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Reference Sources Relating to the British Empire

This selective bibliography lists reference resources useful for the study of the British Empire. Most titles in the bibliography are in the Van Pelt Library Reference collection (first floor); available online, or located in the regular stacks.

Encyclopaedia Britannica: a Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. 11th edition. Cambridge, Eng., New York, At the University Press, 1910-11.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: AE5 .E36], v.1-29.

Historical Dictionary of the British Empire. James S. Olson, editor in chief. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1996.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA16 .H56 1994], v. 1-2.

Stewart, John. Historical Dictionary of the British Empire. James S. Olson, editor in chief. Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland, 1996.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA16 .S84 1996].

The Columbia Companion to British History. New York : Columbia University Press, 1997.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA34 .H64 1997]

The Oxford Companion to British History. Oxford [England] ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1997.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA34 .O93 1997]

Britain in the Hanoverian Age, 1714-1837: an Encyclopedia. Editor, Gerald Newman. New York : Garland Pub., 1997.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA480 .B75 1997 ]

An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age: British Culture, 1776-1832. General editor, Iain McCalman. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA533 .O94 1999]

The Encyclopedia of the Victorian World: a Reader's Companion to the People, Places, Events, and Everyday Life of the Victorian Era. Melinda Corey and George Ochoa. New York : Henry Holt and Co., 1996.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA550 .E53 1996]

Victorian Britain: an Encyclopedia. Sally Mitchell, editor ... [et al.]. New York : Garland Pub., 1988.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA550 .V53 1988]

The Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century British Politics. Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA556 .7 .O88 2002]

Marix-Evans, Martin. Encyclopedia of the Boer War, 1899-1902. Oxford : Clio, 2000.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DT1896 .M37 2000]

Handbook of Dates for Students of English History. Edited by C. R. Cheney ; revised by Michael Jones. : Cambridge, U.K. ; New York : Cambridge University Press, c2000.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA34 .H29 2000], also in stacks.

Handbook of British Chronology. Edited by E.B. Fryde ... [et al.]. 3rd ed., Repr. with corrections. Cambridge, [England] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 1996

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA34 .H28 1996]

The Longman Handbook of Modern British history, 1714-1995. 3rd ed. London ; New York : Addison Wesley Longman, 1996.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA470 .C65 1996]

Chronologies are topically arranged.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Updated edition of the old print Dictionary of National Biography. This is the national biography of Great Britain and its most important biographical source. Contains signed articles by specialists on noteworthy persons in the British Isles and the Colonies no longer living, with excellent bibliographies of primary and secondary sources.

The Dictionary of National Biography founded in 1882 by George Smith; edited by Sir Leslie Stephen and Sir Sidney Lee; from the earliest times to 1900 ... London, Oxford University press, H. Milford, [1937-1938].

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA28 .D47 1937], v. 1-22.

The national biography of Great Britain and its most important biographical source. Contains signed articles by specialists on noteworthy persons in the British Isles and the Colonies no longer living, with excellent bibliographies of primary and secondary sources. Each supplement contains a cumulative index covering all entries from 1901 in one alphabetical sequence.

British Biographical Index. London ; New York: Saur, 1990.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: CT773 .B75 1990], vols. 1-4.

Index for British Biographical Archive [microform]: a one-alphabet cumulation of 324 of the most important English-language biographical reference works originally published between 1601 and 1929, [Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfiche 970] and British Biographical Archive. Series 2 [microform], [Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfiche 971].

Who's Who in History.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA28 .W619]

Each chronologically arranged volume contains sketches of approximately two hundred people, including persons not in the DNB, concluded by short bibliographies of standard biographies. Perioid covered spans 55 B.C.-1837. v. 1. British Isles, 55 B. C.-1485, by W. O. Hassall; v. 2. England, 1485-1603, by C. R. N. Routh; v. 3. England, 1603-1714, by C. P. Hill; v. 4. England, 1714-1789, by G. R. R. Treasure; v. 5. England, 1789-1837, by G. R. R. Treasure.

Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers. Edited by Robert Eccleshall and Graham Walker. London ; New York : Routledge, 1998.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA28.4 .B56 1998]

Pargellis, Stanley McCrory. Bibliography of British History; the Eighteenth Century, 1714-1789. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1951.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks & Reference Stacks: DA480 .P3]

Basic bibliography for sources, books, articles, with some critical annotations.

Brown, Lucy M. Bibliography of British History, 1789-1851. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1977.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA520 .B76]

Hanham, H. J. Bibliography of British History, 1851-1914. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1976.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA530 .B46]

Robins, Keith. Bibliography of British History, 1914-1989. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1996.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA566 .R63 1996]

Catterall, Peter. British History, 1945-1987: An Annotated Bibliography. Oxford : Basil Blackwell, 1991.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA592 .C37 1991]

American Foreign Relations Since 1600.

See particularly the third and fourth chapters, which provide overviews of primary and secondary resources relating to British foreign relations with the American colonies.

Bibliography of Imperial, Colonial, and Commonwealth History since 1600. Edited by Andrew Porter; Research assisitant, Austin Gee. Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA16 .B53 2002]

Altholz, Josef Lewis. Victorian England 1837-1901. Cambridge [Eng.], for the Conference on British Studies at the University Press, 1970.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks & Reference Stacks: Z2019 .A56]

Selective listing of reference tools, sources, books, and articles; some annotations. Index of authors, editors, and translators.

E.M. Palmegiano. British Empire in the Victorian Press, 1832-1867: a bibliography. New York : Garland, 1987.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA16 .P32 1987]

Ofcansky, Thomas P. British East Africa, 1832-1867: an annotated bibliography. New York : Garland, 1985.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DT423 .O33 1985]

Musiker, Naomi. South African history : a bibliographical guide with special reference to territorial expansion and colonization. New York : Garland, 1984.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DT766 .M92 1984]

Bailey, Susan F. Women and the British Empire: an Annotated Guide to Sources. New York : Garland, 1983.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: HQ1593 .B24 1983]

Matthews, William. British Autobiographies, an Annotated Bibliography of British Autobiographies Published or Written Before 1951. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1955.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z2027.A9 M3]

Madden, Lionel. How to Find Out About the Victorian Period; a Guide to Sources of Information. 1st edition. Oxford, New York, Pergamon Press [1970].

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z2019 .M34 1970] A

Perkins, Rodger. Regiments: Regiments and Corps of the British Empire and Commonwealth, 1758-1993: a Critical Bibliography of their Published Histories. Newton Abbot, Devon : R. Perkins, 1994.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: UA649 .P48 1994]

Propas, Sharon W. Victorian Studies: a Research Guide. New York : Garland Pub., 1992.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA550 .P76 1992]

Higham, Robin. A Guide to the Sources of British Military History. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1971.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA50 .H54 1971]

British Military History: a Supplement to Robin Higham's Guide to the Sources. Gerald Jordan, ed. New York : Garland Pub., 1988.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA50 .B74 1988]

Rasor, Eugene. English/British Naval History to 1815: A Guide to the Literature. Westport, Connecticut : Praeger, 2004.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: DA70 .R37 2004]

Writings on British History.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: Z2016 .R88], 1901-33--1973-74

Exhaustive bibliography of books and articles principally in English, chronologically and topically arranged. References to book reviews. Coverage: Volumes for 1901-1948 cover A.D. 450 to 1914, Volumes for 1949 - 1974 cover 450 AD to 1939. Continued by Annual bibliography of British and Irish history.

Also see the Historical Statistics Resource Guide

For additional works, try the subject search: Great Britain--Statistics--History.

