Medieval Records and the National Archives: A Workshop

Directed by Paul Dryburgh & Euan Roger

When: Friday 11 July, 09.00-13.00
Where: Laidlaw Library: Teaching Room 1
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 the 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, and 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, including locating hidden medieval voices among the masses of paper and parchment. Short, themed sessions will also introduce attendees to the ‘Mechanics of Medieval Government’ and ‘Accessing Medieval Justice’.

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.

Running the in-person workshop will be Euan Roger, Principal Medieval Records Specialist at TNA, whose research has focussed on church, government, Chaucer life-records, medicine, and the law courts in the late Middle Ages, and Paul Dryburgh, Principal Medieval Records Specialist, who has 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.