Databases A-Z

This resource offers access to rare and invaluable sources for examining the lived experience of people in England between 1500 and 1700. From 'ordinary' people through to more prominent individuals and families, these documents show how everyday working, family, religious and administrative life was experienced across England.

Rather than dealing specifically with the great political and religious upheavals of these years, the project aims to look at the everyday happenings of people in different parts of England.

These experiences are revealed through a wide range of materials including legal records, family correspondence, administrative records, wills, inventories and commonplace books among others. There is a strong material culture element to this project with the inclusion of images of everyday objects used in early modern households.

The different collections of documents enable a regional comparison, for example with court records from the South East, London, the West Midlands and the North West.

Please send any feedback to Isabel.holowaty@bodleian.ox.ac.uk by 15 February 2023.