Mitchell, B. R. (Brian R.). British Historical Statistics.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: HA1134 .M58 1988]

Mitchell, B. R. (Brian R.) Abstract of British Historical Statistics. Cambridge [Eng.], University Press, 1962.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: HA1135 .M5]

Mitchell, B. R. (Brian R.) Second Abstract of British Historical Statistics. By B. R. Mitchell and H. G. Jones. Cambridge [Eng.], University Press, 1971.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: HA1135 .M52]

For additional atlases, try the keyword search:

"great britain" and (map? or atlas?) and histor?

Gilbert, Martin. Atlas of British History. 2nd edition. New York : Oxford University Press, 1993.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: G1811.S1 G5 1993]

Black, Jeremy. Historical Atlas of Britain: the End of the Middle Ages to the Georgian Era. Thrupp : Sutton Pub., 2000.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: G1812.21.S1 B53 2000]

The Times London History Atlas. New ed. London : Times Books, 1997.

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: G1819.L7S1 T5 1997]

C. Selected Published Source Collections

British Empire Online

Manuscript and printed materials pertaining to the history of colonialism, 1492-1962.

British Documents on the End of Empire. London : HMSO,

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: call numbers vary]

Harlow, Vincent Todd, 1898-. British Colonial Developments, 1774-1834: Select Documents. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1953.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: JV1006 .H3 ]

Select Documents on the Constitutional History of the British Empire and Commonwealth: the Foundations of a Colonial System of Government. Edited by Frederick Madden with David Fieldhouse. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, c1985-

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: KD5025 .S45 1985], v. 1-8.

English Historical Documents. [London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, v.1-, 1955-.]

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA26 .E55]

Basic documents or selections for documents, accompanied by lenghty, selective, and critical bibliographies of contemporary sources, books, and articles, generally in English.

Wiener, Joel H. comp. Great Britain: Foreign Policy and the Span of Empire, 1689-1971; a Documentary History. New York, Chelsea House Publishers [1972]

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA45 .W53], v. 1-4.

British Documents on Ottoman Armenians. ed. by Bilbl N. ,Sim,sir. Ankara : T|rk Tarih Kurumu Basimevi, 1982-

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DR435.A7 B74 1982 v. 1. 1856-1880, v. 2. 1880-1890, v.3. 1891-1895, v.4. 1895.

Guy, Josephine M. The Victorian Age: an Anthology of Sources and Documents. London ; New York : Routledge, 1998.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA550 .G965 1998]

The Political Writings of the 1790s. Edited by Gregory Claeys. London ; Brookfield, VT : Pickering & Chatto, 1995.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA520 .P78 1995]

Documents on British Foreign Affairs, 1919-1939. Edited by E.L. Woodward and Rohan Butler. London, H. M. Stationery Off., 1946-

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA566.7 .A18]

Select Statutes, Cases, and Documents to Illustrate English Constitutional History, 1660-1832. ed. by C. Grant Robertson. New York : G. P Putnam's Sons 1904.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: 342.42 R545]

D. Microfilm Collections

Africa through Western Eyes: Manuscript Records of Traders, Travelers, Soldiers, Missionaries and Diplomats in Africa. Marlborough : Adam Matthew Publications, 1999-.

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 4423], reel 1-15 + guide, pt.1/2.

Board of Missions, Sierra Leone, 1911-1948. [Wilmington, Del.] : Scholarly Resources Inc., [1998]

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: reel 1-7 + "guide"]

Exploration and Colonization of Africa, 1794-1844. Wilmington, Del. : Scholarly Resources, c1979.

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 4375], reel 1-14 + "guide".

South Africa, a Collection of Miscellaneous Documents, 1902-1963. [Stanford, 1964?].

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 1368], Reel 1-15.

Dispatches from United States Ministers to Great Britain [1791-1906].

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: National Archives Film M-30]

Documents on British Policy Overseas. London : H.M. Stationery Office, 1984-

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microbook 21] Largely Foreign Office documents. Documents calendered but not printed in bound volumes are reproduced on microfiches enclosed in an accompanying folder kept in Microforms Area (call no. Microbook 21). Covers 1945 to 1976.

[Foreign Office, Embassy and Consulates, Iran (formerly Persia), General Correspondence]. [Kew, Richmond, Surrey] : Public Records Office, [1972?].

