Title: Finding and Using Primary Sources
1Finding and Using Primary Sources
- Original Sources
- Your own records oral or manuscript
- Hard copy/microform reproductions
- Lancaster University Library
- National Archives
- Local Sources near you wherever you live..
- University Holdings
- County Record Offices
- Libraries and Museums
- Specialist Collections film, photos, oral
history, businesses, organisations etc
2Translations and Reproductions in Book Form
- Lots of these in the library
- Use FULL SEARCH facility on Library Catalogue
- Try searching for Documents and Elizabeth or
Russian or Hitler etc - Try State Papers or Privy Council
- OR Browse the shelves, especially at MWVA for
regional material or oversize books for other
parts of the country/world
3Translations and Reproductions in Book Form
- Chertham Society (Lancashire and Cheshire many
reproductions of early modern texts) L6 - Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society L6
- Lancashire Parish Register Society L6
- Catholic Record Society
- Tudor and Stuart State Papers and Acts of the
Privy Council MU5 B Floor and more in (and Legal
History collection)
4University Library Archives
- Rare Books Archive
- Patten Collection of WW2 leaflets (1000)
- Jack Hylton collection
- Specific collections eg Quaker, Railway, Local
Newspapers, History of Lancaster University - Microfiche/film collections (search microtext)
eg.. - Newspapers New York Times, Illustrated London
News, Punch - Mass Observation (1930s social surveys))
- Butterworth MSS (1830s)
- Womens journals of early 20th century
- Political papers Conservative party Home Office
5All British Government Reports covering virtually
every aspect of British and Imperial
History Available Pre 1800 and post 1900
Microfiche/card using BOPCRIS for guide 1800-1900
Full Text searchable through Metalib but BOPCRIS
useful summary
6Parliamentary Papers MicroficheIndex on CD
ROM - ask at library enquiries desk Online
summary of papers from mid 18th late 20th
century at BOPCRIS
7- Gaols and houses of correction, England and
Wales third report - Short titleGaols and houses of correction,
England and Wales - Corporate authorHouse of Lords.Select Committee
on Gaols and Houses of Correction (England and
Wales) - ChairmanDuke of Richmond
- AbstractThe inspections of the Visiting Justices
have had a beneficial effect on the state of
prison discipline. As recommended in the Second
Report, specific days should be set aside for
these visits, but for the greatest benefits the
visits should be 'frequent and unexpected'.Those
prisons under 'corporate or peculiar
jurisdictions' found to be unable to impose
adequate levels of discipline should have their
prisoners removed to the custody of the County
Prisons, and the expenses for those prisoners
should be met by the bodies previously
responsible. The prison ships, or hulks,
present special problems. Separation and silence
are impossible to achieve in the same way as in a
prison, and the circumstances of the labour
carried out by convicts on the hulks are less
likely to lead to reform. The number of boys held
on the hulks is a cause for concern. Many are
held for several years, until they have reached
the age at which they may be transported (14
years). Their situation leads to further
corruption. Provision of religious instruction is
inadequate to address the problem. Convicts
sentenced to transportation should only be sent
to the hulks en route to the Penal Colonies, and
none should stay permanently. Boys should not be
kept on the hulks at all, and some unused
barracks or fort should be found to accommodate
them. The question of secondary punishments
should be considered by Parliament as soon as
possible - Tables, pictures etcDetails of prisoners held in
some London prisons, abstracts of answers from
governors of approximately 90 gaols in England
and Wales. - Date presented etcSigned July, 1835
- Other featuresReport minutes of evidence
appendices
81800-1900 Full Text searchable through
Metalib but BOPCRIS useful summary
9Original Manuscript Materials on Microfiche in
the Library
- Butterworth Reports on Oldham to Manchester
Newspapers - 1830-1842
- Microfiche specify Microtext in University
Catalogue
10On Line Sources available through Metalib
- EEBO Early English Books On Line
- ECCO 18th century books
- Times Digital Archive (1785-1985)
- Lexis Nexis (Times and other newspapers since
1985) - Film and Sound Online eg Soviet Film on
Anglo-British Cultural Relations 1956
11On Line Sources Originals and Reproductions
- Web and CD resources
- Enrich (150 links to NOF sites)
- WW1 archive
- Cartoon Centre (Kent University)
- Old Bailey On line
- Historical Directories On line
- Workhouses
- Early English Journals
- PatheNews (20th century newsreels)
- British History Online (early modern)
- Use Google but often best sought through
dedicated gateways which provide links eg - History Dept On Line Resources
- HUMBUL
12Internet Sources
- Hallsall Internet Source Books
- Internet African History Sourcebook
- Internet East Asian History Sourcebook
- Internet Global History Sourcebook
- Internet Indian History Sourcebook
- Internet Islamic History Sourcebook
- Internet Jewish History Sourcebook
- Internet History of Science Sourcebook
- Internet Women's History Sourcebook
- People With a History An Online Guide to
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans History
Netserf Medieval Resources
13Archives- near you?
