British Library newspapers

[SandySandilands]

Thanks Annette =D>

[garibaldired]

Lindsay,

I would like to add my thanks for bringing this site to my notice.
I was able to confirm a death I hadn't been able to before and find a reference to an accident which my grandfather had been involved in.
And both from just the extracts shown in the free search!
Many thanks =D>

Incidentally what is the connection between this site and the Gale site? Is there one?
And do many county library services offer free access? Dorset unfortunately doesn't seem to. Do any Scottish ones?

Best wishes,
and a Happy new Year to everyone,
Meg

[nelmit]

Most libraries have access to 19th Century newspapers these days. Alan is our expert on this.

I see Dorset has 'The Times' http://www.dorsetforyou.com/390648. Why don't you try logging in to see what else they have access to from home.

Regards,
Annette

[garibaldired]

Annette,

Yes I saw Dorset offered free access to The Times; unfortunately my ancestors were generally not exalted enough to appear there
I was hoping for free access to the small provincial newspapers..........

Best wishes,
Meg

[Currie]

Hello all, and others,

19th Century British Library Newspapers was set up by educational institutions as an educational resource. The institutions involved were the British Library, JISC and Gale. Gale delivers these sorts of databases to institutions such as libraries on a subscription basis. They don’t usually deal direct with members of the public although they did set up a pay site for the 19C newspapers.

19C newspapers are made available free to higher and further education students and staff in the UK. Many National, State, County, City, whatever, libraries, and educational institutions throughout the world subscribe and give free access to their members. In addition there have been many free trials and demos and various other ways in which people, who would otherwise have to pay quite a lot of money, have been able to get access for free, at least for a while.

The new British Newspaper Archive site is an arrangement whereby a few wealthy individuals get control of the nation’s newspaper archives and use the money of genealogists to increase their personal wealth. I wouldn’t wait around for free trials or demos or freebies for students or anything irresponsible like library subscriptions.

The National Libraries of Scotland and of Wales both subscribe to 19C BL Newspapers and give free access to their residents. In addition to that they are furiously digitising their own material and making it freely available online. The National Libraries of Australia and New Zealand are digitising their old newspapers and making them freely available to all. The old British newspapers are held by the British Library. Where does that leave the English? There doesn’t appear to be a National Library of England so I guess they’re stuck with the British Library.

By the way if you’re going to use the new British Newspaper Archive site make sure you read and understand their plain English terms and conditions especially the bits containing threats about what will happen to you if you do lookups or otherwise share information. To me it was completely incomprehensible so in the unlikely event I ever subscribe I’ll just ignore it. And mind you don’t talk in your sleep.

I’d say there are quite a lot of English County libraries that still haven’t subscribed to 19C BL Newspapers.

Speaking of the London Times I found a letter there that I’m 100% sure was from one of my lot. Same name, initials and place and she was then a 37 year old spinster. (24 September, 1924)

“WOMEN MOTORISTS.
May I complain of a certain number of my own sex—the lady drivers? I have on two or three occasions recently witnessed miraculous escapes from serious accidents, which, I am sorry to say, would have been caused by lady drivers. May I appeal to them, therefore, to show more courtesy on the road and not to trade on the chivalry of the other sex, which is what they appear to do. So much is it a common occurrence for lady drivers to "cut in" that a gentleman even acknowledged his thanks to me the other day for drawing up behind a cart in a narrow street, which was only my bounden duty, as it was his road. He had evidently suffered from this dangerous and discourteous practice by "lady" drivers.—Miss P. F. M. Williams, Peppard Common, Oxon.”

All the best,
Alan

[garibaldired]

The new British Newspaper Archive site is an arrangement whereby a few wealthy individuals get control of the nation’s newspaper archives and use the money of genealogists to increase their personal wealth. I wouldn’t wait around for free trials or demos or freebies for students or anything irresponsible like library subscriptions

You cynic Alan! =D>

Thanks for the explanation though.
Best wishes,
Meg

[Alan SHARP]

Seasons Greetings Alan.

Is that where you get your "bounden duty " from?

Another Alan downunder.