Attn: Amateur archivists, compulsive researchers, and people who have run out of things to read on the Web

Times Online in the UK is about to release newspaper content from 200+ years to readers online, reports Journalism.co.uk.

A beta version of a digital archive has been opened which includes articles from The Times, Sunday Times and TimesOnline published as far back as 1785.

The actual launch is expected to occur in the next couple of months and will be free to users although that may change after a period of evaluation.

This is great! Now maybe I’ll be able to find out which one of my relatives made it out of England just two steps ahead of the sheriff and a long stay in debtors’ prison.