- National Archives
- Local archives eg county record offices,
local studies centres - University Archives
- Specialist archives business, film, etc
14National Archives
- National Archives Kew
- British Library (books and manuscripts) St
Pancras London - British Newspaper Library Colindale, Hendon
- Scotland Edinburgh
- Wales Aberystwyth
- Ireland Dublin
These contain national official documents of
whatever sort PLUS a huge amount of other related
materials check their catalogues 9m records at
National Archives
15Local Archives much Historical Material is kept
locally
Carlisle Public Library (also film of pageant)
16County Record Offices, Archives and Local Studies
Centre
- Established from 1940s
- Primary function to preserve OFFICIAL documents
related to a county - Quarter Sessions
- County, Borough, Poor Law Union, Parish,
- Official Organisations Hospitals, Schools, Home
Guard etc - Church records
- Records of Landed Estates
- Societies and Businesses
- Individual Businesses
- Eg NINE miles of shelved records at Lancashire
Record
17County Record Offices, Archives and Local Studies
Centre
- North West Examples
- Lancashire Record Office (Preston)
- Cumbria Archives (Barrow, Kendal, Whitehaven,
Carlisle) - Cheshire (Chester)
- Merseyside (Liverpool Wirral etc)
- Manchester (Greater Manchester Record Office,
Manchester City Archives, John Rylands Library,
Chethams, Oldham, Bolton, Trafford etc etc)
18Public Libraries Local Studies Centres
- The larger libraries hold primary materials,
usually printed or on microfilm/fiche including - Census 1841-1901
- Local Newspapers and Magazines ( c1800-)
- Local Trade and Street Directories
- Maps
- Printed Guides to the area
- Occasionally Manuscript Documents (letters etc)
- Photograph Collections
- Sometimes they list in their (on line) catalogue
- Lancashire County Library Catalogue
- Cumbria On line Catalogue
- (Try other counties to see if they have .)
19Local Archives Finding out what there is
- Archon
- National Register of Archives
- A2A (Access to Archives)
- Past Finder (Greater Manchester)
- AIM25 (London)
- Newsplan (location of local newspapers)
- Individual Catalogues on line (through the above
sites)
20University Archives
Most universities, but especially the old ones,
have archive collections. Not all are accessible
or easy to use, but it is possible to think of
using some of them ArchivesHub is an online guide
to what is held where including Lancaster
21Specialist Archives
- Film Moving History A guide to UK film and TV
archives - Pathe News (Cinema Newsreels)
- Business eg
- National Cooperative Archive
- London Transport Museum
- Oral
- (Centre for North West Regional Studies in Fylde
College) - NW Sound Archive at Clitheroe
- Subject Based
- Imperial War Museum
- National Maritime Museum
NW Film Archive
22You need to know how Archivists THINK and
therefore CATALOGUE
- Most catalogues are NOT subject based like
libraries and even attempts to include SUBJECT
searches are not always successful what is a
subject? - Most titles of archive collections do not give
much of an idea of what they can be used for..
They catalogue by ORIGIN of source rather than by
USES whether the KEYWORD you search for is in
the title is pot-luck. Catalogues - Some are on line
- NONE are complete whether on line or on paper
23Worked Example Gender, Disability and Community
WW1 casualties convalescence (Convalescent
Home Magazine in Lancs Record Office, Preston
secondary sources, web)
24Summing Up
- Choose something which interests you
- Be prepared to change subject depending on what
you find - Be realistic in your ambitions dont try to do
too much FOCUS - Consider using primary sources as a way in to
find a subject find something in university
library, local to you, or on the web - enjoy the
search! - Then check secondary sources to provide debates,
questions, context, and structure
25Advice on Local Sources
- If you think you might like to use sources in
this region please let me know before you submit
your form since I have close contacts with
several of them and I will try to get back in
time! - Mike Winstanley
- Email m.winstanley_at_lancaster.ac.uk
26FINISHED!!
27The Welcome Hut
- Ninety men arrive to-day!
- Order quickly what is needed!
- We can never say them nay
- Though the limit be exceeded
- When the cake I see their jaws on,
- I rejoice say Mrs. Dawson.