Dictionary of National Biography

The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a biographical reference for deceased persons notable in British history. The current edition of this work has been published online by Oxford University Press since 2004. The current electronic edition is not free, but is available through individual or library subscription. There is also a recent print edition.

Some earlier editions of this work are freely available online, and remain of historic interest. Below we link to free online volumes of the first and second editions, and some of their supplementary volumes.

First Edition: 63 Volumes from 1885-1900 with Supplementary Volumes from 1901-1906

• Volume 1 (Abbadie to Anne; 1885): Google Books ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 2 (Anneslya to Baird; 1885): Google Books ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 3 (Baker to Beadon; 1885): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 4 (Beal to Biber; 1885): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 5 (Bicheno to Bottisham; 1886): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 6 (Bottomley to Browell; 1886): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 7 (Brown to Burthogge; 1886): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 8 (Burton to Cantwell; 1886): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 9 (Canute to Chaloner; 1887): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 10 (Chamber to Clarkson; 1887): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 11 (Clater to Condell; 1887): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 12 (Conder to Craigie; 1887): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 13 (Craik to Damer; 1888): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 14 (Damon to D'Eyncourt; 1888): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 15 (Diamond to Drake; 1888): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 16 (Drant to Edridge; 1888): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 17 (Edward to Erskine; 1889): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 18 (Esdaile to Finan; 1889): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 19 (Finch to Forman; 1889): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 20 (Forest to Garner; 1889): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 21 (Garnett to Gloucester; 1890): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 22 (Glover to Gravet; 1890): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 23 (Gray to Haighton; 1890): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 24 (Hailes to Harriott; 1890): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (incorrectly labeled v. 25; M)
• Volume 25 (Harris to Henry I; 1891): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 26 (Henry II to Hindley; 1891): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 27 (Hindmarsh to Hovenden; 1891): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 28 (Howard to Inglethorp; 1891): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 29 (Inglis to John; 1892): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 30 (Johnes to Kenneth; 1892): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 31 (Kennett-Lambart; 1892): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 32 (Lambre to Leigh; 1892): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 33 (Leighton to Lluelyn; 1893): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 34 (Llwyd to MacCartney; 1893): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 35 (MacCarwell to Maltby; 1893): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 36 (Malthus to Mason; 1893): Google Books ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 37 (Masquerier to Millyng; 1894): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 38 (Milman to More; 1894): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 39 (Morehead to Myles; 1894): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 40 (Myllar to Nichols; 1894): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 41 (Nichols to O'Dugan; 1895): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 42 (O'Duinn to Owen; 1895): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 43 (Owens to Passelewe; 1895): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 44 (Paston to Percy; 1895): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 45 (Pareira to Pochrich; 1896): Google Books ; Internet Archive
• Volume 46 (Pockock to Puckering; 1896): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 47 (Puckle to Reidfurd; 1896): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 48 (Reily to Robins; 1896): Google Books ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 49 (Robinson to Russell; 1897): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 50 (Russen to Scobell; 1897): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 51 (Scoffin to Sheares; 1897): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 52 (Shearman to Smirke; 1897): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 53 (Smith to Stanger; 1898): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 54 (Stanhope to Stovin; 1898): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 55 (Stow to Taylor; 1898): Google Books ; Internet Archive
• Volume 56 (Teach to Tollet; 1898): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 57 (Tom to Tytler; 1899): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 58 (Ubaldini to Wakefield; 1899): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 59 (Wakeman to Watkins; 1899): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 60 (Watson to Whewell; 1899): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 61 (Whichcord to Williams; 1900): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Volume 62 (Williamson to Worden; 1900): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 63 (Wordsworth to Zuylestein; 1900): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive

Supplementary volumes for the first edition

• Supplement Volume 1 (Abbott to Childers; 1901): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Supplement Volume 2 (Chippendale to Hoste; 1901): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Supplement Volume 3 (How to Woodward; 1901): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Index and Epitome (1903): Google Books ; Internet Archive
• Errata (1904): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive
• Index and Epitome, second edition (1906): Google Books

Second Edition: 22 Volumes from 1908-1909 with Supplementary Volumes 1912

• Volume 1 (Addadie to Beadon; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 2 (Beal to Browell; 1908): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 3 (Brown to Chaloner; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 4 (Chamber to Craigie; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 5 (Craik to Drake; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 6 (Drant to Finan; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 7 (Finch to Gloucester; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 8 (Glover to Harriott; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 9 (Harris to Hoveden; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 10 (Howard to Kenneth; 1908): Google Books (M)
• Volume 11 (Kennett to Lluelyn; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 12 (Llwyd to Mason; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 13 (Masquerier to Myles; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 14 (Myllar to Owen; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 15 (Owens to Pockrich; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 16 (Pockock to Robins; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 17 (Robinson to Sheares; 1909): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 18 (Shearman to Stovin; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 19 (Stow to Tytler; 1909): Google Books (M) ; Internet Archive (M)
• Volume 20 (Ubaldini to Whewell; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 21 (Whichcord to Zuylestein; 1909): Google Books (M)
• Volume 22 (Supplement; 1909): Google Books (M)

Supplementary volumes for the second edition

Only some public domain supplementary volumes are known to be online at this time. Please let us know of any more that you find.

• Second Supplement Volume 1 (Abbey to Eyre, 1912?): Internet Archive
• Second Supplement Volume 2 (Faed to Muybridge; 1912): Internet Archive

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Links to all volumes at The Online Books Page web site
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