The focus of the Ward Collection is the Peninsular War (1808-1814). There are contemporary publications such as the Narrative of the Principal Events of the Campaigns of 1809, 1810 & 1811 by William Stothert (1812), histories of the war and memoirs of prominent figures,e.g. those of Field-Marshal Viscount Combermere and Sir William Napier and descriptions of battles and sieges, in some cases accompanied by detailed maps and plans such as J. Belmas Journaux des siéges faits ou soutenus par les Français dans la Péninsule, de 1807 à 1814 (1836-1837). Recent additions to the collection include contemporary Spanish pamphlets.
Secondary sources on the Peninsular War can also be found in the Ward Collection.
Extent: 280 books ranging in date from the early 19th century to the late 20th century.
Location
The Ward Collection is part of Special Collections on level 4 of the Hartley Library and items are fetched for use in the Archives, Manuscripts and Rare Books Search Room.
Access
The Search Room is open Tuesday-Thursday 1000-1600. All visits are by prior appointment and all visitors will be required to book their visit and to order their material at least 1 working day in advance.
Bookings are made by emailing Archives@soton.ac.uk providing details of name, University ID number (members of the University of Southampton only), permanent residential address and contact details, date of visit and list of items to be consulted.
If you do not have a University I.D. Card, you will need to show photographic I.D. and a form of I.D. which includes your permanent residential address when you enter the Hartley Library and also when you arrive at the Search Room.
Library Search includes records for all Ward Collection books. It enables you to search the Library's printed books, journals and electronic resources at the same time. Access to e-resources is limited to staff and students of the University.
Basic Search
Enter keywords / author surname / significant title words in the search box and then refine the Results List using the filters on the left e.g. by book / date / subject. You can re-sort the Results List to your preferred order using the drop-down menu at the top of the list.
To limit a search to the Ward Collection, enter your search terms followed by B8: Ward Collection
Library Search groups print copies, e-books and different editions of the same work under one record in the Results List. To see the separate records, select the 'Show all' filter.
Advanced Search
Using Advanced Search, you can undertake a more targeted search by selecting search indexes from drop-down lists and by presetting filters for format and date.
To limit a search to the Ward Collection, include 'B8: Ward Collection' as a keyword search.
See Ward Collection for a complete list of titles.
For general enquiries about the Ward Collection contact: Jenny Ruthven email: archives@soton.ac.uk or tel. 023 80593335
Search Room Bookings: email: archives@soton.ac.uk or tel. 023 80592721
Special Collections, Hartley Library, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ
Bound volumes cannot be photocopied but you can request photographic or microfilm copies, subject to the age and condition of the item.
See Reprographics Service for a list of the types of copy available and charges.
Stephen George Peregrine Ward (1917-2008), who served in the Western Command during the Second World War, was a military historian and author of Wellington's Headquarters: a Study of the Administrative Problems in the Peninsula, 1809-1814 (Oxford, 1857). He also contributed numerous articles on the subject to Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research.
In 1946 he acquired many books on the Peninsular War from the library of Sir Charles Oman (1860-1946), the author of A History of the Peninsular War, 7v. (1902-1930) and presented these, together with his own collection of books and notes to the University Library.
Rare Books on the Peninsular War subsequently acquired by the Library are added to the Ward Collection.
Rare Books Ward Coll. 136
Archive Collections
Access to some collections is restricted to members of the University.
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