Research Guides: Early Modern Europe: Primary Sources: Government Documents

Government Document Collections

Some government documents may also be found in the general primary source collections. These collections are specifically focused on British history.

British History Online: Premium Collection
"a digital library containing core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Included are: the Parliament Rolls of Medieval England (Edward I to Henry VII), all the volumes of the Calendar of State Papers, Domestic 1537-1714, the Calendars of State Papers for Scotland and Ireland, plus the Calendar of Close Rolls. Note that State Papers Online covers only the Tudor Period: 1509-1603."
London Lives
"a wide range of primary sources about eighteenth-century London, with a particular focus on plebeian Londoners. A fully searchable edition of 240,000 manuscripts from eight archives and fifteen datasets, giving access to 3.35 million names."
Old Bailey Online
"A fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court."

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers This link opens in a new window
The House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (HCPP) are the most detailed primary source for the past two centuries, for Britain, its colonies and the wider world. They are the working documents of government for all areas of social, political, economic and foreign policy, showing how issues were explored and legislation was formed.
State Papers Online (Gale Primary Sources) This link opens in a new window
State Papers Online is a collection of historical materials on early modern Britain & Europe across a wide range of government concerns. It includes correspondence, reports, memoranda, and parliamentary drafts from ambassadors, civil servants, and provincial administrators from 1509-1782. It includes the following:

Part I: The Tudors, 1509-1603: State Papers Domestic
Part II: The Tudors, 1509-1603: State Papers Foreign, Scotland, Borders, Ireland and Registers of the Privy Council
Part III: The Stuarts and Commonwealth, James I - Anne I, 1603-1714: State Papers Domestic
Part IV: The Stuarts, 1603-1714: State Papers Foreign
Eighteenth Century, 1714-1782, Part 2: State Papers Foreign, Low Countries and Germany
Eighteenth Century, 1714-1782, Part 3: State Papers Foreign, Western Europe