This weekend will enable those keen to undertake research using original historical documents to begin reading the scripts used in England before 1550. We will look in detail at the main scripts in use across this period (Insular, Carolingian Minuscule, Anglicana and Secretary Hand), through practical examples from common record types, such as property records, accounts and correspondence.
The principal focus will be on documents written in Latin, although some in English will also be included. No prior knowledge of Latin is required, although this will be useful.
The course will provide the opportunity to cover both theoretical and practical aspects of reading medieval handwriting. We will look at reading strategies and tips throughout, as well as key reference and study resources for further study.
The tutor is an experienced archivist and will use documents from collections she has worked with as examples, as well as from 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.
This course first ran earlier in 2024, as a follow-up to the successful and oversubscribed 'Medieval Records’ weekends in January 2022, 2023 and 2024. There will be some overlap of the theory covered in the 'Medieval Records’ course, but fresh practical materials will be used.
This event will close to enrolments at 23:59 BST on 16 October 2024.