The catalogue prepared for the National Trust in 1961 (and revised in 1968) contained an introduction by Carew Wallace. It is reproduced here in slightly edited form, and with a few small corrections.

Lord Beaconsfield left all his private and public papers to his friend and private secretary, Montagu Corry, Lord Rowton, with absolute discretion to destroy any papers which he thought necessary, and to arrange for the publication of the political papers. There are indications that Rowton did destroy some papers, because they appeared worthless, but he resisted suggestions that some potentially damaging papers should be destroyed.

The papers were examined and arranged, and many of them annotated, in the eighteen-eighties, under the supervision of Lord Rowton and Sir Philip Rose, chiefly by A.E. Soanes; the papers were kept at Messrs. Rothschilds in New Court. [There are pencil notes by Soanes on most of the documents in the collection.] Lord Trowton did not, however, publish the official life of Disraeli, as was expected, and seems to have made no serious effort to prepare one. The work was later entrusted by the trustees of the estate to W.F. Moneypenny. The first of the six-volume Life of d'Israeli was published in 1910. The papers were returned to Hughenden in 1928, in accordance with a direction in Disraeli's will. When the National Trust was given Hughenden Manor and its contents in 1947, twenty-eight boxes of papers were also handed over, in addition to the manuscripts of some of Disraeli's novels.

In 1949 an outline list was made by Mr. Robin Fedden to indicate the general nature of the papers in each box. This served as a most useful guide for those who wanted to study the archives, which were stored in a large dry strong-room in the basement. Due to the increased interest in the papers paid by serious students, it was felt that better facilities ought to be provided. In 1959 the committees of the National Trust agreed to include an item in the Estimates to cover most of the cost of forming an archives room on the ground floor in the west wing of Hughenden Manor, providing steel racking with special containers, and for the re-sorting and listing of the papers. The National Trust was particularly fortunate in being given a grant of £50 by the Historical Manuscripts Commission towards this.

The National Trust is very grateful to Mr. R. Ellis, secretary of the Commission, for his advice, and to Mr. E.J. Davis, chief archivist to the Buckinghamshire County Council, for carrying out an initial re-arrangement of the archives, and paving the way for this list.

The Trust has been extremely fortunate in obtaining the services of Mr. R.W. Stewart, librarian of the College of St. Mark and St. John, Chelsea, who was suggested by Mr. Robert Blake. Miss R.E. Reader has also given much help.

In 1978 the National Trust deposited the Hughenden Papers on long-term loan in the Bodleian Library. Over the next twenty years, generous grants were made by the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust, the National Trust, and the Wolfson Foundation, to pay for preservation and conservation costs. The loose papers, mostly in excellent condition, have been placed in protective fascicules, and most of the volumes have been boxed. The majority of this work was done by Elizabeth Turner (of the Department of Western Manuscripts), foliating, placing the papers in their fascicules, and carefully annotating the catalogue, and by Audrey Thomas (of the Preservation and Conservation Division).