Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a very expensive multivolume work, with regular updates, which includes detailed and well researched articles on the more memorable (and some downright obscure) establishment characters of British History. If your ancestor was one of them (for most people unlikely but possible) you will find out interesting information about his life, and sometimes his immediate family. It should be available in most big UK libraries - and I would expect to find it is the more important libraries round the world. The entries are in alphabetical order and it is not indexed on places or other people mentioned in the biographies. It is now available online
Concise Dictionary of National Biography
"Concise" editions have been published and I have to hand the edition which covers the whole dictionary until 1911 and also a later volume which includes short entries covering the full entries in the supplementary volumes between 1901 and 1950.
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Books The DNB is available online (for a subscription) and it is available online for free in most UK public libraries. The 60 volume printed set costs £7,500 |
Page updated May 2006