Guide to European and UK Libraries, Archives and Research Centers: Guide to British Archives
British Archives
- The National ArchivesDiscovery holds more than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 archives across the country. Over 9 million records are available for download. Also includes research guides organized by topic.
- AIM25AIM25 is a major project to provide electronic access to collection level descriptions of the archives of over one hundred higher education institutions, learned societies, cultural organisations and livery companies within the greater London area.
British archives: a guide to resources in the United Kingdom by
Call Number: Butler Reference Desk, 301, R027.2 F81411ISBN: 0333532554Publication Date: 1995 (3rd ed.)
- British Newspaper ArchiveA digital archive made possible by the British Library; includes major (and minor) newspapers published in the UK since 1800. The project is ongoing and growing.
- Archives HubEnables you to search the collections of over 200 British institutions including universities and museums.
- Women in the National ArchivesThis collection, from Adam Matthew, consists of two distinct elements: A finding aid to women's studies resources in The National Archives [and] original documents on the suffrage question in Britain, the Empire and colonial territories. The finding aid is the result of a five-year project by staff at The National Archives in the mid-1990s and enables researchers
to quickly locate details of documents at TNA relating to women. This finding aid is far more detailed and extensive than anything available elsewhere online and has the benefit of ranging across all of the document classes TNA hold. The original documents cover the campaign for women's suffrage in Britain, 1903-1928 and the granting of
women's suffrage in colonial territories, 1930-1962.
- The National ArchivesDiscovery holds more than 32 million descriptions of records held by The National Archives and more than 2,500 archives across the country. Over 9 million records are available for download. Also includes research guides organized by topic.
Guide to the contents of the Public Record Office by
Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 G7921Publication Date: 1963-1968v. 1. Legal records, etc.
v. 2. State papers and departmental records.
v. 3. Documents transferred 1960-1966.
A useful introduction to the arrangement and contents of the current National Archives.The Records of the Foreign Office, 1782-1939 by
Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 G79ISBN: 0114400059Publication Date: 1969A very detailed description of the types of records produced.The Cabinet Office to 1945 by
Call Number: Butler Stacks CD1043 .A58 no.17ISBN: 0114400342Publication Date: 1975
- Modern Political Papers at the Bodleian
The collections have been drawn from the private papers of politicians from all three major political parties, as well as from public servants (mainly diplomats), print and broadcast journalists, and others active in public life. In scale the collections range in size from over 2000 boxes to a single diary. - Private Papers- UK Parliament
The Parliamentary Archives has custody of nearly 200 collections of private papers of politicians, pressure groups and Parliamentary officials, including some Speakers. All of these collections are catalogued on the online catalogue Portcullis, and also noted on the National Register of Archives, a searchable database of locations for private papers in archives and record offices across Britain.
The Prime Ministers' papers, 1801-1902; a survey of the privately preserved papers of those statesmen who held the Office of Prime Minister during the 19th century. by
Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 B79Publication Date: 1968
Papers of British politicians, 1782-1900 by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 G94 no.7Publication Date: 1989Emphasizes members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, but includes papers (if located) of other political figures.
- Prime Minister's Office- National ArchivesThis guide will tell you how to find records of the Prime Minister's Office between 1916 and the early 1980s. The guide will also tell you where to look for private papers of British prime ministers going back to the 18th century.
- The Cabinet and Its Committees- National ArchivesThis is a guide to records of the Cabinet held at The National Archives. It provides details of the changing ways in which the affairs and decisions of Cabinet have been recorded since 1915, and what you need to know to find these records either online or at The National Archives' site in Kew. If you are interested in why and how major decisions of the British Government have been made since the First World War, then this guide will prove useful.
A Guide to the Papers of British Cabinet Ministers 1900-1964 by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 H331ISBN: 0521587433Publication Date: 1997A Guide to the Papers of British Cabinet Ministers 1900-1964 is the revised and expanded edition of a volume published by The Royal Historical Society in 1974. Up-to-date information on the papers of 323 ministers from the first edition is provided and its scope increased to include all Cabinet ministers until the resignation of Sir Alec Douglas-Home as Prime Minister in 1964. This Guide is a major research tool and a source of information on the personal papers of British Cabinet ministers.
