Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts

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The Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts (abbreviated as the HMC) was established in 1869 "to make enquiry as to the places where manuscripts and private papers of historical interest were located and to report on their contents".^[1] The HMC's offices were located at Quality House, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, close to the old Public Record Office. The general public were able to visit Quality House during regular office hours to use the National Register of Archives, a computer database of archival references drawn from catalogues and published lists of manuscripts, useful for the study of British history, held in private hands and repositories in both the UK and overseas. In April 2003 the Keeper of Public Records became the sole Historical Manuscripts Commissioner. The chief executive of the National Archives is now Keeper of Public Records and Commissioner of Historical Manuscripts.^[2]

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