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Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

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Palaeography is an essential research tool used when understanding local or family histories, and this course will aim to provide students with the skills required to understand historic documents. The initial session will introduce the students to the letters, numerals and abbreviations used in documents from the sixteenth century onwards. It will be demonstrated that, perhaps surprisingly, some sixteenth- and seventeenth-century hands are relatively easy to read as they are much more uniform than modern handwriting.  Students will also be shown how to lay out a transcript so that it is both legible and accurate. This is a practical course, outlining key skills to set texts in context, and then read and/or transcribe documents. 

 

 

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Overview

Course Programme

NB: Students will need to bring paper and pens/pencils.  They may also find it useful to bring a magnifying glass. 

10:00 Session 1: Introduction: earlier forms of letters and numerals - basic transcription rules

11:15 Coffee

11:45 Session 2: Probate records - wills

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Session 3: Probate records - inventories

15:15 Tea

15:30 Session 4: Parish records

16:45 Day school ends

Course Aims

  • To introduce students to earlier forms of the letters of the alphabet, both lower and upper case and of numerals, both Roman and Arabic.
  • To introduce students to the principles and techniques involved in palaeography, including how to lay out a transcript.
  • To introduce students to a range of documents relevant to local and/or family history.
  • To enable students to recognise the contents of various types of document and to set documents in the contexts of their production and purpose, since an understanding of the nature of their contents facilitates transcription.
  • To enable students to transcribe old documents.

Presentation of the course

As this is essentially a practical course, it will be presented by means of reading and/or transcribing copies of documents which will be supplied as handouts.  Initially we will read through the documents together, discussing the more difficult words (both spelling and meaning) but as the course progresses it is hoped that students will have the confidence to work on their own. 

Following each session, transcripts of the documents for that session will be distributed, so that students will not have to write out a rapid transcript as we go along but will be able to annotate the more difficult words or letters in their documents, in that knowledge that they will receive a transcript later.

Tutor Biography: Dr Heather Falvey

Heather teaches local history at Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Masters level at ICE and also at the University of Oxford’s Department of Continuing Education.

Her main historical interests are social unrest and discord in early-modern communities and this is reflected in one of her current research projects, which concerns objections to a disorderly alehouse in Rickmansworth (Herts) in 1588. She has edited for publication several series of historical documents including, several volumes of late medieval wills, a memorandum book by two early-modern Hertfordshire vicars, a late-eighteenth century recipe book, and a collection of letters written between the family of Humphry Repton, the landscape gardener.

Accommodation

Although this is a non-residential course, students requiring accommodation may be able to book B&B at Madingley Hall, as availability permits.

Please contact reservations@madingleyhall.co.uk or +44 (0)1223 746222 for availability and booking enquiries.

Dietary requirements

If you have any specific dietary requirements or allergies please inform our Admissions Team on ice.admissions@ice.cam.ac.uk or +44 (0)1223 746262 if you have not already advised us of your requirements.

Additional requirements

ICE is committed to providing equality of opportunity and to a proactive and inclusive approach to equality. We aim to support and encourage under-represented groups, promote an inclusive culture, and value diversity.

Further information about student support.

Course materials

A booklist, course syllabus and detailed timetable are circulated as far as possible in advance of a course. You will receive these documents by email if you have provided us with your email address; please check your spam folder if you have not received these documents. You can also download material from the Documents section at the bottom of this page.

Requirements

Entry requirements

No academic qualification is required, and most courses are suitable for students who are new to the subject.

All teaching is in English (unless a foreign-language course). If your first language is not English, you need to satisfy yourself that you have the required near-native command of the language to get the maximum benefit from studying with ICE.

Fees & bursaries

Fees

The course fee includes tuition, tea, coffee and lunch and travel on excursions (but not entrance fees to properties visited).

VAT does not apply to course fees and there is no service charge (gratuities to domestic staff are left to your discretion).

Cancellations

You may cancel a course booking at any time. After the 14 day cancellation period has expired, the standard ICE course cancellation policy will apply. Please view our refund and cancellation policy for further details.

Bursaries

The Cambridge University Press (CUP) Bursary Fund offers a bursary of 50% of the course fee to applicants who teach in a UK state school or state-funded further education institution, applying to study a day school, weekend course or online course.

Venue

This course takes place at Madingley Hall, home to the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education.

About Madingley Hall

Madingley Hall itself is an impressive manor house dating back to the mid-16th century. The decoration of the Saloon and the formal Stair Hall was carried out 200 years later, and the whole fabric was renovated with great care around 1900. About four miles from the centre of Cambridge, the Hall stands in several acres of beautifully-maintained gardens and overlooks a landscape which has changed relatively little since it was laid out by Capability Brown. It is just four miles from the centre of Cambridge, and only 60 minutes from London, with excellent links to London airports.

Getting here

We now have a mini-bus service which runs between the Railway Station and Madingly Hall weekday mornings between 06:45 and 09:25 and evenings between 16:45 and 19:25. Please contact the reception desk at ICE for more details.

For more information see directions to Madingley Hall.

Enquiries

Admissions enquiries

Admissions Team - Institute of Continuing Education
University of Cambridge
Madingley Hall, Madingley
Cambridge
CB23 8AQ
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1223 746262

General enquiries

Arts and Sciences Enquiries
Institute of Continuing Education
Madingley Hall
Cambridge
CB23 8AQ
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1223 761322

Unless otherwise stated, teaching and assessment for ICE courses are in English. Students whose first language is not English should refer to the Competence in the English Language Policy for further guidance.

Printable versions of our brochures are available to download from the Institute Publications page.

Course dates

19 Apr 2020

Course duration

1 Day

Apply by

05 Apr 2020

Course fee

Home: £110
Overseas: £110

Academic Directors, Course Directors and Tutors are subject to change, when necessary.

Venue

Institute of Continuing Education
University of Cambridge
Cambridge
CB23 8AQ
United Kingdom

Qualifications / Credits

Non-accredited

Teaching sessions

Meetings: 1

Course code

1920NDX309