The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 R765ISBN: 9780415327404Publication Date: 2006This major reference work provides an authoritative and wide-ranging guide to archive sources now becoming available for British political history since 1945. The book presents a comprehensive range of 1,500 personal papers from leading statesmen, backbench politicians, writers, campaigners, diplomats and generals which cover the key aspects of British history since of the end of the Second World War.- Sources in British political history, 1900-1951 : compiled for the British Library of Political and Economic Science by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 C77Publication Date: 1975-v. 1. A guide to the archives of selected organisations and societies.
v. 2. A guide to the private papers of selected public servants.
v. 3. A guide to the private papers of members of Parliament: A-K.
v. 4. A guide to the private papers of members of Parliament: L-Z.
v. 5. A guide to the private papers of selected writers, intellectuals, and publicists.
v. 6. First consolidated supplement
- Business, Industry and Economics- National ArchivesAn alphabetical list with links to all archives relating to business and economics in the UK.
- Economics Collections at the British LibraryThe British Library's Economics collection is extensive and has particular strengths in English-language material about the economic conditions and history of particular countries; comparative studies; economic theory and research methods; and official publications and statistics. Most printed material is kept offsite and has to be ordered in advance of your visit; or ordered via our a Document Supply Service; but a selection of around 200 economics books and reports published in the last three years, and key economics journals published in the last 12 months, are available on the shelves in the London Social Sciences Reading Room.
Records of British business and industry 1760-1914 by
Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 G94 no.9Publication Date: 1990-1994Butler has no. 8, Textiles and Leather, and no. 9, Metal processing and engineering- Shipping: a survey of historical records by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 M426Publication Date: 1971
- Maritime Archives UKProvides details of repositories and institutions that hold major collections relating to maritime history.
A guide to the historical records of British banking by
Call Number: Butler Offsite Z7164.F5 P68 1985Publication Date: 1985
- British Banking History- RBS Heritage HubThis site provides information about all the historic British and Irish banks that became part of RBS, including an overview of records relating to them. You can either search the site or browse our list alphabetically or geographically.
Company archives : the survey of the records of 1000 of the first registered companies in England and Wales by
Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.33 R41Publication Date: 1986Most of the companies were registered in the 1870’s and 1880’s.Economists' Papers, 1750-1950 by
Call Number: Butler Offsite Z7164.E2 S84 1975ISBN: 082230337XPublication Date: 1975`The object of this volume is to provide scholars undertaking research in the history of British economic thought with a systematic listing of the available sources of manuscript material. It is the first work of its kind, and is based on extensive search inquiry into the scattered public and private sources of personal papers and correspondence of British economists. Over one hundred and fifty listings are printed here. They include numerous lesser figures as well as the most distinguished contributors to the varied literature of economics in the period since 1700. The Guide should, therefore, be of interest not only to specialist historians of economics but also to those concerned with the wider role of economic ideas in political debate and the formation of public opinion.
- Archives and Special Collections- London School of EconomicsIncludes over 500 archive collections relating to modern British political, economic and social history and the history of the social sciences, dating mainly from the late 19th century onwards.
- The Railways ArchiveFree online archive of documents charting the development of Britain's railways.
- Liddell Hart Centre for Military ArchivesHoused at King’s College, London and includes the private papers of over 700 senior defense personnel who held office from 1900. There are also links to the papers of military figures in other libraries
- Imperial War MuseumsIWM’s collections cover all aspects of twentieth and twenty-first century conflict involving Britain, the Commonwealth and other former empire countries. Created to record the toil and sacrifice of every individual affected by war, the collections include a wide range of material, from film and oral history to works of art, large objects, and personal letters and diaries.
The Second World War by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 C161ISBN: 187316260XPublication Date: 1999This guide details the vast amount of material relating to the Second World War held in the Public Record Office, the Foreign Office and the armed services. It explains the wartime function of each department, as well as listing the minister responsible and the senior civil servants.The two World Wars : a guide to manuscript collections in the United Kingdom by
Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.94091 M45Publication Date: 1976
- First World War- Collections in the National ArchivesThe official UK government records of the First World War, including a vast collection of letters, diaries, maps and photographs.
