The papers are divided into three categories:

1. Personal correspondence of Dr John Venn, with immediate family, relations, friends and colleagues [C1-C84]. These include Venn's letters to his son, John Archibald; letters of his wife, Susanna Carnegie, to her husband and son; letters from distinguished Victorian and Edwardian writers and academics including his cousins Leslie Stephen, James Fitzjames Stephen, his close friend A.V. Dicey, John Stuart Mill, Alexander Bain, C.L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), F.Y. Edgeworth, J.A. Froude, Francis Galton, W.S. Jevons, John Maynard Keynes, F.W. Maitland, Karl Pearson, G.J. Romanes, J.W. Selley, Henry Sidgwick and Alfred Wallace. In addition Venn's personal papers include a family sketchbook, photograph album, religious diary of Venn's Aunt Emilia [F1-F3].

2. Papers and notes relating to Venn's work in the logic and theory of probability, including drafts for an article and lecture [D1-D7].

3. Letters, notes, notebooks and printed materials used by Venn for his works on the history and biographical of Gonville and Caius College. These include notes made by Venn himself, but the larger part consists of materials supplied by numerous antiquaries, parish priests, and members of the College of their relations [C85-89, M1-M15, T1-T3, TC/A-TC/YZ).

The papers consist of:

• research notes on lists of medieval archdeacons, abbots, and priors

• undergraduate essays

• correspondence and papers relating to research into the history of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

• speeches and sermons

• papers relating to College administration, mainly the administration of the College Archive, and membership of Chancel Committee, and supervision notes.