This is the online release of the 1901 census for England and Wales. The census details personal information for all persons living in England at the time and is understandably a necessary stop for anyone wanting to document family and social history. Initial response literally has been overwhelming and "exceeded expectations by a factor of 20."

British history to some might be thought of as a dense thicket of county records, complex lineages, and other such foibles that make the story of these modestly-sized islands all the more delectable. Fortunately for those interested in these “histories”, there is the British History Online website. Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust, the site...

"Dying speeches & Bloody Murders" might not sound like a site to visit right before bedtime, but this engaging and fascinating collection brings together an important set of crime broadsides that will engage the attention of historians, legal scholars, and anyone with an interest in the history of crime and punishment. This collection comes from the Harvard Law School Library, and the conservation...

Based at Oxford University and part of the Specialised Research Collections in the Humanities initiative supported by the Higher Education Funding bodies of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, this project is making scanned images of ancient, medieval, and Celtic manuscripts available for free personal use by researchers. At present, the site offers nearly 30 manuscripts, some of them...

The BBC is known around the world for its vast collection of audio and visual material that dates back to the corporation's earliest days. Drawing on these vast resources, the BBC has established this Web site (in conjunction with a living history television show) to place some of these materials online, available for the general public. The site itself is divided into five broad themes, including...

Created and maintained by Michael Duffy, this site amasses an impressive amount of valuable cultural, historical, and social documentation of "the Great War." The site begins with some highlighted collections, such as Peace and Truce on the Western Front, Photo Reconnaissance, and Keeping 'em on The Farm. While the Web site is a work-in-progress, visitors will enjoy browsing through different...

Compiled by Dr. Samantha Letters and hosted by the Institute for Historical Research (IHR), this site contains the first comprehensive national survey of markets and fairs in medieval England and Wales. At present, full information is available for eleven counties, with new additions planned throughout the year. The entries may be browsed by country or place name, and a glossary, list of...

Part social history, part public documentary, Peter Higginbotham has created a Web site devoted to the workhouse, a feature of the English landscape for over two hundred years that provided employment for the destitute in return for board and lodging. Through a series of primary documents, including the Poor Laws of the 19th century, Mr. Higginbotham offers a descriptive and nuanced perspective on...

This new site from the Institute of Historical Research (IHR) and the ROADS Project is an important resource for historians, especially those working in the UK or studying Britain. Essentially a database of some 30,000 records, searchable categories at the site include: books, journals, and articles published in the UK (some with abstracts); higher education History teachers in the UK; history...

The Penal Laws were originally passed in the late-seventeenth century and early-eighteenth century with the expressed goal of extirpating Catholicism in Ireland but failed in the purpose for numerous reasons, including very selective enforcement. Nonetheless, they were instrumental in establishing the political and economic Protestant ascendancy in Ireland and promoting sectarian conflict which...