Britain

Sites

17th and 18th Century Burney Collection

Searchable full-text access to the British Library's collection of the newspapers, pamphlets, and books gathered by Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817). This is the largest single collection of 17th and 18th century English news media. The 700 or so bound volumes of newspapers and news pamphlets were published mostly in London, however there are also some English provincial, Irish and Scottish papers, and a few examples from the American colonies, Europe and India.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

19th Century British Library Newspapers

Full reproductions of influential national and regional newspapers from different political and cultural segments of 19th century British society. Includes newspapers from established country or university towns; the new industrial powerhouses of the manufacturing Midlands; and Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Special attention was paid to include newspapers that helped lead particular political or social movements such as Reform, Chartism, and Home Rule. Penny papers aimed at the working and clerical classes are also included.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

British Newspapers 1600-1900

Digital collection of British historic newspapers from the British Library. Cross-searchable historical and cultural archive. Includes essays and contextual materials written by expert scholars to help non-specialist users with perspective and analysis.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

The Illustrated London News 1842 - 2003

Digital, full-colour reproductions of The Illustrated London News from its first publication on 14 May 1842 to its last in 2003. Every article and caption is full-text searchable with search-term highlighting and links to corresponding illustrations. Facsimilies of articles and illustrations can be viewed, printed and saved either individually or in the context of the page in which they appear.

Origins

Family history website offering access to British, Irish and Scottish genealogy records. Access this at any of our libraries, between the hours of 10am and 7pm

The Companion to British History

Published by Routledge, 2001. Electronic Resource from Credo reference.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

A Dictionary of British History

Published by Oxford University Press, 2001 Electronic Resource from Oxford Reference Online.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

Dictionary of British History

Published by HarperCollins, 1997. Electronic Resource from Credo reference.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

The Kings and Queens of Britain

Published by Oxford University Press, 2001. Electronic Resource from Oxford Reference Online.
Access this with your library card number and PIN, or at our libraries.

British History Online

British History Online is the digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust, we aim to support academic and personal users around the world in their learning, teaching and research.

CAIN Web Service (Conflict Archive on the INternet)

Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland (1968 to the Present) - information and source material on 'the Troubles' and politics in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present. There is also information on Northern Ireland society.

Collect Britain

Showcases thousands of items from the British Library. Browse their collections, tours and exhibitions, or search the site in many different ways.

Derelict London

This is not a compilation of familiar tourist sights, as another of those is hardly needed, but a depiction of an (often un-picturesque) view of everyday life in London

The Diary of Samuel Pepys

Gunpowder Plot in 1605

Before Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed, a chain of events and influences all over Europe led to the Gunpowder Plot in 1605. This website traces the background of the Plot using original material from the period held in the archives of the Houses of Parliament and in other archives, museums and libraries. Archivists and historians look back to the Reformation to find clues about those explosive times.

The Gunpowder Plot Society

Biographies, full-text documents and images related to this famous conspiracy to blow up the British Parliament.

HMS Victory

An historical insight into life aboard Nelson's flagship - HMS Victory and celebrating the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Iron Age Britain

British Museum tour on Iron Age Britain, featuring some amazing objects from its collections.

London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes and Archive

The London, Edinburgh, and Belfast Gazettes are the official newspapers of record in the United Kingdom. Several legal notices, including insolvency notices, are required by law to be published in the London , Belfast or Edinburgh Gazette. Search by multiple criteria to find exactly what you are looking for. This archive contains all London Gazette editions from first 80 years (1900 - 1979 ) of the 20th Century. All 20th Century Honours and Awards published in the London Gazette.

Portable Antiquties Scheme Database

Records of artefacts and coins found by the UK public, whilst pursuing a wide range of activities (the majority from metal detecting).

The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913

A fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court. A collaboration between the Open University, and the Universities of Hertfordshire and Sheffield

Tudor History

Biographical and chronological information of all the Tudor monarchs plus maps, portraits, castles and more.

A vision of Britain through time

A vision of Britain between 1801 and 2001. Including maps, statistical trends and historical descriptions.