Originally published in 1990, as number 16 in the Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks Series, this volume catalogues British diplomatic representatives for the period 1509 to 1688. These 179 years are of particular significance as a period in which the foundations of modern English diplomatic practices and institutions were established. The text was designed to continue the publications of D. B. Horn and S. T. Bindoff, who, in separate volumes, catalogued diplomatic representatives for the period 1689 to 1852.