UK Parliamentary Papers on Trial
By Jutta Seibert
Falvey Memorial Library offers trial access to the U.K. Parliamentary Papers archive on the ProQuest platform until Sept. 17. Trial access covers parliamentary papers from 1679 to the present. Among the documents included in the archive are public petitions, bills and acts, command papers, the papers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, Hansard, journals, and debates. The Advanced Search screen offers a range of search options, such as date range and document types. Contents can also be explored by individual members of parliament, offices, and constituencies. Directories for members and constituencies are connected to the search interface.
Research applications are endless given the scope of the archive. The parliamentary record included in the archive stretches from the current pandemic back in time to the founding of the Virginia Colony in the 17th century. It brings the many interests of Britain’s national politics to light. Try a keyword search of opium to discover a wealth of data about Britain’s commercial interests in opium in its colonial territories.
Visit ProQuest’s research guide for the U.K. Parliamentary Papers archive if you would like to learn more, and contact us if you would like to recommend this resource for the permanent collection. A link to the collection will be available on the Databases A-Z list until the trial ends Sept. 17.
Jutta Seibert is Director of Research Services & Scholarly Engagement at Falvey Memorial Library.
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Thank you for making this database available for public viewing online.
I am intrigued by the illustration you have chosen to display on the homepage. This must be a view of the Chapel of St Stephen’s, in the Palace of Westminster. The House of Commons met here until 16th October 1834, on that evening a fire destroyed both Houses of Parliament and most of the Palace. The fire was started by the Parliament Officials themselves, when they were burning wooden tally sticks in the courtyard and the fire went out of control. Tally sticks were used in medieval times as proof of paying taxes, but by 1834 there were so many stored at the palace that it was decided to reduce the number. An account of the fire is given on the UK parliament website (https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/building/palace/architecture/palacestructure/great-fire/).
Thank you for your comment, Richard. Please note the database can be accessed by the Villanova Community only. Alas, it is not publicly available.