The following databases are taken from NUS Libguides, Singapore Primary Sources. Head to CO Series Part I and CO Series Part II for a detailed overview of the dates and content which the colonial office records cover. Content below is a selected list of sources from there.

Also take note of the timeline:

• 1819-1867: Singapore as part of the Straits Settlements administrated by the East India Company (1819-1858) and later under direct British governance by the India Office (1858-1867)
• 1867-1965: Singapore as a colony under the direct purview of the Colonial Office in London until its full independence

Note that for documents from the various colonial offices i.e documents labelled CO XXX, FO XXX, it will be very useful to have the Kratoska Index on hand. The softcopy can be accessed via NUS Library’s Digital Gems. A guide on colonial documents and how to use the Kratoska Index can be found here.

Name	Description	Timeline	Search functions/ Special notes
Straits Settlement Factory Records [Online from National Library of Australia]	Reports and letters by the East India Company (EIC) about the EIC’s interests in the SS.	1726-1830	Documents are listen in chronological order under item descriptions. Blurbs of each document type is available. Items can be downloaded, but many are copyrighted and permission from original owners are required for reproduction.
East India Company Records by Adam Matthews	A wealth of Indian Office Records from the British Library, London, charting the Empire’s economic ventures in its colonies.	1600-1947	Head to “Introduction” > “Nature and Scope” to understand how the East India Company files are named (i.e IOR/A documents refer to the Company’s treaties) and what each document contains. This will be essential in navigating the documents. Click into “Introduction” > “User’s Guide” for more information on how to search the database effectively. Generally, documents can be searched by theme, chronology, or a simple/advanced search.
CO - Records of the Colonial Office, Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices, Empire Marketing Board, and related bodies	Colonial records from the National Archives, UK. Various types of sources available, including sessional papers, government gazettes and correspondences. Look through the different divisions under the Colonial Office to find papers on Singapore/ SS/ Malaya.	1570-1990	Visit NUS Libguides for a streamlined and detailed guide of the CO archives related to Singapore here. The link provides direct links to several of the aforementioned papers, along with a blurb.
Colonial Film Database	A database of moving pictures and films of the British Empire and its colonies.	No specified date range, but films cover up till the date in which the country obtained independence or self-governance.	Search by country or themes, or conduct a simple/advanced search. Take note that colonial names have been used e.g ‘Burma’ for present-day Myanmar for historical accuracy and consistency.
NIL. NUS Libraries has several copies of defence-related papers from the National Archives, London.	Singapore Primary Sources: Defence	Individual dates vary, but documents cover the dates from 1812-1969.	*Note: Admiralty=administration of naval forces. Click to find out more about the dates covered for each source.