LibGuides: Singapore Primary Sources: Executive government (1867-1965)

Colonial Office (CO) Records

Copies of records preserved in the National Archives, U.K. The Colonial Office records contains documents pertaining to Singapore created or received by the Colonial Office in London.

The Colonial Office, located in London, was in charge of the colonies. Singapore (as part of the Straits Settlements) came under its direct control in 1867.

Main sources

Series No.	Series Title	Dates

Straits Settlements
CO 273	Original Correspondence [microform and other formats][electronic resource] : This series contains correspondence relating to the Straits Settlements.	1838*-1946
CO 274	Acts [microform]: This series contains acts passed by the government of the Straits Settlements.	1867-1949
CO 275	Sessional Papers [electronic resource]: This series contains Legislative and Executive Council Proceedings (minutes of meetings), annual departmental reports.	1867-1939
CO 276	Government Gazette [electronic resource] The gazette is the official newspaper produced by the government of the Straits Settlements. The content is varied, e.g. proclamations by the governor, notice of appointments, texts of ordinances.	1867- 1942
CO 277	Miscellanea (Blue Book) [electronic resource] This series contains statistics.	1867-1939

Singapore
CO 925	Acts [microform]: This series contains acts passed by the government of Singapore.	1946-1959
CO 953	Original Correspondence [electronic resource and microform]: This series contains correspondence relating to Singapore.	1946-1952

	Far Eastern
CO 1030	Far Eastern Department: Registered Files (FED Series) [microform] ; [electronic resource]	1941-1967

* Series no. CO 273 contains files that were transferred by the India Office to the Colonial Office (that is why the earliest records goes back to 1838, before the Straits Settlements came under the control of the Colonial Office).

Timeline of the records held by NUS Libraries

Index and finding aids:

Index to British Colonial Office files pertaining to British Malaya / compiled by Paul H. Kratoska. Kuala Lumpur : Arkib Negara Malaysia, 1990. (Covers mainly series CO 273)
Records of the Colonial Office, Dominions Office, Commonwealth Relations Office, and Commonwealth Office / Anne Thurston. Chapter 4 explains how the records were organised & classified in the Colonial Office.

Other sources

The National Archives of Singapore also keep copies of CO records. Please see their website.
Asia through a lens: early Colonial Office photos (from the National Archives, U.K. collection)

Colonial Secretary's Office (CSO) Files

NUS Libraries have limited files originating from the Colonial Secretary's Office (CSO).

Check National Archives of Singapore for more files.