When the Portsmouth Dockyard records were transferred to the National Maritime Museum in 1935, Pescott Frost presented the transcripts he had made from them. The present collection consists chiefly of notes on various subjects, with relevant extracts arranged chronologically. Much useful information is contained in these notes, and there are a few original documents, including one general plan showing the growth of the dockyard from the time of Henry VIII, which was made during the last century. Some of his papers were presented to the municipal museum at Portsmouth including copies of the various articles he published in local papers.

Administrative / biographical background
Pescott Frost was born at Southsea in 1859. His career as a civilian employed by the Admiralty began at Portsmouth in 1874 and extended over forty-six years. He had appointments at the Admiralty in London and in Hong Kong, before becoming secretary to the Admiral-Superintendent at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1899. During his long period of employment at Portsmouth he did much research among the early dockyard records which he found in a neglected and confused state. He was instrumental in the foundation of the Naval and Dockyard Museum, when a display of naval relics was created inside a storehouse in 1906. It was recognized as part of the administration of the dockyard by the Admiralty in 1913, and Pescott Frost was honorary curator. This museum was an antecedent of the present National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth. Pescott Frost retired in 1921. As reward for his services he was made a Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO) in 1916 and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1917.