A/1-A/77: biographical and personal material (1892-1996), arranged as follows: A/1-A/4, memoirs and obituaries; A/5-A/16, biographical and historical accounts and information; A/17, bibliographies; A/18-A/77, diaries.
A/78-A/116: material (1919-1945) relating to Synge's childhood and schooldays. A/78-A/82 is general material (1922-1926), A/83-A/100 relate to his time at Old Hill Preparatory School, and date from 1919-1945, and A/101-A/116 relate to Synge's time at Winchester College, and date from 1927-1933. A/117-A/153: material (1931-136) relating to Synge's time as an undergraduate, including manuscript and typescript notes on lectures and practical work, bound volumes of duplicated typescript work sheets for practical work (A/139-A/143), examination papers, correspondence etc. A/154-A/211: career, honours, and awards (1936-1992)
A/212-A/354: material relating to Synge's family. In some of the earlier material the family surname is spelled 'Sing' or 'Singe', reflecting its pronunciation. The current spelling seems to have been adopted consistently only after the First World War. Material arranged as follows: A/212-311, Laurence Millington Synge and Katherine Charlotte Synge, née Swan, Synge's parents; A/312-329, Ann Synge (née Stephen), his wife; A/330-335, Jane, Elizabeth, Patrick and Alexander, four of his seven children; A/336-343 Anne Dorothea (Anthea) and Katharine, Synge's sisters; A/344-347 Mary Synge, his paternal grandmother, and Emma Swan, his maternal grandmother; A/348-352; other relatives; A/353-354: miscellaneous family material. A/355-369: personal correspondence of Richard L. M. and Ann Synge (1920s-1991). Many correspondents are identified by first name only, and may include more distant relatives. A/370-377: requests for autographs, (1952-1992).
A/378-428: material related to Richard Synge's personal interests, arranged as follows: A/378-418, Politics. Synge was on the political Left. He was a member of the Communist Party in the 1930s and 1940s. His later political activity concentrated on the peace movement and organisations concerned with human rights; A/419-426, Travel, though the bulk of the material relating to Synge's visits is to be found in section G; A/427, Cairngorm Club; A/428, Volunteers for lonising Radiation (VIR).
A/429-435: material relating to finance and business (1933-1991), including correspondence, accounts and expenses. A/436-432: miscellaneous material. A/443-470: photographs (1918-1991)
