British History Online (BHO)

Description

British History Online (BHO) is a not-for-profit digital library based at the Institute of Historical Research. It brings together material for British history from the collections of libraries, archives, museums and academics, and these primary and secondary sources, which range from the medieval period to the twentieth century, can be searched and browsed online. The Institute describes BHO as its digital library of printed primary and secondary sources for the study of British and Irish history, with a primary focus on the period between 1300 and 1800, which also covers the history of the British empire and Britons in transnational perspective. Its content includes primary sources such as the journals of the House of Commons and House of Lords and volumes from the London Record Society; secondary sources including the Survey of London and the Victoria County History; historical maps; calendars of state papers; and born-digital research datasets. The library reports over 1,100 volumes available free of charge and a further 200 through subscription (BHO Premium), whose income supports the site's maintenance and keeps the free content free. Texts are transcribed by double re-keying. Piloted in 2002, BHO launched in June 2003, and new Victoria County History volumes, produced by that project's own editors, were published on the platform in 2025.

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Currently active

Yes

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

2003

Contact details

On the map

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Categorisation

Type

Tags

University affiliation(s)

University of London
London

Partner Infrastructures

The National Archives

The National Archives collect and secure the future of the government record, from Shakespeare’s will to tweets from Downing Street, to preserve it for generations to come, making it as accessib… read more about The National Archives

Richmond

The History of Parliament Trust

The History of Parliament is a research project creating a comprehensive account of parliamentary politics in England, Britain and then the United Kingdom, from their origins in the thirteenth century… read more about The History of Parliament Trust

London

English Heritage

English Heritage (The English Heritage Trust) is a registered charity and AHRC-recognised Independent Research Organisation that cares for over 400 historic sites, monuments, and collections across En… read more about English Heritage

Swindon

Additional Partnerships

London Record Society; Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society