Nature of Source
Documents relating to the work of parliament, including debates, draft legislation, white papers sessional papers (blue books) which include committee reports, royal commissions, public bills and accounts and papers. Public and Private Acts of Parliament are also included. Private Acts were used to obtain permission to build railways, roads and canals. Property and inheritance disputes such as terminating a property’s entail could be enacted by a private Act of Parliament.
Some Royal Commissions such as those on the poor law, workhouses and employment conditions often cite individuals and provide social background. Parliament records also includes the papist and protestation returns. Before 1844 naturalization was gained through a Private Act of Parliament and before 1858 divorces were obtained using this procedure.
Also see
Newspapers, magazines & journals
Where Found
The Parliamentary Archives (The Parliamentary Archives collects, preserves and makes accessible millions of historical documents and records of UK Parliament including the House of Commons and House of Lords. The archives of Parliament are a rich and exciting resource for exploring local, national and international history from the fifteenth century to the present day)
The National Archives (Parliament Rolls 1275-1504. The rolls were the general proceedings of Parliament in medieval times; Parliamentary Papers, 1715-2005; Public Acts of Parliament, 1801-present)
Reference and university libraries
Period Covered
1600 – Onwards
Genealogical Value
- Names, addresses, occupations, family relationships.
Further References
- Bond, Maurice. Guide to the Records of Parliament: HMSO, 1971
- Curry, Anne & Horrox, Rosemary. The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, 1275-1504: Boydell Press, 2012
- Powell, W.R. Local history from Blue Books: Historical Association, 1962
- Stephens, W.B. Sources for English Local History: Cambridge University Press, 2008
- The History of Parliament: The History of Parliament Trust, 1964 onwards (Various volumes)
Websites
https://archives.parliament.uk/research-guides (UK Parliament: Parliamentary Archives: Research Guides. Subjects include: Roman Catholics, Naturalistaions and Protestation Returns)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/parliament (The National Archives Research Guide: How to look for records of Parliament. This is a brief guide to researching British government records on Parliament. Parliamentary records are wide-ranging and can sometimes be complicated. Most are available online or from the Parliamentary Archives. These tend to be the best places to start your search)
www.hathitrust.org (HathiTrust Digital Library. View or browse published Parliamentary Papers)
www.historyofparliamentonline.org (The History of Parliament Trust. The site contains all of the biographical, constituency and introductory survey articles published in The History of Parliament series)
https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/The_Parliamentary_Archives_(U.K.) (Research Wiki: The Parliamentary Archives)
www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/parliaments_topic.htm (Guide to Westminster and Scottish parliamentary records)
www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/guides/scottish-parliament-records (National Records of Scotland: Research Guide: Scottish Parliament Records)
Online Databases
Royal Archives Online
The site offers a resource for those seeking primary sources on the British monarchy and governance. The catalogue of historical records held by the Archives, includes:
- Georgian Papers Online: Digitised documents from the Georgian era. Personal letters, diaries, household accounts, and official correspondence of Georgian monarchs (George I–IV, William IV), staff records, financial ledgers, and administrative papers detailing royal governance.
- Other Collections: Stuart Papers, Cumberland Papers, Melbourne Papers, Victorian/Edwardian records (official and private), Privy Purse Papers (pre-1910), and Establishment Books.
https://archives.parliament.uk (Parliamentary Archives Catalogue. Search the online catalogue to access digital content)
https://about.proquest.com/products-services/House-of-Commons-Parliamentary-Papers.html (ProQuest: House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: House of Commons sessional papers [‘blue books’] from 1715 to the present including Bills, Reports of Committees, Reports of Commissioners, Accounts and Papers, Available at university libraries and in the reading room at TNA. The contents of Parliamentary Papers can also be searched at Connected Histories together with a number of other databases)
https://www.justis.com/content (Justis: Online access to General Acts of Parliament from 1235, Local Acts of Parliament from 1797 and statutory instruments from 1949) Free access is available at THE National Archives)
BOPCRIS Ford Collection (The Ford selections of British Parliamentary Papers 1801-1995: Printed indexes created by Professor and Dr Ford)
www.british-history.ac.uk/subject.aspx?subject=6 (British History Online: Parliamentary history. Includes volumes of Journals of the House of Commons and Lords and volumes of debates)
https://hansard.parliament.uk (Hansard: The official report of all parliamentary debates. Find Members, their contributions, debates, petitions and divisions from published Hansard reports dating back over 200 years from 1803 to date for the Commons and Lords)
www.sd-editions.com/PROME/home.html (The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England.The Parliament Rolls are the principal record of the meetings of English Parliaments from the 13th to the early 16th centuries)
www.legislation.gov.uk (Searchable texts of most types of UK Legislation and Acts of Parliament including Scottish Legislation)
www.commonlii.org (Commonwealth Legal Information Institute: United Kingdom Legislation 1215-: Free online access to the full text of unconsolidated United Kingdom Statutes and the full text of Primary legislation. Users can also browse decisions by titles or year)
www.commonlii.org (Commonwealth Legal Information Institute: House of Lords Decisions from 1838 and Privy Council Decisions from 1884: Free online access to decisions made by the House of Lords and the Privy Council. Users can also browse decisions by titles or year)
www.theoriginalrecord.com (Parliamentary papers)
CD Roms
Scholarly Digital Editions (The Parliament Rolls of Medieval England, 1272-1504 containing full text and translations. This CD-ROM contains the full text and translation of the meetings of the English parliament from Edward I to Henry VII, covering the years from 1272 to 1504. All surviving records of the parliaments, including many texts never before published, are given in full, with new scholarly introductions to each parliament)
Cambridge University Press (The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament is the official history of the British House of Commons from 1386, compiled by leading scholars and containing full biographies of all members, constituency surveys, and introductory surveys by period)
Boydell & Brewer (The History of Parliament. The volumes are a comprehensive account of parliamentary politics in England, then Britain, from their origins in the thirteenth century. It consists of detailed studies of elections and electoral politics in each constituency and of closely researched accounts of the lives of everyone who was elected to Parliament in the period)
