Aoife O'Connor, of the British Newspaper Archive, outlines this important resource for researchers of UK newspapers.
The British Newspaper Archive (BNA) is a rich 
resource for researchers, being comprised of millions of pages of newspapers from the UK and Ireland.
The archive has an impressively broad scope, with newspapers published from the 1700s to the 2000s, primarily drawn from the British Library.
The bulk of the material available dates to the 19th century, and agreements with publishers also permits the publication of more recent material.
What does the collection contain?
The range of material is diverse, with hundreds of local, national and specialist titles making up the collection.
The archive holds a newspaper for every county in England and Ireland, and for many counties, there are multiple newspapers. There is also a wide selection of newspapers from Scotland and Wales, including three Welsh language newspapers.
The website details a full list of the titles and their coverage, each with its own dedicated title page. On this page you can view a free sample issue from the title, along with more information about that specific title, including name changes and plans for digitisation. It's also possible to search within the specific title on these pages.
A wide variety of research topics
Specialised titles covering a range of topics can also be found in the archive.
For theatre buffs, there are a number of titles covering the history of music halls and theatres from the 19th century to the modern day, including: The Era, Music Hall and Theatre Review/The Showman and The Stage.
For military and naval historians, there is a substantial selection of titles, including: the Army and Navy Gazette, Volunteer Service Gazette and Military Dispatch and Weekly Casualty List (War Office and Air Ministry).
These titles cover a period between the early 1800s and World War 2, including a unique submariners’ title that was produced to give seafarers a sense of normality while submerged beneath the sea, Good Morning: The Daily Paper of the Submarine Branch, which was produced between 1943 and 1945.
The archive also caters to sports enthusiasts, with several titles dedicated to cricket, athletics, horse racing and general sports news. Among these are the Sporting Times, Scottish Referee, Cricket and Football Field and the Irish Racing Book and Sheet Calendar.
Changing newspaper formats
Historical newspapers differ in some respects to modern day newspapers. Often only four pages in length, and produced weekly instead of daily, the front pages of historical newspapers were dominated by advertisements, rather than headlines. Articles appear to run into one another, with few signals around a change of topic.
Newspapers stories were also highly syndicated. A news story from rural Ireland could make its way quite easily to an English or Scottish newspaper – a real boon, as it means that although a local newspaper may not yet be digitised, stories from the locality can be found in newspapers of far-flung places.
Early newspapers were also extremely explicit in their reporting, often reproducing full names and addresses for those involved in divorces or bankruptcy cases.
Despite these differences, historical newspapers can be relied on to contain many of the sections we are familiar with today: birth, marriage and death notices, obituaries, advertisements, court cases and inquests, photography, poetry and fiction, and general reportage.
How the search works
The search functionality, particularly the advanced search, permits extremely nuanced searching, and permits you to include and exclude specific words and phrases in your search. You can also narrow your search by publication date, location and newspaper title.
The BNA is a subscription service, and on registration, you receive three page views for free. Find out more about the archive here, and read the blog for updates on recent additions to the archive.
See also