The papers include copies of Massie's official letterbooks, 1842 to 1861, logs, 1831, 1833 to 1836 and 1850 to 1854, and diaries, 1847 to 1849 and 1862 to 1880. There are also official service documents and twenty-one letters written to his family, 1826 to 1828 and 1840 to 1841.

Administrative / biographical background
Massie was born at Coddington Hall, Cheshire, in 1802 and entered the Navy in 1818. He was in HMS ASIA, flagship of Sir Edward Codrington at the Battle of Navarino in 1827, the year he was promoted to lieutenant. Between 1831 and 1832 he was first lieutenant of HMS CARYSFORT in the Mediterranean and was then in HMS SATELLITE, 1833 to 1836, on the South American Station. In 1838 he was made commander and the next year was sent to assist in organizing the Turkish Navy. He was appointed to HMS THUNDERER in 1840, took part in the capture of Acre and was promoted to captain in 1841. In 1849 he was given the command of HMS CLEOPATRA, East Indies and China station, and took part in the Second Burma War (1852-1853). In 1854 he commissioned HMS POWERFUL, which was on the North American and West Indies station in the latter part of 1855 and during 1856. Massie saw no further service, was promoted to rear-admiral in 1860 and was placed on the retired list in 1866 as a vice-admiral, becoming an admiral in 1872. He died at Chester in 1898.