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 4418], reel 1-3.

Church Missionary Society Archive. Section I, East Asia missions.. Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Publications, 1997-.

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 4365], reel 64-210.

India Gazetteers: Imperial, Provincial, and District Series..

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfiche 16]

Index to collection is: India gazetteers; imperial series, provincial series, district series: a check list and index [Microtext: DS405 .I68].

India in the age of empire: the journals of Michael Pakenham Edgeworth (1812-1881) from the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Marlborough, Wiltshire, England : Adam Matthew Publications, 1997.

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfilm 4407], reel 1-11 + guide.

Political Pamphlets from the Indian Subcontinent. [Frederick, MD] : University Publication of America, c1990.

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfiche 815], 1033 fiches + "Guide".

Selections from the Records of the Government of India, 1849-1937. Zug, Switzerland : IDC, 1984-1985.

[Van Pelt Library Microtext: Microfiche 1115], fiches 1-3009; fiches A1-A134; fiches B1-B24, also guide.

Includes selections from the records of the governments of India, Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Mysore, North Western Provinces, Oudh, Punjab, Sind, and Travancore.

E. Manuscript Collections

George, Lord Macartney Correspondence.

Letters of the Governor of Madras (1781-1785) and first British ambassador to China (1792-1794) relating mainly to Lord Macartney's connection with India.

Holden Furber Collection.

Documents and letters concerning, among others, Sir John MacPherson, Governor General, 1784-1786; Governor of Bombay Duncan, 1795-1802; Major F. R. MacDonald, 1791-1799; and General Stuart, Commander-in-Chief, 1796-1800.

George William Brown Papers.

Notes and writings regarding his missionary work in India in the nineteenth century

Kanji Dwarkadas Papers.

Correspondence, 1919-1965, writings, and letters received from a variety of notables. Dwarkadas was prominent in the development of the labor movement in India and closely connected with Annie Besant and the Home Rule League that she founded.

Richard B. Gregg Collection.

Letters and documents pertaining to the civil disobedience campaign in India from 1930 to 1933.

F. Individual Writings - A few selections

Argyll, George Douglas Campbell, Duke of. The Eastern question from the treaty of Paris 1856 to the treaty of Berlin 1878, and to the second Afghan war. London, Strahan & company, limited [1879].

[Van Pelt Library Reference Stacks: 915 Ar39], v. 1-2.

Grover, John. The Bokhara Victims. [2nd ed.] London Chapman and Hall 1845.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: 958.6 G918a]

Burke, Edmund. On Empire, Liberty, and Reform: Speeches and Letters. New Haven [Conn.] : Yale University Press, c2000.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: JV1016 .B87 2000]

Some Official Correspondence of George Canning [1821-1827]. London, New York, Longmans, Green, and co., 1887.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: 327.42 C16.2], v. 1-2.

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, 1804-1881. Benjamin Disraeli Letters. Toronto ; Buffalo : University of Toronto Press, 1982-.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA564.B3 A4 1982]

Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield, 1804-1881. The works of Benjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield : embracing novels, romances, plays, poems, biography, short stories, and great speeches. New York : AMS Press, [1976].

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: PR4080 .F76], v. 1-20.

Durham, John George Lambton, Earl of, 1792-1840. Report on the Affairs of British North America. New York, A. M. Kelley, 1970.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: F1032 .D983], v. 1-3.

The Elgin-Grey papers, 1846-1852; edited with notes and appendices by Sir Arthur G. Doughty. Published by authority of the Secretary of State under the direction of the acting Dominion Archivist. Ottawa, J.O. Patenaude, printer to the King, 1937.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: 971D C162.3]

Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart). The Gladstone Diaries. Oxford, Clarendon P., 1968-1994.

[Van Pelt Library Stacks: DA563 .A34], v. 1-14.

Send mail concerning this page to: Nick Okrent, Van Pelt Library, okrent@pobox.upenn.edu