Biographies, Genealogy, Wills

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (2004) Online version of the newly-revised and updated DNB, containing some 50,000 British biographies from earliest times to the year 2000. Searching can by done by subscribers only, but there are free trial subscriptions available for institutions.

Dictionary of National Biography: Index and Epitome By Sidney Lee (1903). An index and summary version of the 63 original volumes and 3 supplement volumes of the first edition of the DNB.

Directory of Royal Genealogical Data A massive database of everyone linked by blood or marriage to the British royal family, from earliest times to the present. Contains more than 30,000 entries, in effect covering most of the royal houses of Europe. Although individual entries are not documented, the site includes a lengthy bibliography of sources consulted.

The Peerage.com Valuable, fully-documented database of the peerage of Britain and the royal families of Europe.

Debrett’s Complete Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Complete text of the 22nd edn (1838), edited by William Courthope.

Some corrections and additions to the Complete Peerage Compiled by Chris Phillips since the publication by Peter Hammond in 1998 of a volume of addenda and corrigenda to the Complete Peerage.

Généalogies Royales et Princières Genealogical database of the French royal family and of the princely and ducal families that descended from St. Louis, and of various modern royal and princely families. In French.

Database of the Higher Nobility in Europe Instructions provided in various languages, including English.

Knights of the Garter (1348-present) A chronological list. See also Knights of the Garter (1348-1488).

Members of Parliament, 1386-1421 From the “History of Parliament Online,” with MP biographies from The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. J. S. Roskell, L. Clark, and C. Rawcliffe (1993).

England’s Immigrants, 1330-1550 Searchable database of 64,000 immigrants to England between 1330 and 1550.
The Soldier in Later Medieval England Searchable databases (muster rolls, letters of protection, and Normandy garrison) of soldiers who served (or intended to serve) in the English forces of the Hundred Years’ War between 1369 and 1453.

Medieval probate records Useful collection of links to medieval British probate records.

Index of Wills Proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury J. Challenor C. Smith, 4 vols. (British Record Society, vols. 10, 11, 18, 25, 1893-1901): vol. 1 (1383-1558, A-J); vol. 2 (1383-1558, K-Z); vol 3 (1558-1583); vol. 4 (1584-1604).

Testamenta Vetusta (index of testators) Index of the 807 English wills, dating from the 12th century to the 16th century, that were edited by Nicholas Harris Nicolas in 1826.

Medieval & Tudor Kent P.C.C. & C.C.C. Wills These wills were transcribed by Leland Lewis Duncan (1862-1923)

F. J. Furnivall, ed., Fifty Earliest English Wills in the Court of Probate, London (English, 1387-1454) Collection of London wills in English, 1387-1439, with a priest’s will of 1454, proved in the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Originally published in Early English Text Society, Original Series, vol. 78, 1882 (rpt 1964).

Lincoln Diocese Documents, 1450-1544 63 ecclesiastical court documents, mostly wills, edited by Andrew Clark (1914).

Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 Searchable biographical index, drawn from J. A. Venn’s massive Alumni Cantabrigienses (1921).

Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikon 14,000-entry biographical dictionary in the fields of theology, history, literature, philosophy, pedagogy, music, and painting. Signed articles include useful literature surveys. In German.