Palaeography and diplomatic
Course dates
Tuesdays, 4 October 2011 - 15 May 2012
Course fee
See below
Course tutor
Dr Jenny Stratford
The course runs on Tuesdays in the first two terms with a revision class in the third term, normally 11.30 to 1.00.
The course is designed to help students to work with medieval and early modern manuscripts. It will be tailored as far as possible to individual needs within the group. Besides practical training (transcription, editing, the physical aspects of manuscripts and documents including illumination), the course introduces the history of script and its intellectual context from Roman times to c. 1600. Full use will be made of the incomparable manuscript and facsimile resources of the Palaeography Collection, Senate House Library. At least one visit will be to the British Library. In the second term English documents and manuscripts will be studied.
Preparation
Some Latin is required. Students should own a Latin grammar such as B. H. Kennedy, Shorter Latin primer and C. R. Cheney, Handbook of dates for students of British history, new edn. rev. by M. Jones (Cambridge, 2000).
Introductory Reading
C. de Hamel, A history of illuminated manuscripts, 2nd. edn. (London, 1994) L. C. Hector, The handwriting of English documents, 2nd edn (London 1966; repr. 1979), out of print, but available in large libraries.
Dr Jenny Stratford is a Research Fellow, Institute of Historical Research. In her earlier career she was a curator in the Department of Manuscripts at the British Library. She has published extensively on medieval and modern manuscripts and on princely collections of the later Middle Ages in England and France.
Please note that although this course takes place at the Institute of Historical Research, it is organised by Queen Mary, University of London. Applications and enquiries should be addressed directly to Dr Stratford at jenny.stratford@rhul.ac.uk
