Medieval Records and the National Archives: A Workshop

Directed by Sean Cunningham, Kathryn Maude, Paul Dryburgh & Euan Roger

When: Friday 05 July, 09.00-13.00
Where: Parkinson Building: Room B.08
Price: £9.50

For all medievalists the ability to locate, read, and understand archival sources is fundamental to their research whatever their discipline and stage in their career. The National Archives of the United Kingdom (TNA) holds one of the world's largest and most important collections of medieval records. The vast archive of English royal government informs almost every aspect of medieval life from the royal court to the peasantry, land ownership and tenure, the law, warfare and diplomacy, trade and manufacture, transport, credit and debt, death and memory, material culture, literature, art and music. However, finding, using, and interpreting the rich diversity of material is not always entirely straightforward, and its potential for a wide range of research uses is often unclear. This workshop will offer an introduction to TNA, show you how to begin your research into its collections, and access research support. Images of original documents will be used to illustrate the range of disciplines and topics TNA records can inform and illuminate. Short, themed sessions will also introduce attendees to the ‘Mechanics of Medieval Government’, ‘Accessing Medieval Justice’, and ‘Hidden Medieval Voices’.

This workshop is aimed at all medievalists, from masters students through to experienced academics in any discipline, who wish to discover more about the rich archive collections at TNA and how they might use them in their research. There are no pre-requisites for attending the workshop, although a basic knowledge of Latin is recommended.

Sean Cunningham is Head of Collections (Medieval, Early Modern, Legal and Map Records) at The National Archives and specialises in 15th- and 16th-century records of English royal government. Kathryn Maude is Team Leader: Medieval Specialists with a focus on histories of gender and sexuality. Euan Roger is a Principal Medieval Records Specialist whose research has focussed on church, government, Chaucer life-records, medicine, and the law in the late Middle Ages. Paul Dryburgh is a Principal Medieval Records Specialist with interests in government, politics, and warfare in the British Isles in the 13th and 14th centuries.

This workshop is sponsored by the National Archives, Kew.

The workshop can only accommodate a limited number of participants. Early booking is recommended.