Records of the War Office and Related Departments, 1660-1964 by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 R577ISBN: 1873162456Publication Date: 1999An essential guide for those interested in British and international military history. Takes the reader through the many collections from the English Civil War to World War II and beyond.
- Papers of British churchmen, 1780-1940 by Call Number: Butler Reference, 301, R016.942 G94 no. 6Publication Date: 1987Lists the private papers of more than 800 churchmen and women.
- Religious Archives GroupIncludes a lengthy directory of religious archives in the UK.
- Religious Archives- National Archives
Includes the results from an extensive survey conducted by the National Archives across the UK in 2010.
- Library and Archives- UK Science MuseumWith over 500,000 items, these collections include archives and original works that have shaped our understanding of the world, from Newton to Babbage to Einstein.
- Bodleian Library Scientific ManuscriptsIncludes papers and collections stretching from the Renaissance to the present. Also includes the archives of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Marconi archives.
- The Royal Society CollectionsFounded in the 1660s, the Royal Society remains one of the most important scientific bodies in the world. Their archives are vast!
The Manuscript Papers of British Scientists, 1600-1940 by
Call Number: Butler Offsite Z6611.S4 M36 1982Publication Date: 1982Lists the private papers of 635 scientists, engineers, and technologists.- Guide to the records relating to science and technology in the British Public Record Office : a ramp study by Call Number: Butler Offsite CD1046 1984Publication Date: 1984Published by UNESCO
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Economic Planning, 1943-1951 byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.942 G78ISBN: 0114402388Publication Date: 1992-01-01This reference book gives an overview of the broad political and administrative context within which economic planning evolved between 1943 and 1951 under the Labour Government. The records of the Cabinet and Cabinet committees are included and the Prime Minister's papers for the departments most closely associated with economic planning. The book has been arranged to help the reader to follow through a particular planning decision or to locate related material among the vast range of government records, and to this end a comprehensive index has been compiled.
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Women, 1870-1928: a select guide to printed and archival sources in the United Kingdom. byCall Number: Butler Reference, 301 Butler (Non-Circulating) : R016.396 B279ISBN: 0824094506Publication Date: 1981-04-01
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Welfare Policy under the Conservatives, 1951-1964: a guide to documents in the Public Record Office. byCall Number: Offsite HV248 .B74 1998gISBN: 1873162464Publication Date: 1999-10-01
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The St. Martin's Guide to Sources in Contemporary British History byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.942085 C77ISBN: 0312103034Publication Date: 1993-12-01v.1. Organisations and societies
v.2. Individuals -
Records of interest to social scientists, 1919 to 1939: employment and unemployment. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.331 G79Publication Date: London, H.M.S.O., 1978.
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Development of the welfare state, 1939-195a guide to documents in the Public Record Office. byCall Number: Butler Reference R339.042 L22Publication Date: London, HMSO, 1992.
RECORDS RELATING TO BRITISH COLONIES AND OTHER COUNTRIES
Since Great Britain was involved, directly or indirectly, with most of the world at one time or another, many British sources are useful for histories of other countries, and this is a list of some of the sources available in Great Britain. It does not include the many sources related to the United States; there are so many of these guides, they deserve their own listing.
General Guides
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Historical Collection is housed at King’s College, London, and consists of the collections of the Foreign and Commonwealth Library. It includes published and unpublished material relating to foreign countries from the 1600’s.
National Archives Colonial collections
Empire and Commonwealth Records held by other archives (beyond UK National Archives)
- Private papers of British Colonial governors 1782-1900. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.942 G94 no. 5Publication Date: London, H.M.S.O., 1986Lists the surviving papers of colonial governors and other senior Colonial Office officials.
- The records of the Colonial and Dominions Offices. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.942 P96Publication Date: London, H. M. S.O., 1964.A detailed description of the arrangement of the records from 1660 to the early 20th century. Includes a list by country of the types of records available.
- A guide to manuscripts and documents in the British Isles relating to Africa. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.96 M43Publication Date: London, Oxford University Press, 1971.Lists official and unofficial papers covering Africa south of the Sahara.
- Materials for West African history in the archives of the United Kingdom. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.966 M41Publication Date: London, Athlone Press, 1973.
