Wikipedia:WikiProject Missing encyclopedic articles/DNB scans

This page belongs to the "missing articles" project based on the Dictionary of National Biography (DNB). Summary of this page: the DNB project is not in the fortunate position of projects such as the EB 1911 of having the text freely available. This is a reference page explaining where the resources are for quarrying out articles, if Wikisource (first port of call) does not yet have them.

Finding text
Text from the DNB is quite widely available, but (unfortunately for the project), in a patchy way. It is not yet conveniently in one place, though the Wikisource DNB project will eventually take care of that. There is a choice of djvu images, plain text scans and PDFs. Some whole articles are certainly online, in a sporadic way; and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) online version comes with the "old" version. Note that this "old" version may be a revision c.1930, and not the original, and so may not be public domain. The safe way is always to reconstruct the original over at Wikisource, whatever you start with, and then import here.

There are (at least) two main sources of DNB on the web:


 * The Oxford DNB website provides the DNB entry for all ONDB entries which originally were in the DNB. The link to the DNB entry is found to the left of the ONDB entry, under the link " DNB archive". (You must be logged into the ODNB to see the full content. Members of UK libraries almost invariably can log in using their library membership.)


 * Page scans at Wikisource.

Page scans at Wikisource
All 63 volumes of the original DNB are available at Wikisource. They are currently available as page images (pictures) and often as OCR editable text. Each scan index page points to the web source at Archive.org (or elsewhere), where other OCR software may have been more successful in converting the pages. Navigate to the Wikisource DNB main page, and thence to the appropriate volume page. Each volume page has an "access to sources" link that provides some guidance.

Scans of the text
There are over 100 URLs relevant to downloading scans of the DNB, apparently from three main sources (Google = G, Toronto, Hyderabad). The scans are highly variable in quality (not kidding about that). Multiple sources for a text are therefore very useful. As a rule of thumb Toronto scans are superior to Google scans.

The links are to archive.org pages offering plain text, PDF and other options, and to Wikisource index pages.

1885


 * 1. Abbadie-Anne  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 1 Abbadie - Anne
 * 2. Annesley-Baird (G) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 2 Annesley - Baird
 * 3. Baker-Beadon s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 3 Baker - Beadon
 * 4. Beal-Biber  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 4 Beal - Biber

1886


 * 5. Bicheno-Bottisham  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 5 Bicheno - Bottisham
 * 6. Bottomley-Browell  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 6 Bottomley - Browell
 * 7. Brown-Burthogge  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 7 Brown - Burthogge
 * 8 Burton-Cantwell   s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 8 Burton - Cantwell

1887

1888
 * 9. Canute-Chaloner  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 9 Canute - Chaloner
 * 10. Chamber-Clarkson  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 10 Chamber - Clarkson
 * 11. Clater-Condell  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 11 Clater - Condell
 * 12. Conder-Craigie  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 12 Condor - Craigie


 * 13. Craik-Damer  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 13 Craik - Damer
 * 14. Damon-D'Eyncourt  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 14 Damon - D'Eyncourt
 * 15. Diamond-Drake  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 15 Diamond - Drake
 * 16. Drant-Edridge  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 16 Drant - Edridge

1889
 * 17. Edward-Erskine  (O, broken)  (H) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 17 Edward - Erskine
 * 18. Esdaile-Finan  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 18 Esdaile - Finan
 * 19. Finch-Forman  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 19 Finch - Forman
 * 20. Forrest-Garner  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 20 Forrest - Garner

1890


 * 21. Garnett-Gloucester  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 21 Garnett - Gloucester
 * 22. Glover-Gravet (G) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 22 Glover - Gravet
 * 23. Gray-Haighton  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 23 Gray - Haighton
 * 24. Hailes-Harriott  (misleading data) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 24 Hailes - Harriott

1891


 * 25. Harris-Henry I ( is vol. 24) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 25 Harris - Henry I
 * 26. Henry II-Hindley  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 26 Henry II - Hindley
 * 27. Hindmarsh-Hovenden  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 27 Hindmarsh - Hovenden
 * 28. Howard-Inglethorp  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 28 Howard - Inglethorpe

1892


 * 29. Inglis-John  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 29 Inglish - John
 * 30. Johnes-Kenneth  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 30 Johnes - Kenneth
 * 31. Kennett-Lambart  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 31 Kennett - Lambart
 * 32. Lambe-Leigh  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 32 Lambe - Leigh

1893


 * 33. Leighton-Lluelyn  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 33 Leighton - Lluelyn
 * 34. Llwyd-Maccartney  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 34 Llywd - MacCartney
 * 35. MacCarwell-Maltby  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 35 MacCarwell - Maltby
 * 36. Malthus-Mason  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 36 Malthus - Mason

1894


 * 37. Masquerier-Millyng (G) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 37 Masquerier - Millyng
 * 38. Milman-More  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 38 Milman - More
 * 39. Morehead-Myles  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 39 Morehead - Myles
 * 40. Myllar-Nicholls  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 40 Myllar - Nicholls

1895


 * 41. Nichols-O'Dugan  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 41 Nichols - O'Dugan
 * 42. O'Duinn-Owen  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 42 O'Duinn - Owen
 * 43. Owens-Passelewe  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 43 Owens - Passelewe
 * 44. Paston-Percy  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 44 Paston - Percy

1896


 * 45. Pereira-Pockrich (G) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 45 Pereira - Pockrich
 * 46. Pocock-Puckering  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 46 Pocock - Puckering
 * 47. Puckle-Reidfurd  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 47 Puckle - Reidfurd
 * 48. Reilly-Robins   s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 48 Reilly - Robins

1897
 * 49. Robinson-Russell  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 49 Robinson - Russell
 * 50. Russen-Scobell  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 50 Russen - Scobell
 * 51. Scoffin-Sheares s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 51 Scoffin - Sheares
 * 52. Shearman-Smirke  (broken) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 52 Shearman - Smirke

1898


 * 53. Smith-Stanger  (O, broken)  (H) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 53 Smith - Stanger
 * 54. Stanhope-Stovin  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 54 Stanhope - Stovin
 * 55. Stow-Taylor  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 55 Stow - Taylor
 * 56. Teach-Tollet   s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 56 Teach - Tollet

1899
 * 57. Tom-Tytler  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 57 Tom - Tytler
 * 58. Ubaldini-Wakefield  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 58 Ubaldini - Wakefield
 * 59. Wakeman-Watkins s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 59 Wakeman - Watkins
 * 60. Watson-Whewell  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 60 Watson - Whewell

1900
 * 61 Whichcord-Williams  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 61 Whichcord - Williams
 * 62. Williamson-Worden  (O, broken) (H) s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 62 Williamson - Worden
 * 63. Wordsworth-Zuylestein  s:Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Vol 63 Wordsworth - Zuylestein

1901
 * Supplement vol. I
 * Supplement vol. II
 * Supplement vol. III

1904


 * http://www.archive.org/details/dictionarynatio22stepgoog


 * Errata

Google Books
In addition, Google Book Search provides volumes, but seems to limit the availability of the full view book to US web users.