Palaeography and diplomatic
This course is designed to help students 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.1650. In the second term English documents and manuscripts will be studied. It runs on a weekly basis from October 2024 until May 2025.
Course details
Before booking a place on this course, please contact Dr Jenny Stratford to express your interest.
The Palaeography and Diplomatic course runs weekly on Tuesdays in the first two terms, with two or three additional classes in the third term. The course usually ends with an expedition in the third term.
Please note that this course takes place in Senate House Library
Preparation
Some Latin is required for the first term. For term 1 everyone 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 and reprints). Students without Latin are welcome to apply for the second term.
Introductory Reading
C. de Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts (London, 1986); 2nd. edn. (London, 1994); L. C. Hector, The Handwriting of English Documents (London, 1958); 2nd edn (London 1966; repr. 1979), with minor changes to the introduction. Out of print, but available in large libraries.
Dr Jenny Stratford is a Research Fellow, Institute of Historical Research. She began her career in the Department of Manuscripts, the British Museum (now 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.
Fees
Fees are £250 for the first and second term except for QMUL students who do not pay. No further fee is required for the third term.
To pay for your place on this course, please contact the IHR Events Office (ihr.events@sas.ac.uk) who will send you a payment link.