Articles by The BNA

The Vice Chancellor’s court in Westminster must have been chilly indeed on Thursday January 11th 1844. We don’t know if the court room was busy or if crowds had gathered to get a peek at one of England’s literary darlings. They might well have. When A Christmas Carol was published on December 19th the previous year, it had been to near universal acclaim. The first edition had sold out by Christmas Eve. But for author Charles Dickens, there was no resting

Whether your ancestors were royalty or the servants of royalty, it can be just as satisfying and surprising to learn where you come from. Last night’s episode of Who Do You Think You Are? was no exception, when Ricky Tomlinson learned that he came from a hardworking line of carters in Liverpool.The New York of EuropeIn the 1800s, Liverpool was a major port city that depended on carters to transport goods from the docks into the city. As

Among the oldest continuously published periodicals in the world, Lloyd’s List dates back to 1734. Up until 2013, Lloyd’s List (also known as The List) was printed on a daily basis; since 2013, the publication has been updated hourly in its digital format only. Modern coverage in Lloyd’s List includes such details pertaining to the shipping industry as marine insurance, research and logistics, and international shipping news.Edward Lloyd, the original owner of Lloyd’s Coffee House in London, started Lloyd’s News in the

In last night’s episode, we learned that Danny Dyer is a direct descendant of King Edward III, his 15 times great-grandfather. Many of us lack such famous ancestors, but that doesn’t make ours – and the times they lived in – any less interesting. Let’s take a look at Danny Dyer’s working-class ancestors – some strong male figures that Danny was hoping to find – and learn how the British Newspaper Archive can help you flesh out the lives of our predecessors.Strong male figures

Since its release on 4 November, Netflix’s new series The Crown mirrors true life events found through the pages of the British Newspaper Archive. You can follow the real life drama through contemporary newspapers from the death of King George VI and the coronation of the young Queen Elizabeth to the political intrigues of the day. The Crown chronicles the lives of the royal family and the Queen’s accession to the throne.The Independent has called the series ‘sumptuous but empty,

After the Battle of Jutland, Admiral Jellicoe sent this message to his Fleet, as recorded in the Cornishman on the 15th June 1916:“I desire to express to the flag officers, captains, officers and men of the Grand Fleet my very high appreciation of the manner in which the ships fought during the action of May 31, 1916.At this stage, when full information is not available, it is not possible to enter into details, but quite sufficient is already known to enable

For a limited time only, we’re offering 50% off 1 month subscriptions for the British Newspaper Archive. To take advantage of this opportunity, simply go to purchase a subscription, and use the code JUNE50 at the checkout. But hurry, offer ends 30th June.Take advantage now3 reasons to try the British Newspaper Archive * Uncover history as it happened with over 14 million articles dating back to 1710* Expose forgotten speeches and articles from famous names* See your family make headlines in local newspapersThe

Naomi Clifford chanced on the subject of her book The Disappearance of Maria Glenn (published by Pen & Sword in April) while browsing the British Newspaper Archive. She blogs about aspects of Georgian life at www.naomiclifford.com and is currently researching the women executed in England and Wales between 1797 and 1837.In 1829 a young man received an anonymous letter telling him that an heiress was willing to marry him if only he would only rescue her from a large house on the Clapham

Countless celebrations are taking place across the country to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. Wherever you live, you’ll find parades, talks, and performances of all kinds paying homage to the Bard’s work, but it was a very different story 100 years ago.Search the newspapersOn the tercentenary of Shakespeare’s death in 1916, Britain had found itself in the middle of one of the most horrific battles in history. While the odd commemorative event took place in larger cities,

The British Newspaper Archive is packed with weird and wonderful stories of every description.Search the newspapersHowever, of all the historic titles in this collection, no publication reported the bizarre and the shocking in quite the same way as the Illustrated Police News.The Illustrated Police News was one of Britain’s very first tabloids and one of the first periodicals to tap into the British public’s morbid appetite for crime and sensation. The paper was founded in 1843 and was