Two excellent guides to manuscript and printed sources for the sixteenth century are Peter Beal, A Dictionary of English Manuscript Terminology 1450–2000 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008) and Ronald B. McKerrow, An Introduction to Bibliography for Literary Students, with an introduction by David McKitterick (Winchester: St Paul’s Bibliographies, 1994).
Manuscripts are cited by the call numbers in the relevant archive, record office or library. In citing manuscripts or printed books, the following abbreviations are used in the Notes and the Select Bibliography.
APC |
Acts of the Privy Council of England, ed. J. R. Dasent et al., new series, 46 vols. (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1890–1964) |
BL |
British Library, London |
Bodleian |
Bodleian Library, Oxford |
CP |
Cecil Papers, Hatfield House, Hertfordshire |
CS |
Camden Society, London |
CUL |
Cambridge University Library |
f./ff. |
folio/s |
MS/S |
Manuscript/s |
NS |
New Style (the Gregorian calendar) |
ODNB |
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison, 60 vols. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004) |
OED |
Oxford English Dictionary |
OS |
Old Style (the Julian calendar) |
PCC |
Prerogative Court of Canterbury |
PCRS |
Publications of the Catholic Record Society, London |
signature/s |
|
State Trials |
A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason, ed. William Cobbett, T. B. Howell et al., 42 vols. (London: R. Bagshaw et al., 1816–98) |
Statutes |
Statutes of the Realm, ed. A. Luders, T. E. Tomlins, J. Raithby et al., 11 vols. (London: George Eyre and Andrew Strahan, 1810–28) |
STC |
A Short-Title Catalogue of Books … 1475–1640, ed. W. A. Jackson, F. S. Ferguson and Katharine F. Pantzer, 3 vols. (London: Bibliographical Society, 1986–91) |
Manuscripts preserved in the United Kingdom’s National Archives at Kew in London are quoted by the call number there in use. The descriptions of the classes referred to are as follows:
PROB 11 |
Prerogative Court of Canterbury, Registered Copy Wills |
SP 12 |
State Papers, Domestic, Elizabeth I |
SP 14 |
State Papers, Domestic, James I |
SP 15 |
State Papers, Domestic, Addenda |
SP 46 |
State Papers, Supplementary |
SP 52 |
State Papers, Scotland, Elizabeth I |
SP 53 |
State Papers, Mary Queen of Scots (1568–87) |
SP 59 |
State Papers, Border Papers |
SP 63 |
State Papers, Ireland |
SP 70 |
State Papers, Foreign, Elizabeth I (1558–77) |
SP 77 |
State Papers, Foreign, Flanders (from 1585) |
SP 78 |
State Papers, Foreign, France (from 1577) |
SP 81 |
State Papers, Foreign, Germany (States) (from 1577) |
SP 83 |
State Papers, Foreign, Holland and Flanders (1577–84) |
SP 84 |
State Papers, Foreign, Holland (from 1585) |
SP 89 |
State Papers, Foreign, Portugal (from 1577) |
SP 94 |
State Papers, Foreign, Spain (from 1577) |
SP 97 |
State Papers, Foreign, Turkey (from 1577) |
SP 98 |
State Papers, Foreign, Tuscany (from 1582) |
SP 101 |
State Papers, Foreign, News Letters (from 1565) |
SP 106 |
State Papers, Foreign, Ciphers |