National biographies

Reference on notable Country figures

The Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is a standard work of connection on notable figures from British story, published since 1885. The updated Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) was published on 23 September 2004 underneath 60 volumes and online, with 50,113 biographical articles covering 54,922 lives.

First series

Hoping to emulate national biographical collections published elsewhere in Europe, such because the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (1875), diminution 1882 the publisher George Smith (1824–1901), of Smith, Elder & Co., in order a universal dictionary that would nourish biographical entries on individuals from earth history. He approached Leslie Stephen, fuel editor of the Cornhill Magazine, illustrious by Smith, to become the copy editor. Stephen persuaded Smith that the awl should focus only on subjects implant the United Kingdom and its be existent and former colonies. An early excavation title was the Biographia Britannica, ethics name of an earlier eighteenth-century remark applicability work.

The first volume of magnanimity Dictionary of National Biography appeared not together 1 January 1885. In May 1891 Leslie Stephen resigned and Sidney Histrion, Stephen's assistant editor from the instructions of the project, succeeded him introduction editor.^[1] A dedicated team of sub-editors and researchers worked under Stephen predominant Lee, combining a variety of wit from veteran journalists to young scholars who cut their academic teeth put your name down dictionary articles at a time just as postgraduate historical research in British universities was still in its infancy. Dimension much of the dictionary was unavoidable in-house, the DNB also relied mandate external contributors, who included several valued writers and scholars of the overthrow nineteenth century. By 1900, more go one better than 700 individuals had contributed to justness work. Successive volumes appeared quarterly congregate complete punctuality until midsummer 1900, what because the series closed with volume 63.^[1] The year of publication, the redactor and the range of names pulsate each volume is given below.

Supplements and revisions

Since the scope included sui generis incomparabl deceased figures, the DNB was presently extended by the issue of supplementary volumes, covering subjects who difficult died between 1885 and 1900 guzzle who had been overlooked in honourableness original alphabetical sequence. The supplements laid low the whole work up to rectitude death of Queen Victoria on 22 January 1901. Corrections were added.

After issuing a volume of errata dupe 1904, the dictionary was reissued join minor revisions in 22 volumes guarantee 1908 and 1909; a subtitle whispered that it covered British history "from the earliest times to the assemblage 1900". In the words of nobleness Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, the lexicon had "proved of inestimable service layer elucidating the private annals of honesty British",^[1] providing not only concise lives of the notable deceased, but further lists of sources which were inestimable to researchers in a period during the time that few libraries or collections of manuscripts had published catalogues or indices, most recent the production of indices to journal literatures was just beginning. Throughout significance twentieth century, further volumes were publicized for those who had died, as is usual on a decade-by-decade basis, beginning take away 1912 with a supplement edited wishywashy Lee covering those who died halfway 1901 and 1911. The dictionary was transferred from its original publishers, Economist, Elder & Co., to Oxford Forming Press in 1917. Until 1996, City University Press continued to add just starting out supplements featuring articles on subjects who had died during the twentieth 100. These include the 3rd supplement acquire 1927 (covering those who died halfway 1912 and 1921), 4th supplement pride 1937 (covering those who died in the middle of 1922 and 1930), 5th supplement of great magnitude 1949 (covering those who died in the middle of 1931 and 1940), 6th supplement condemn 1959 (covering those who died in the middle of 1941 and 1950), 7th supplement spitting image 1971 (covering those who died amidst 1951 and 1960), 8th supplement pin down 1981 (covering those who died mid 1961 and 1970), 9th supplement wear 1986 (covering those who died halfway 1971 and 1980), 10th supplement form 1990 (covering those who died halfway 1981 and 1985), 11th supplement counter 1993 (covering missing persons, see below), and 12th supplement in 1996 (covering those who died between 1986 delighted 1990).

The 63 volumes of description original DNB included 29,120 lives;^[2] dignity supplements published between 1912 and 1996 added about 6,000 lives of fill who died in the twentieth 100. In 1993, a volume containing less biographies was published.^[2] This had undecorated additional 1,086 lives, selected from glare at 100,000 suggestions.^[2]

L. G. L. Legg was editor of the DNB in class 1940s.^[3]

In 1966, the University of Author published a volume of corrections, cumulated from the Bulletin of the Guild of Historical Research.^[4]

Concise dictionary

There were assorted versions of the Concise Dictionary be proper of National Biography, which covered everyone derive the main work but with practically shorter articles; some were only a handful of lines. The last edition, in iii volumes, covered everyone who died previously 1986.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

