The Date field records the date or covering dates of the content of the document described. If a document is a copy of an earlier one the date is given as that of the earlier document with a note in the Title or Description field dating the copy, e.g., see DCN 44/112/10.
Tip: combine a search of the Date field with a search on another field as well. The NRO holds millions of records and a search for 19th century documents, for instance, will produce a result list that is too large to display.
How the Date field works
| Search term | Result |
|---|---|
| 14 Jun 1876 | 14 June 1876, plus any date range which includes this date |
| 1493 | Any date in the year 1493, plus any date ranges which include this date |
| 1700-1709 | Any date within any of the years 1700 to 1709, plus any date ranges which include these dates. Must be 1700-1709, not 1700-9 or 1700-09. |
| Jan-May 1555 | Any date between 1 January and 31 May 1555 inclusive, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| 13-22 Dec 1696 | Any date between 13 and 22 December 1696 inclusive, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| 17 Jul-4 Oct 1300 | Any date between 17 July and 4 October 1300 inclusive, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| 4 Apr 1901-Jun 1903 | Dates between 4 April 1901 and 30 June 1903 inclusive, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| 20 Nov 1888-1900 | Dates between 20 November 1888 and 31 December 1900 inclusive, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| 1960s | Any date within the decade, e.g., 1960 to 1969, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| 15th century | Any date within the years 1400-1499, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| Early 14th century | Any date within the years 1400-1439, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| Mid 14th century | Any date within the years 1430-1469, i.e., overlapping the 'early' and 'late' ranges, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| Late 14th century | Any date within the years 1460-1499, plus any date ranges which include these dates |
| c 1835 | Any date within 10 years either side of 1835 (i.e., 1825-1845), plus any date ranges which include these dates |
Dates may also be in the form:
| 1900x1909 | When the date of a document must lie within a specific time span (e.g., a particular reign or directorship, etc.) |
| Pre | Any date within 10 years before the specified date, e.g., 'pre 1955' as 1 Jan 1945-31 Dec 1955 |
| Post | Any date within 10 years after the specified date, e.g., 'post 1955' as 1 Jan 1955-31 Dec 1965 |
