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This series contains extracts from volumes in C.O. 537 series, known as supplementary correspondence. This class of records was made up of records and miscellaneous documents which were not considered suitable for inclusion in other Colonial office series. The records consist mainly of despatches to and from the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Governor-General of Canada and senior British military officers. Records pertain to all parts of Canada, but include substantial British Columbia-related material.

San Juan Island dispute, B.C.'s entry into Confederation, the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway, trans-Pacific steamship services, coastal defence, and the Bering Sea sealing negotiations are but some of the issues documented in this series.

The majority of the records were originally classified as "Secret" or "Confidential." The terms "secret" and "confidential" had different meanings at different times. In 1871, when British Columbia joined Confederation, "secret" despatches from London could be shown by the Governor-General to his executive council, and the contents could be relayed to the Lieutenant Governor and his cabinet in B.C. "Confidential" despatches could only be disclosed with the express permission of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. In 1888 the meanings of the terms was exactly reversed.