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About DocumentsOnline
DocumentsOnline allows you online access to The National Archives' collection of digitised public records, including both academic and family history sources. We are committed to providing online access to the records, and DocumentsOnline forms a key part of this strategy. DocumentsOnline can be used free of charge on public access PCs at The National Archives.
What's available?
The following list is in chronological order, based on when the records began. Click on the heading to be taken to our research guide about each collection. Alternatively, for a thematic list of what's available at DocumentsOnline please visit our Research Tools page.
- Domesday Book (E 31/1 and 2)
Domesday Book is one of our earliest surviving public records. It is a highly detailed survey of land and resources which was carried out in late 11th century England. Search
- Ancient Petitions Henry III - James I (SC 8)
Free of charge, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council
. Some of these petitions persue grievances which could not be resolved at common law, while others are requests for a grant of favour. Search
- Prerogative Court of Canterbury wills (PROB 11)
Wills from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury made between 1384 and 1858. Search
- Famous wills (PROB 1)
Colour images of selected Wills, including Jane Austen, Sir Francis Drake, Samuel Pepys and Christopher Wren. William Shakespeare's will is free to download and contains a rare example of his signature. Search
- Jamestown Settlement 400th anniversary
Free of charge. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. You can download 4 key documents about it, including an illustrated map from 1608 and the souvenir pamphlet from the 1957 Jamestown Festival. Download the four documents
- Royal Naval Officers' Service Records (ADM 196)
Search and download the service records of officers who served in the Royal Navy between
1756 and 1966. Search
- Wills of Royal Naval Seamen, (ADM 48)
A collection of around 20,000 wills made by seamen of the Royal Navy between 1786 and 1882. Search
- Death Duty Registers (IR 26)
Death Duty registers hold details of wills and bequests for estates liable to death duties. This collection covers the "country court" registers between 1796-1811. Search
- French Muster Rolls from the Battle of Trafalgar (HCA 32)
Documents seized from four French ships captured after the Battle of Trafalgar by a Royal Navy squadron. They list details about the sailors, soldiers and passengers of each vessel. Search
- Southwell Union Workhouse records (MH 12)
Free to download, because this is a joint partnership with the National Trust. Documents dated between 1834 and 1871 from Southwell Union Workhouse, the best-preserved workhouse in England. Search
- Registers of Seamen's Services (ADM 139, ADM 188)
The Registers of Seamen's Services are the service registers of more than 600,000 seamen who joined the Royal Navy between 1853 and 1923. Search
- The Victoria Cross Registers (WO 98)
The Victoria Cross was instituted by Royal Warrant on 29 January 1856 for award to members of the Royal Navy and the Army who 'shall have performed some signal act of valour...' Search
- Victorian Prisoners Photograph Albums (PCOM 2)
You can download two volumes of photographs and case details of prisoners in Wandsworth Prison, 1872 - 1873. Each case gives the prisoner's physical description, as well as a photograph, their date and place of birth, the crime they committed, their sentence, the place of conviction and often their place of residence. This is a browsable collection and we have not produced an accompanying research guide. Browse the Victorian prisoners records
- Aliens Registration Cards (MEPO 35)
Aliens registration cards of those living in the London area from 1914. Search
- Cabinet papers (CAB series)
Free to download. The National Archives has digitised Conclusions and Memoranda of meetings of the Cabinet from 1916 to 1977. Search
- World War One Campaign Medal Index Cards (WO 372)
Almost all of the men and women who saw active service overseas were awarded a campaign medal, making this the most complete listing of all those who fought in the British Army or Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. Search
- Selected First World War and Army of Occupation War Diaries (WO 95)
The most frequently requested WW1 War Diaries and can be downloaded from DocumentsOnline. The diaries are those of British and colonial units serving in theatres of operations between 1914 and 1922. Search
- First World War Prisoner of War interviews and reports (WO 161)
Interviews and reports of over 3000 named individuals which form part of the papers of the Committee on the Treatment of British Prisoners of War. Search
- Women's (later Queen Mary's) Army Auxiliary Corps service records (WO 398)
The service records of more than 7,000 women who joined the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (1917-1918), later Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps (1918-1920). Search
- WRAF: Women's Royal Air Force (AIR 80)
The service records of over 30,000 women who joined the Women's Royal Air Force (1914-1919). Search
- WRNS: Women's Royal Naval Service (ADM 318, ADM 336)
The service records of more than 7,000 women who joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (1917-1919). Search
- RNVR service records from WW1 (ADM 337)
The service records of those who served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War One. Search
- Royal Naval Division service records (ADM 339)
The service records of more than 50,000 officers and men who joined the Royal Naval Division (RND) between 1914 and 1919. Search
- Recommendations for Honours and Awards (WO 373)
Honours and awards made to almost 80,000 British army personnel and those of the dominions, between 1935 and 1990. Search
- Private office papers of Sir Anthony Eden (FO 954)
Private office papers of Sir Anthony Eden, Earl of Avon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. This collection covers the periods 1936-1938 and 1940-1945. Search
- World War Two air combat reports (AIR 50)
Air Ministry Combat Reports, 1939-1945. Search
- World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395)
Records of World War Two Medals claimed and issued to more than 100,000 Merchant Seamen from 1946 to 2002. Search
- UFO reports
Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) files that have been released by the Ministry of Defence. These files contain a wide range of UFO-related documents covering the years 1978 to 2002, some of which can be downloaded from DocumentsOnline. To search for files, use the keyword 'UFO'. Browse the UFO files
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- Digital Microfilm
Free of charge. Download selected Army and Navy records as part of our Digital Microfilm pilot project.
- New Releases
Now known as New Releases, until 2005 the annual releases of public records were known as New Year Openings.
- Popular documents
The National Archives is digitising some of its most popular documents, which are most frequently ordered by our readers. Some of these documents are single pieces within a series. Although further pieces from a given series might be digitised in the future, we cannot guarantee that the whole of the series will become available online.
- Society & Law
This category contains a range of records relating to immigration, crime and disasters, as well as legal documents such as title deeds and depositions. The images include the Victorian photographs of prisoners and a selection of key documents relating to gay and lesbian history.
- Home & Foreign Affairs
Records in this category concern political policy both domestic and foreign. Among other records you will find an image of the Magna Carta and various items of political correspondence from figures such as William Pitt and Anthony Wedgwood Benn (Tony Benn).
- Military & Defence
Here you will find records relating to defence policy, research and espionage as well as propaganda. A particularly rich area is the correspondence between Churchill and Lord Selborne concerning Special Operations Executive activities during the Second World War. Here you can also find the UFO files that have been released by the Ministry of Defence. There are government files about TE Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") and his service in the RAF.
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