NOTE: This course requires compulsory materials to be ordered. Please click on the Supplies tab for details.
A number of topics linked to palaeography are covered to ensure participants have sufficient background to tackle unfamiliar documents that span the past five hundred years. The primary goal involves transcribing the unfamiliar writing in old documents to the modern day hand. A secondary objective is to provide the student with a feeling of success and achievement when new skills are learned. As Britain had a major influence on the cosmopolitan development of North America, examples will be taken from British and Canadian resources. Canadian resources will focus on The Hudson''s Bay Company Archives, which are British in origin, and are now held at the Hudson''s Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg. These materials reflect the profound influence of British language, culture and economics on the development of North America. There are many issues related to transcribing old documents that necessitate an introduction to the following topics:
Writing Materials, Palaeography, Roman Numerals, Currency, The Calendar, The Religious Calendar, Weights and Measures, Origin of Family Names, Social Structure in Britain, Occupations, Introduction to Latin Terminology,
Bibliography.
Examples will be given in the text of the information booklet, but in order to achieve success and practise the new skills it is necessary to follow the prepared activities in the workbook. Answers will be found at the back of the workbook under each section heading.
To gain experience with reading and interpreting documents, the workbook has been designed to reinforce topics discussed in the main text. As the student progresses through a new section continual practise is available using Review Exercises in the Workbook. Mastery develops with review and reinforcement.
Weekly activities may appear lighter at the beginning of the course. As the student gains experience more tasks will be added, as review is not anticipated to be quite as time consuming as developing new skills.
One student’s experience:
To hear a student discussion regarding their experience with this course, please click here. (This is a large file and may take a minute or two to download.)
Course Content
Module 1
Writing Materials
Parchment, Vellum or Paper
Watermarks
Envelopes
Pens
Pencils
Inks
Collector''s Items
Sealing Wax
Paleography
Textura
Anglicana
Court Hand
Bastard Hand
Secretary Hand
Italic Hand
Yogh & Thorn
Examples of Early Alphabets
Clues to the Alphabet
Techniques for Reading Early Documents
Preparation
Transcribing the Manuscript
Transcribing an Unknown Word
Dealing with Difficulties
Module 2
Picture Clues to Help Unscramble Script
Early Forms of Speed Writing
Some Common Abbreviations & Contractions
Reading Words Containing Contractions or Ligatures
Punctuation, Grammar & Literary Style
Examples of the Development of Grammar & Style
Creative Spelling
Common Spelling Variations
Module 3
Roman Numerals
Documents Using Roman Numerals
Currency
Coins
Common Values of British Coins, Prior 1971
Paper Money
Account Books
Addition & Subtraction
Example
Module 4
Calendars, Ancient & Modern
Examples of Calendars
Example
Dating Manuscripts
Regnal Years of British Monarchs from 1066
Regnal Year
Examples
Some Useful Documents for the Genealogist
Civil Registration/Vital Statistics
Census Returns
Parish Registers
Probate Records
Inventory
Land Records
Module 5
Weights & Measures
Length
Measurements Based Upon the Body
Surveyors'' Measurements
Area
Mass
Metric Units
Troy Units
Avoirdupois Units
Apothecary Units of Mass
Capacity
Capacity – Dry Merchandise
Capacity – Liquid Merchandise
Units of Fluid Measurement
Common Usage in Home Therapy
Ale (volume)
Quantities of Ale
Bread (number)
Cloth (length)
Comparative Lengths of Cloth
Coal (mass)
Coal Units
Dairy Produce (mass)
Paper (number)
Soap (mass)
Soap Units
Tea (mass)
Wine (capacity)
Volumes of Wine
Wool (mass)
Mass of Wool
Module 6
The Church, The Manor & Social Life
Church Feasts & Festivals
Charities & Doles
Fairs or Market Days
Manorial Records
Court Baron
Court Leet
The Records
Module 7
Surnames
Origins of Surnames
Relationships
English Surnames
Surnames Derived from Localities
Surnames Derived from Occupations
Status
Agricultural
Legal
Trades
Surnames Derived from Nicknames
Deformities
Personality
Physical Features
Festivals & Seasons
Welsh Surnames
Scottish Surnames
Irish Surnames
Naming Patterns for Newborns
Social Structure in Britain
Upper Class
Middle Class
Occupations
Module 8
Latin Terminology
Latin Names
Males
Females
Latin Names for Countries of The United Kingdom
Occupations & Social Status Written in Latin
Latin Terminology for the Calendar
Latin Terminology for Feasts & Festivals
Latin Numerals
Reading Latin Dates in Documents
Family Relationships
Latin Terminology from Parish Documents
Latin Phrases from Parish Documents
Latin Words from Legal & Manorial Documents
Latin Phrases from Legal & Manorial Documents
Latin Terminology & Abbreviations from Medical Documents
Apothecary Weight (Mass)
Fluid Measurement
Bibliography
|