- Guide to Archives and Manuscripts Relating to Kenya and East Africa in the United Kingdom byCall Number: Butler Stacks Z3587 .T48 1991ISBN: 0905450477Publication Date: London, Hans Zell Publishers, 1991.v. 1. Official records
v. 2. Non-official archives and manuscripts
- Britain and Palestine, 1914-1948: archival sources for the history of the British Mandate. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.9569 J72ISBN: 0197259855Publication Date: Oxford, Oxford University Press for the British Academy, 1979.
- A Guide to manuscripts and documents in the British Isles relating to the Middle East and North Africa byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.956 M43Publication Date: Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1980
- A Guide to Manuscripts and Documents in the British Isles Relating to the Far East byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.95 M43ISBN: 0197135919Publication Date: Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1977.
Science and the Changing Environment in India 1780-1920 by Call Number: Butler Stacks Q127.I4 A945 2010gISBN: 9780712309455Publication Date: London, The British Library, 2010The India Office Records document the activities of the English East India Company and the British administration in India, and this guide offers an unusual historical perspective on environmental science in the British Empire. The result of a three-year research project, Science and the Changing Environment in India, 1780–1920 makes a wealth of material from the records newly accessible—explaining their organization, providing the environmental and archival document contexts, and outlining the history of British scientific involvement in India during this rich and tumultuous period of cultural collision.- Sources for the history of British India in the seventeenth century. byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.954 K52Publication Date: London, Oxford university press, 1926.
- The Indian 'Mutiny' 1857-58 : a guide to source material in the India Office Library and Records byCall Number: Butler Stacks Z3208.A4 S48 1986ISBN: 0712300414Publication Date: London, The British Library, 1986.
- A guide to Western manuscripts and documents in the British Isles relating to South and South East Asia byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.95 W133Publication Date: London, Oxford University Press, 1965
- A Guide to Manuscript Sources for the History of Latin America and the Caribbean in the British Isles byCall Number: Butler Reference R016.98 W16ISBN: 0198181523Publication Date: London, Oxford University Press [for] the Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London, 1973.
- Guide to Documents and Manuscripts in the United Kingdom Relating to Russia and the Soviet Union byCall Number: 0720118050ISBN: 0720118050Publication Date: London, Mansell Pub., 1987
Databases that Provide Digital Facsimiles of Archival Materials
Many databases accessible to you at Columbia may provide access to varying quantities of materials held in British Archives. The databases singled out below are listed because they provide truly substantial levels of access.
Archives Direct : Sources from The National Archives, UK ⇔ CROSS-SEARCHABLE PLATFORM ⇔
(Adam Matthew)
Archives Direct is a suite of collections sourced from The National Archives, Kew, the official archive of the United Kingdom. Containing diplomatic correspondence, letters, reports, surveys, material from newspapers, statistical analyses, published pamphlets, ephemera, military papers, profiles of prominent individuals, maps and many other types of document, it consists of the history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries from the British state’s point of view. (Click on "Nature and Scope" within any given module of Archives Direct for a listing and description of the file classes from The National Archives, Kew that it reproduces.)
Colonial America (Adam Matthew)
Colonial America will be released in five modules, organized thematically. We currently have access to: Modules 1 and 2. New modules are scheduled for publication annually through 2019, at which point Colonial America will be complete. The complete database will consist of all 1,450 volumes of the CO 5 series of Colonial Office files held at The National Archives in London, plus all extracted documents associated with them.
Colonial State Papers (ProQuest)
Colonial State Papers provides access to thousands of papers concerning English activities in the American, Canadian, and West Indian colonies between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Colonial State Papers integrates two important research tools as one service: Collection CO 1 from The National Archives (full name: Privy Council and related bodies: America and West Indies, Colonial Papers); and Calendar of State Papers, Colonial: North America and the West Indies 1574-1739. All of the documents from CO 1 have been reproduced as full-colour, high quality images. Users can limit their searches to records that include scanned documents or can search all documents recorded in the Calendar.
The National Archives
Over 9 million records listed within the Discovery catalog are available for download. To identify and access these, begin by selecting "Available to download" option below the search box.