Historical Parliamentary Papers online
The Library has an excellent print collection of Parliamentary Publications from the 16th century onwards, available on Level 7 of the Library. However, there is an increasing demand for electronic access to this type of material and below is a listing (by century) of the sources of electronic Parliamentary materials. Please note, that some resources are available on subscription databases that only GU staff and students can access.
Medieval period
16th Century
17th Century
18th Century
19th Century
20th Century
Medieval Period
- The parliament rolls of medieval England, 1275-1504 - contains full text and translation of the meetings of the English parliaments from Edward I to Henry VII, covering the years from 1272 to 1504 (only available to GU staff & students)
Scottish Parliament
- The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 - a project to create edit and translate a new digital edition of the acts of the Scottish Parliament.
16th Century
Multiple Source Collection
- Early English Books Online (EEBO) contains digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700 & as such contains statutes and proclamations, legal and Parliamentary documents from both the English and Scottish Parliaments (only available to GU staff & students)
Journals and Debates
- Journal of the House of Commons: volume 1 - 1547-1629
- Journal of the House of Lords: volumes 1 - 2: 1509-1614
- Journals of all the Parliaments during the reign of Queen Elizabeth - includes very detailed accounts of debates in both houses of Parliament from 1559 until 1601. Collected by Sir Simonds d'Ewes, knight and baronet of Stow Hall in Suffolk, they were revised and published in 1682 by his nephew, the lawyer and antiquary Paul Bowes.
- Historical Collections: or, An exact Account of the Proceedings of the Four last Parliaments of Queen Elizabeth - details debates in both Houses of Parliament from 1589 until 1601. Collected by the Shropshire MP Heywood Townshend, they were first published in 1680.
Scottish Parliament
- The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 - fully searchable database containing the proceedings of the Scottish parliament from the first surviving act of 1235 to the union of 1707.
17th Century
Statutes
- Acts and Ordinances of the Interregnum, 1642-1660 - The full text of legislation passed into law during the Interregnum. Contains over 900 pieces of legislation. ranging from that concerning the trial and execution of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury to the regulation of trade in currants, and from the propagation of the Gospel in the New World to the draining of the Great Fen.
- Statutes of the Realm (3 vols) - The full text of Statutes passed into law by the two Houses of Parliament
Journals and Debates
- House of Commons, Debates (Grey) (1667-94), collected by the Hon. Anchitell Grey, MP (10 vols) - Includes extensive official and private records of Parliament, and the urban history of London, Glasgow, Cardiff and other major cities.
- Journal of the House of Commons: volumes 1 - 12 1547-1699
- Journal of the House of Lords: volumes 2 - 16 1578-1701
Calendar of State Papers
- Calendar of State Papers Domestic: James I, 1603-1610
- Collection of the State Papers of John Thurloe, volume 1: 1638-1653 - Also contains Birch's Life of Thurloe, and substantial appendices, including papers in the possession of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Scottish Parliament
- The Records of the Parliaments of Scotland to 1707 - fully searchable database containing the proceedings of the Scottish parliament from the first surviving act of 1235 to the union of 1707.
Other Publications
- Office Holders in Modern Britain - Listings of holders of offices in central government (17th-19th centuries).
18th Century
Multiple Source Collections
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Parliamentary Papers of the 18th Century online - searchable full text database of core 18th century official Parliamentary publications that includes Parliamentary Papers, Bills, registers and Journals (only available to GU staff & students) Includes:
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House of Commons Sessional Papers of the Eighteenth Century 1715-1800
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Reports from the Committees of the House of Commons 1715-1801
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House of Lords Sessional Papers 1714-1805
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Harper Collection of Private Bills 1695-1814
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Local and Personal Acts 1797-1834
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Private Acts 1702-1727 and Private Bills 1727-1814
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Private Acts 1815-1834
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Journals of the House of Commons 1688-1834
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Journals of the House of Lords 1688-1834
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Parliamentary Register 1774-1780, 1780-1796, 1796-1802 and 1802-1805
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The History and Proceedings of the House of Commons 1660-1743
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The History and Proceedings of the House of Lords 1660-1742
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Eighteenth Century Collections Online [ECCO] - comprehensive digital edition of The Eighteenth Century which includes bills, statutes and proclamations and Parliamentary papers (only available to GU staff & students)
Journals and Debates
- Cobbett's parliamentary history of England, from the Norman Conquest, in 1066 to the year, 1803 - from Oxford Digital Library: digitised version of all 36 volumes of Cobbett's Parliamentary History.
- Journal of the House of Lords: volumes 17 - 20 (1701 - 1717)
Other Publications
- Office Holders in Modern Britain - Listings of holders of offices in central government (17th-19th centuries).
19th Century
Multiple Source Collections
- House of Commons Papers of the 19th Century online - searchable full text database of all sessional papers printed between 1801 and 1900, including Bills, Command Papers and House of Commons Papers (only available to GU staff & students)
Journals and Debates
- Journal of the House of Commons: volume 85: 1830
- Journal of the House of Lords: volumes 62 - 64 (1830 - 1832)
20th Century
- Cabinet Papers 1915 - 1978 - Core records of the British Cabinet from 1915 to 1978 have been digitised, and their full text is searchable online from the National Archives
- House of Commons Papers of the 20th Century online - searchable full text database of all sessional papers printed between 1901 and 2003/04, including Bills, Command Papers and House of Commons Papers (only available to GU staff & students)
- Stormont Papers - access to the Parliamentary Debates of the devolved government of Northern Ireland from June 7 1921 to the dissolution of Parliament in March 28 1972.
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