route to Buffalo, New York then travelling to Ohio.

The fonds consists of Joseph Lawrence's notes on New Brunswick history. The notes include an outline of the plans for an Arbor Day Tree Planting in conjunction with the 1883 Loyalist Centennial celebration in Saint John, N.B. A notebook provides biographical information on the Hon. George Street and L.A. Wilmot.

Also included is the reminiscences of Lawrence's association with Sir Leonard Tilley, (1835-1885) which provides details of their shared interests, especially politics. There are notes about 1783 early history of New Brunswick and an account of the Maria Anning trust deed. Joseph Lawrence was the chairman of this trust and the matter of the family dispute over a will was finally settled by the courts. There is also a list of persons admitted as attorneys and barristers from 1785-1836.

This fonds consists of the business and political records of A. P. Paterson. The business records include three letter books dated 1900-1909 recording Baird and Peter's business in Puerto Rico importing goods such as molasses. There are also printed advertisements and price lists.

The political records include typescripts of articles and speeches, published pamphlets relating to Maritime Rights and the British North America (BNA) Act, and reports on Royal Commissions. There is correspondence about Paterson's duties as Minister of Education and Municipal and Federal Affairs, and applications for government jobs primarily from Saint John residents and firms with references to a patronage committee. There are articles, correspondence, speeches and drafts of speeches on Maritime Rights and the British North America Act.

There is also a section of printed ephemera which includes poetry from the "Evening Gazette", Saint John, 1889; regulations of Municipal Employment office in Saint John, 1939; an address by Emile Vaillancourt to the Kiwanis Club of Montreal entitled "When Montreal was 200 years old" and a brief by the Canadian Teachers Federation to the Federal Government in 1949.

The fonds consists of correspondence and printed ephemera including invitations, souvenir programs, passes, booklets and menus from McKenna's trip to England in 1930.