This fonds consists of a day book (1775-1787) and a diary (1797-1818) kept by Benjamin Chappell in which he recorded his work and daily activities. Information includes who he worked with, the type of work involved, and for whom he was working. He describes the early conditions in the settlement at Elizabethtown (New London), reports the arrival of much-needed supplies, and mentions arrivals and departures of individuals to the settlement. He also records the occurrence of deaths, marriages, births, illness, fires, accidents, and the weather.

The latter volume appears to have originally been the account book of an Alexander McMillan who recorded the purchase and sale of general dry goods in Halifax, on board ship, and on Prince Edward Island. Entries, dated between 1777 and 1785, are organized by the name of the client. Chappell appears to have crossed out McMillan's account entries and then written in his own journal entries on the blank sections of the pages.

The original volumes were microfilmed in 1973. The first reel of microfilm contains copies of both volumes while the second reel only contains the day book.

This fonds also contains a photocopy of a transcription of a letter written by Benjamin Chappell to Mr. McGregor of Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1802. This letter has a religious theme, but also makes inquiries as to the discoveries of astronomer Sir William Herschel (1738-1822).

The fonds consists of six original letters written by Thomas Douglas to Reverend Angus McAulay, the Earl of Selkirk's representative in Prince Edward Island, in 1803. The first letter, dated in March of that year, was addressed from Dumfries, Scotland, and the letters that follow were written from Charlottetown. All of the correspondence concerns the settlement of the Belfast area. Also included in the fonds are photocopies and typed transcripts of the letters, as well as a print of a Jackdaw portrait of Lord Selkirk, taken from an unidentified published document, [before 1970].