Deciphering Old Handwriting: Palaeography for Beginners

Overview

Palaeography - the reading of old handwriting-can appear daunting but is an essential skill for local and family historians for the reading and interpretation of source materials. This is a beginners' course. Using copies of a variety of documents (in English) from the early modern period, students will be introduced to the principles and techniques for transcribing old documents.  
 
This course enables you to study from home and participate in an online community of other students. The module is delivered through Blackboard, our online learning environment. 

Programme

Activities and tasks will be embedded into each unit so students can practise the techniques they have learned and develop their skills. Students will be encouraged to share their own work and participate in discussions on Blackboard. Alongside the learning materials on Blackboard the tutor will be on hand via email to answer any queries and provide guidance throughout the course. They will also participate in the online discussions.   

Each unit equates to approximately 2 hours teaching and activities. 

• Unit 1 - Introduction to palaeography and to this course 
• Unit 2 - Styles of handwriting and alphabets  
• Unit 3 - Reading and transcribing 
• Unit 4 - Abbreviations 
• Unit 5 - Numbers and money 
• Unit 6 - Dates 
• Unit 7 - Document types and structure (diplomatic) 
• Unit 8 - Writing materials 
• Unit 9 - Useful websites 
• Unit 10 - Module roundup

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:  

1. Identify and discuss the main principles and techniques involved in document transcription. 
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose, or function, of these documents and the context in which they were produced.
3. Transcribe documents written in English, of varying complexity and in a variety of hands, into a modern hand. 

Assessments

1. 5 short transcription exercises (completed throughout the course (50% weighting, i.e. 10% for each item)
2. 1 longer piece of transcription (completed at the end of the course (50% weighting) 

Reading Suggestions

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.

What Do I Need?

As this is an online course, you would need the following:

• Internet access
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.