These pages were inserted before the first entry in the first House of Lords Journal when the journal was rebound in 1718. Some of them provide information relating to the history and location of early parliamentary records that officials wished to preserve.

Page 1: This letter of 21 May 1683 by John Browne (Clerk of the Parliaments 1638-49, 1660-91) explains that certain papers were thought missing because “many Journalls & Acts were taken away” during Henry VIII's reign. It also states that the records were first arranged in an order by one of his predecessors, Sir Thomas Smith (Clerk of the Parliaments 1597-1609).