A primary source for historical research, the Annual Register - first edited by Edmund Burke - is a complete and detailed chronicle of events in Britain and across the world from 1758 to the current year. The link here lets you access the volume for 1758. To find the others, just type Annual Register plus the year you need into the Portsmouth library catalogue.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
This collection contains materials produced by the British Ministry of Information (MOI) and Central Office of Information (COI) from 1939-2009. It provides a unique insight into what successive British governments wanted their citizens to know, think, and do, as well as how their methods and media of achieving their aims changed over time. In addition, it reveals the image of Britain that different governments chose to project to the rest of the world.
Items range from posters and stickers to pamphlets and guidance booklets. The subject matter is just as varied, covering public health, education, social security, civil defence, international politics, race relations, sex discrimination, public sector career opportunities, policing, the environment, and Britain’s membership of the European Economic Community. Most of the items were published during the post-war period, but some date from the First and Second World Wars.
Search or browse the full text of British Cabinet Papers from 1915-1996 which are held in the National Archives. If you want to search, it is worth reading the search tips available on the site.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
This archive contains analysis, research, debates and speeches from the Royal Institute of International Affairs from 1920-2008. Topics covered include the Spanish Civil War, the Cold War, energy security, nuclear disarmament, decolonisation etc. You can also listen to recordings of meetings and speeches as well as seeing the transcript in many cases.
Watch this short introductory video.
Access 800,000 pages of primary source documents produced between 1874 and 1965. You will find handwritten letters to and from Winston Churchill, plus the typed manuscripts of his speeches. The Teaching & Research section also contains academic overviews on key topics such as women and social change, empire and imperialism, the origins of the First World War, the Cold War and nuclear weapons, the "special relationship" between Britain and America and Churchill as First Lord of the Admiralty - all have links to relevant documents within the archive.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
Digital images of a wide range of original documents, including diaries, letters, personal narratives, trench journals, scrapbooks etc. Supplementing the primary sources is a wealth of secondary resources including interactive maps, 360° panoramas and walk-throughs of the Sanctuary Wood Trench System, the Memory Wall, In Their Own Words feature, scholarly essays, a chronology and glossaries. The Visual Perspectives and Narratives module has greater emphasis on the role of women, plus the home front.
Additional access instructions:
Use VPN for off campus access
Originally known as The London Gazette, this was the first official journal of record and the newspaper of the Crown. The Gazette became an authoritative and reliable source of news. Today, The Gazette is divided into service-specific areas of interest: Wills and Probate, Insolvency and the All Notices board; with sector-related guides, industry news and other useful resources encouraging users to tailor searches. To access historic content from 1665 onwards, use the column down the left where there is a publication date option.
Georgian Papers Online is a catalogue created by the Royal Archives to make available in digitised form the historic manuscripts held in the Royal Archives and Royal Library but it is not yet a complete catalogue of the Georgian Papers. The catalogue contains descriptions and digitised images of over 200,000 pages of documents dating from the reigns of George I to William IV, including personal letters, diaries, account books and records of the Royal Household. Check What's in the catalogue? in the left hand column for lists of documents available.
Digitised documents, images and film of the First World War contributed by members of the public to a project hosted by the University of Oxford.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
Bringing together unique primary sources drawn from world-class maritime archives and heritage collections, Life at Sea takes a socio-cultural approach, focusing on the individual experiences and personal narratives of seafarers. Through a broad range of sources, from journals and memoirs to ships’ logs and court records, the lives of ordinary seamen, merchants, whalers and pirates can be explored. This resource offers exciting new insights into three centuries of the Anglo-American maritime world, 1600-1900.
For a quick overview, watch this.
The Royal Naval Museum, in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, is one of Britain's oldest maritime museums. The Museum's aim is to preserve and present the history of the 'Fleet' - the ships and the men and women who manned them.
Access rare and original documents on naval history.
This item has restricted access. You must login to view access instructions.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
This archive contains primary sources covering the development of urban centres and the major restructuring of society that took place during the Industrial Revolution. The collections offer an understanding of key events such as Chartist agitation, Anti-Corn Law disturbances, the Peterloo massacre and tensions underlying policy formation and the nature of Victorian government. Home Office records reflect the varied responsibilities of the Home Secretary's office, including petitions to the Crown, appointments to public offices, disturbances and sedition, inventions, poor relief, prison administration, public health, public order, and the universities.
Get an overview in this short video.
Records about disturbances in port towns could be of interest.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
The national record of over 60,000 biographies, 72 million words, 11,000 portraits of significant, influential or notorious figures who shaped British history and culture, worldwide, from the Romans to the 21st century - extremely useful for detailed biographies about literary figures.
This key resource for the early modern period brings you original historical documents ranging from high level international politics and diplomacy to the charges against a steward for poisoning people. The correspondence, reports, memoranda, and parliamentary drafts from ambassadors, civil servants and provincial administrators present a full picture of Tudor and Stuart Britain in terms of domestic and foreign policy. In addition, Eighteenth Century Part 1 gives you access to State Papers Domestic, Military, Naval and Registers of the Privy Council 1714-1782, so naval historians can read all papers covering Lords of the Admiralty and Naval Commanders, plus casualty lists.
Watch this video showing you how to work effectively with State Papers Online.
fully searchable in EBSCO Discovery
Search or browse one of the most detailed primary sources for the history of Britain and its former colonies. Reports from military officers serving abroad are included, as well as Command Papers, Bills, Committee reports. Hansard is available from 1803-2005. (See UK Parliament link if you need more recent papers.)
Wiley Digital Archives comprises unique or rare historical primary sources, digitized from leading - mainly scientific - societies, libraries, and archives around the world. All Archives are cross-searchable, and contain tools for searching, browsing, analyzing and visualizing primary source content.
We have access to the British Association for the Advancement of Science (Collections on the History of Science: 1830-1970), Royal College of Physicians - Part I, 1200-1862 (includes Statistical Reports of the Health of the Royal Navy) and Royal Geographical Society Archives, 1482-2010.
Additional access instructions:
Authentication required for off-campus access
Produced in 2014, this site includes around 500 sources from across Europe. It examines key themes such as origins of the war, race, empire and colonial troops, propaganda, life for soldiers and civilians. A historical debates section looks at how historians' views of the war have changed over time.
Login to access services restricted to University members including off-campus passwords, edissertations and interlibrary loans
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Our referencing page helps you reference sources correctly with guidance for an extensive range of print and online sources.
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