Records of Parliament

House of Commons Parliamentary Papers includes committee reports, draft bills, and other material emanating from the House of Commons. Includes reports submitted to Parliament.

It is often best to search House of Commons Parliamentary Papers on the Advanced page, putting your colony in the Subject box and your keyword in the Keyword box.

For statistical and other information on the colonies a key resource is the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers which contains numerous reports submitted by the Colonial Office and other agencies.  These can be searched in the online version.  Also, the annual Colonial Office List contains an index of these reports (usually called Command Papers) arranged by colony.

Major series include

  • Statistical tables relating to British self-governing dominions, colonies, possessions, and protectorates (  -1914/1916) (Colonial Office)
  • Statistical abstract for the several British colonies, possessions, and protectorates (Colonial Office)
  • Statistical Abstracts for British Empire (Board of Trade; 1889-1913)

Colonial annual reports were submitted by the Colonial Office to Parliament.  Find them in HOLLIS by the search: Colonial reports annual Malaya. Also available online in House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (1889-1921).

Subject catalogue of the House of Commons Parliamentary papers, 1801-1900, by Peter Cockton. Cambridge; Alexandria, VA : Chadwyck-Healey, 1988. 5 v.
Microforms (Lamont)  |  INDEX Microfiche S 340.5

Since the titles of Parliamentary papers are often obscure and unexpected, they can be hard to find in an online search.  This series of printed volumes is a useful supplement.  Colonial subjects are covered in vol. 5.

General index to the Bills, Reports and papers printed by order of the House of Commons and to the reports and Papers presented by command, 1900 to 1948-49. London, H.M.S.O., 1960, 863 pp.
HOLLIS Record
--Subject index. General section on Colonies and Dominions and sections under each colony (Kenya, East India, etc.).

A century of diplomatic blue books, 1814-1914 / lists edited, with historical introductions, by Harold Temperley and Lillian M. Penson. Cambridge [Eng.] : University Press, 1938., 600 p.
Documents (Lamont) Br Doc 5.2
HOLLIS Record

Continued by:
A breviate of British diplomatic blue books, 1919-1939. Montreal, McGill University Press, 1963, 474 p.
HOLLIS Record
List of Parliamentary papers of diplomatic interest by year with subject index.

For debates: HANSARD 1803–2005

Print version:
Parliamentary debates. House of Commons
Documents (Lamont) | Br Doc 9000 (Level D)

There are several online sources for Parliamentary debates.

For digital, microfilm, and printed sources see Great Britain: Guide to the Documents

Sources relating to proceedings and legislation in the two Houses of Parliament at Westminster (British History Online)

Parliamentary history, [1620-1762].
Pt. 1. Manuscript minutes, committee books, and voting records of the House of Lords, c. 1620-1714 (36 microfilm reels) Online contents and guide
Pt. 2. The Braye manuscripts from the House of Lords Record Office (22 microfilm reels). Online contents and guide. Includes the proceedings against Strafford and Laud.