Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Database
Searchable database of more than 57,000 specially written biographies of the men and women from around the world who shaped all aspects of Britain's past. Articles include references to sources, archives, and likenesses. Database allows only one user at a time. See also print reference of this work: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: In Association with the British Academy: from the Earliest Times to the Year 2000. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
The pertinent part of this book for nineteenth-century researchers is the Supplement to The Dictionary of Welsh Biography Down to 1940. ASU does not have the Dictionary, but it may be available through Interlibrary Loan. Many of the individuals listed in the main section of the book were born in the nineteenth century, however. The entries are signed and organized alphabetically with references included for some entries.
Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers. London: Routledge, 2002.
This biographical dictionary covers Horace Walpole to Tony Blair with multi-page entries, including further reading lists.
The History of Parliament Online contains the 21,420 biographies and the 2,831 constituency surveys so far published by the History of Parliament, a major academic project to create a scholarly reference work describing the members, constituencies and activities of the Parliament of England and the United Kingdom. Useful for biographies of past Members of Parliament.
Who's Who in British History: Beginnings to 1901. London: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1998.
The front matter in volume 1 may be useful for the British history newcomer: alphabetical list of entries, chronological list of entries, list of entries by category (usually by profession or major attribute), general reading list by time period, chronology of events, and glossary. Entries are alphabetical by surname or popular name. This source is not nearly as extensive as the ODNB. Entries are shorter, not credited and have limited further reading listed at the ends of articles.
Royal Lives. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
This single volume contains memoirs of nobility written shortly after their deaths. The premise is that those who wrote memoirs closest to the time of the individual’s death are useful for the insights that later scholars may not capture. This volume includes entries for kings, queens, their children, and other nobility. Entries are organized in chronological order. Table of contents: http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy035/2002074258.html
This volume contains several autobiographies of individuals from each of these categories: labouring classes, domestic servants, and skilled workers. Each category is introduced by a contextual essay.
Reference source about the British aristocracy. It contains the genealogical details of every British duke, marquess, viscount, earl, baron and baronet, together with all the living members of their families in the male line. Searchable and browsable by headings, people, and images. Images include coats of arms.
A searchable and browsable (by heading or personal name) database of bibliographic essays of the top 6-12 secondary sources about a particular person or topic. All of British history is covered, from ancient times to present day.
Victorian Studies: A Research Guide. High Wycombe, England: Rivendale Press, c2006.
This is a valuable bibliography for undergraduate and new graduate students studying the history of Victorian England. It contains basic research tools for the new history researcher as well as a very useful section, “Victorian Studies,” which includes research guides, historic sites, dictionaries, encyclopedias, period guides, serials, annual bibliographies, single-volume bibliographies, microforms, and databases specific to the 1837-1901 period.
This source is a "finder's list" of publications in North American libraries. This listing includes many smaller publications that may not be available digitally.
The British Empire in the Victorian Press, 1832-1867: A Bibliography. New York : Garland Pub., 1987.
This source is a bibliography of press publications that covered the British Empire from 1832 to 1867. It is organized by London magazines and British periodicals, and includes author and subject indexes.
This source provides short entries about superstitions, beliefs, and popular customs of the British Isles from the Norman Conquest in 1066 to end of nineteenth century.
Historical Dictionary of the British Empire. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1996.
This historical dictionary covers the British Empire starting in the 1490s. It is arranged alphabetically and includes people, geographical places, political agreements, and major events that influenced or affected the British Empire. This dictionary includes a brief glossary of terms and selected bibliography of scholarly works, 1980-1995.
Discusses the many aspects and lesser-known facts about Shakespeare, his works, and his time period. Illustrated.
Dictionary of Irish Literature. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1996.
This two volume resource contains primarily entries for specific authors, which are organized alphabetically. The end of each signed entry includes lists works produced by the author and references. The useful introductory material discusses the principal themes of Irish writing, the history of Irish writing in English, and literature written in the Irish language.
This Oxford companion is a one volume work that covers Irish literature over sixteen centuries. Entries range from specific works to general historical movements that influenced Irish literature. Additional readings lists at the end of each entry are not as lengthy as those in The Dictionary of Irish Literature.
A Dictionary of Irish Biography. Niwot, Colo.: Roberts Rinehart, c1998.
This dictionary contains short entries and a useful selected bibliography at the end, divided by type of source.
Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture, 800-1914. Boston: Faber and Faber, 1993.
This guide defines and illustrates common terms in general use in British architecture, 800-1914. It is concise and illustrated.
British Historical Statistics. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press
This source is focused on English economic history, although some social statistics are included. Ireland, Wales, Scotland are covered as well. Each chapter has a narrative, contextual introduction; there is an index at the end of the volume. Some statistics date to 1541. Chapters include population and vital stats, labour force, agriculture, fuel and energy, metals, textiles, building, miscellaneous industrial stats, external trade, transport and communications, public finance, financial institutions, consumption, prices, miscellaneous stats, and national accounts.
This easy-to-use source is divided into England, London, Scotland, and Wales. It includes maps and an index to authors in alphabetical order and authors by country.
The Oxford Chronology of English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Organized by date with title and author indexes at the end of the second volume. It is an interesting source if you want to see the major literary works published in England for a particular year.
British Historical Facts, 1830-1900. London: Macmillan, 1975.
British Historical Facts is focused on listing individuals in leadership roles in various capacities, such as politics, armed forces, education, and religion, as well as providing population numbers. Includes a bibliography and an index.
A Pictorial History of English Architecture. New York: Macmillan, 1972.
Brief, pictorial overview of English building styles is arranged chronologically. Includes index.
This atlas charts the expansive history of Britain, from the days of the Celts and the Roman Conquest to the present, offering authoritative coverage of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, as well as the rise and decline of the overseas empire. In 120 maps the great milestones of British history, such as Crecy and Hastings, Blenheim and Waterloo, and Passchendale and Dunkirk are covered, in addition to important social, economic, political and religious perspectives throughout centuries of history. A series of fascinating new maps explore Britain in the 1990s: the economy, the environment, immigration into Britain, the prospect of union with the European Economic Community, the conflict in Iraq, and recent intervention in Bosnia.
