07 July 2013

British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849

On Friday while at LAC an email arrived mentioning a British naval officer from the late 18th and early 19th century. I immediately thought of a fat book in a leather binding I'd seen on the open shelves. With a little help from the ever helpful staff  it was in my hands in minutes "O'Byrne, William R.. A Naval Biographical Dictionary: Comprising the Life and Services of Every Living Officer in Her Majesty's Navy, from the Rank of Admiral of the Fleet to that of Lieutenant, Inclusive. London, England: John Murray, 1849."

I got the usual thrill from handling a book of such antiquity, then found on arriving home it's on the Internet Archive at http://archive.org/details/cu31924027921372 as well as on Ancestry. The look and feel of the LAC copy stay with me, will I remember it's free online?

1 comment:

Carter said...

Are you aware of a biographical dictionary for British or Canadian merchant mariners?