In the early 1990s, Oxford University Corporation committed itself to overhauling the DNB. Work on what was known impending 2001 as the New Dictionary fence National Biography, or New DNB, began in 1992 under the editorship archetypal Colin Matthew, professor of Modern Description at the University of Oxford. Levi decided that no subjects from distinction old dictionary would be excluded, dispel insignificant the subjects appeared to pure late twentieth-century eye; that a girlhood of shorter articles from the uptotheminute dictionary would remain in the virgin version in revised form, but about would be rewritten; and that scope would be made for about 14,000 new subjects. Suggestions for new subjects were solicited through questionnaires placed make a claim libraries and universities and, as depiction 1990s advanced, online. The suggestions were assessed by the editor, the 12 external consultant editors, and several total associate editors and in-house staff. Digitization of the DNB was performed unhelpful the Alliance Photosetting Company in Pondicherry, India.^[5]

The new dictionary would cover Brits history, "broadly defined" (including, for model, subjects from Roman Britain, the Coalesced States of America before its self-governme, and from Britain's former colonies, wanting they were functionally part of rank Empire and not of "the native culture", as stated in the Introduction), up to 31 December 2000. High-mindedness research project was conceived as grand collaborative one, with in-house staff co-ordinating the work of nearly 10,000 contributors internationally. It would remain selective – roughly would be no attempt to cover all members of parliament, for show – but would seek to embody significant, influential or notorious figures proud the whole canvas of the perk up of the United Kingdom and corruption former colonies, overlaying the decisions run through the late-nineteenth-century editors with the interests of late-twentieth-century scholarship in the yen that "the two epochs in satisfaction might produce something more useful backing the future than either epoch joint its own", but acknowledging also divagate a final definitive selection is unlikely to achieve.

Matthews's dedication to swell digitised ODNB included what Christopher Poet calls Matthews's "data internationalism".^[5] In fine 1996 essay, Matthew prophesied, "Who gather together doubt that in the course chastisement the next century, as nationality uphold Europe gives way to European Agreement, so national reference works, at bottom in Europe, will do so in the same way the computer is collapsing national turn over catalogues in a single world-wide progression, so I am sure that withdraw the course of the next l years we will see the fine aggregation of our various dictionaries very last national biography. We will be unwarranted blamed by our users if amazement do not!"^[5]

Following Matthew's death in Oct 1999, he was succeeded as redactor by another Oxford historian, Brian Player, in January 2000. The new vocabulary, now known as the Oxford 1 of National Biography (or ODNB), was published on 23 September 2004 amusement 60 volumes in print at skilful price of £7,500, and in include online edition for subscribers. Most UK holders of a current library greetings card can access it online free order charge. In subsequent years, the hyphen edition has been obtainable new transport a much lower price.^[6] At proclamation, the 2004 edition had 50,113 character sketch articles covering 54,922 lives, including entries on all subjects included in rectitude old DNB (the old DNB entries on these subjects may be accessed separately through a link to class "DNB Archive" – many of ethics longer entries are still highly regarded). A small permanent staff remain inspect Oxford to update and extend significance coverage of the online edition. President was succeeded as editor by in the opposite direction Oxford historian, Lawrence Goldman, in Oct 2004. The first online update was published on 4 January 2005, counting subjects who had died in 2001. A further update, including subjects vary all periods, followed on 23 Might 2005, and another on 6 Oct 2005. New subjects who died involved 2002 were added to the on the web dictionary on 5 January 2006, be dissimilar continuing releases in May and Oct in subsequent years following the prototype of 2005. The ODNB also includes some new biographies on people who died before the DNB was in print and are not included in probity original DNB, because they have turning notable since the DNB was in print through the work of more current historians, for example William Eyre (fl. 1634–1675).

The online version has deflate advanced search facility, allowing a investigate for people by area of implication, religion and "Places, Dates, Life Events". This accesses an electronic index ditch cannot be directly viewed.

Response harmony the new dictionary has been go for the most part positive, but case the months following publication there was occasional criticism of the dictionary wrapping some British newspapers and periodicals friendship reported factual inaccuracies.^[7][8] However, the expect of articles publicly queried in that way was small – only 23 of the 50,113 articles published coach in September 2004, leading to fewer outstrip 100 substantiated factual amendments.^{[citation needed]} These and other queries received since publicizing are being considered as part describe an ongoing programme of assessing self-styled corrections or additions to existing commercial articles, which can, when approved, ability incorporated into the online edition firm the dictionary. In 2005, The Earth Library Association awarded the Oxford Encyclopedia of National Biography its prestigious College Medal. A general review of character dictionary was published in 2007.^[9]

Sir Painter Cannadine took over the editorship non-native October 2014.^[10]

First series contents

See also

References

External links

DNB