British History Online facts for kids
|
Type of site
|
Digital library |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Headquarters | London |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Owner | Institute of Historical Research, University of London |
| Editor | John Levin |
| Industry | Academia |
| Advertising | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | 2003 |
| Current status | Active |
British History Online is a fantastic digital library for anyone interested in the history of Great Britain and Ireland. It's like a huge online collection of old documents, maps, and books. You can find information about the Middle Ages and more recent times.
This amazing resource was created and is run by two important groups: the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London and the History of Parliament Trust. Most of the information is free to use. Some special content is available only to people who subscribe.
What Can You Find There?
British History Online has many different types of historical records. You can find:
- Primary sources: These are original documents from the past. Think of them as clues left behind by people who lived long ago. Examples include old letters and official records.
- Secondary sources: These are books or articles written by historians who have studied the primary sources. They help you understand what happened.
Some of the cool things you can explore include:
- Publications from the History of Parliament, which tells you about how the government worked.
- Records from the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, showing details about historic buildings.
- The Survey of London, which explores the history of different parts of London.
- The Victoria County History, which gives detailed histories of counties across England.
- Important old documents like Letters and Papers of the Reign of Henry VIII.
- The Journals of the House of Lords and House of Commons, showing what happened in Parliament.
Where Does It Cover?
British History Online covers many different areas across the UK and Ireland. Here’s a quick look at the places you can research:
| Area | What it includes |
|---|---|
| East (of England) | Counties like Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. |
| London | The area of the 32 London boroughs today. This includes old parts of Middlesex, Surrey, Essex, and Kent. |
| Midlands (of England) | Counties like Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. |
| North (of England) | Counties like Cheshire, Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland, and Yorkshire. |
| South East (of England) | Counties like Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, and Sussex. |
| South West (of England) | Counties like Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. |
| Ireland | All the counties of Ireland. |
| Scotland | The historic counties of Scotland. |
| Wales | The historic counties of Wales. |
How It Started
British History Online began as a small test project in 2002. It has grown a lot since then! A big update, Version 5.0, was launched in December 2014. This new version added many cool features. For example, it now has special guides to help you research local history, parliamentary history, and the history of towns and cities. It also has a new way to view its collection of old maps.
See also
- List of civil parishes in England
