Research Guides
These guides provide information on primary and secondary sources held at Lambeth Palace Library, the Church of England Record Centre and elsewhere relating to particular subject areas.
Anglican Clergy
An introduction for those engaged in biographical research on individuals who have served as members of the Anglican clergy, concentrating on the 17th century onwards, and including archival, manuscript and printed resources.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Archbishops 597-1070
A complete list of Archbishops of Canterbury before the Norman Conquest, including birth and death dates (where known), dates in office, places of burial and modern sources of biographical information.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Archbishops 1052-present
A list of all the Archbishops of Canterbury between 1052 and the present day, including dates of birth and death (where known), dates of periods in office, places of burial, coats of arms, locations of wills (where ascertainable from biographical sources), details of images of the archbishops, and sources of biographical information.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Architectural History
A brief guide to the archive and manuscript holdings at the Library which are of relevance to the study of architecture.
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British and Irish Local History
Guidance for local historians, including sources widely available and sources held at Lambeth Palace Library relating to individual counties.
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Church Property
Information on sources held at the Church of England Record Centre and Lambeth Palace Library relating to many aspects of the history of church property.
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Clerical Costume
A brief survey covering Lambeth Palace Library sources for the costume of both pre-Reformation English clergy and post-Reformation Anglican clergy. The Library also holds some material relating to the dress of clergy of other denominations and countries.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Coronations
Material in the Library's collections relating to coronations, principally of British monarchs, but also from earlier periods and overseas.
Thomas Cranmer
Information on manuscript and printed sources held at the Library which have particular relevance to the life of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533-1553.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Diocese of Canterbury and Peculiars
Information on the extent of the diocese of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Canterbury's peculiar jurisdiction.
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Diocese of London
The Building on History project, a collaboration between Lambeth Palace Library, the Open University and King's College London, and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, has produced an online historical guide for researching the history of the Diocese of London.
Click here to access the guide.
Education Sources
Information on sources held at the Church of England Record Centre and Lambeth Palace Library relating to many aspects of the history of education.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Elizabeth I
Manuscript and printed sources held by the Library relating to the Queen's life, including the papers of notable Elizabethan figures and contemporary printed works.
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Family History
An overview of the sources held at Lambeth Palace Library for family history and genealogy, although the Library is unlikely to be the best starting point for such research.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Henry VIII
Manuscript and printed sources held at the Library relating to the life of Henry VIII.
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Lambeth Palace Library
A selective bibliography of books and articles which detail the history of the Library, including its work and its buildings.
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Marriage Records
The Library holds a small amount of marriage records, principally bonds and allegations relating to those married by licence issued under the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Mary Queen of Scots
Information on manuscript and printed sources held at the Library which have particular relevance to the life of Mary Stuart, including one of the surviving copies of her execution warrant.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Medical Licences
Details of papers held by the Library relating to medical licences issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury between 1535-1775, through the Vicar General or the Faculty Office.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Reginald Pole
Information on manuscript and printed sources at the Library which have particular relevance to the life of Reginald Pole, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1556-1558.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
Visitation Returns
Information on visitations carried out by Archbishops of Canterbury and Bishops of London, and the related records held by the Library.
Click on the attachment, below right, to download this research guide.
