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IMC 2016: Sessions

Session 1802: Government, Law, Land, and Ceremony: Medieval Records at The National Archives - A Workshop

Friday 8 July 2016, 09.30-13.30

Sponsor:The National Archives, Kew
Organiser:Paul R. Dryburgh, The National Archives, London
Speakers:Sean Cunningham, The National Archives, Kew
Paul R. Dryburgh, The National Archives, London
Jessica Nelson, The National Archives, Kew
Laura Tompkins, The National Archives, Kew
Abstract

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 often unclear. This workshop will offer an introduction to TNA, show you how to begin your research into its collections, and access research support. A course-pack with facsimiles 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, Law and Justice, Land and Landholders, and Royal Household and Material Culture (following on from last year's sessions on Church and Religion and Warfare and Diplomacy).

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.

Tea and coffee will be provided during the mid-morning break. Fee: £7.50.

Jessica Nelson is Head of Medieval, Early Modern, Legal, and Maps and Photographs (MEMLAMP) at The National Archives and specialises in queenship and government in the 12th and 13th centuries in England and Scotland. Sean Cunningham is a Principal Records Specialist Manager, Medieval & Early Modern, and specialises in 15th- and 16th-century records of English royal government. Laura Tompkins is a Medieval Records Specialist whose research has focussed on government, parliament, and household in the late Middle Ages. Paul Dryburgh is a Medieval Records Specialist with interests in government, politics, and warfare in the British Isles in the 13th and 14th centuries.