This weekend event can be joined as standalone study weekend for those with some prior knowledge of medieval/early modern handwriting, or can be taken as a follow-up to Reading the Past: Introduction to Medieval Records (13-14 January 2024). The focus of this weekend is to gain practical experience of reading original documents.
This weekend will enable those keen to undertake research using original historical documents to gain further experience in reading the scripts used in England prior to 1550 (Insular, Carolingian Minuscule, Anglicana and some Secretary Hand). This will help participants to unlock a huge wealth of material which can be used in local, family and social history.
We will look in detail at the main scripts in use across this period. The principal focus will be on documents written in Latin, although some in English will also be studied. The weekend will provide the opportunity to cover both theoretical and practical aspects of reading medieval handwriting.
The tutor is an experienced archivist and will use documents from collections she has worked with as examples, as well as some published sources. Teaching methods will range from short lecture-style talks on theory and historical context, as well as in-depth practical sessions focusing on reading documents, either individually, in pairs or as a class. We will cover a wide range of common document types such as property records and correspondence. We will also look at reading strategies and tips throughout, as well as key reference resources for further study.
Those who already have some experience of medieval/early modern palaeography and working with common medieval record types will find this course a helpful refresher and an opportunity to develop their reading skills further. No prior knowledge of Latin is required, although this will be useful.
This event will close for enrolment at 23:59 BST on 5 June 2024