Are you keen to undertake research using original historical documents and begin reading scripts used in England post 1550?
Join us in Oxford for this in-person weekend event. We will look in detail at the main scripts in use across this period (Secretary, Italic and Mixed Hands), through practical examples from common record types. We will cover original sources such as property records, wills, accounts and correspondence.
The principal focus will be on documents written in English, although some in Latin may be included (no prior knowledge of Latin is required).
The weekend will provide the opportunity to cover both theoretical and practical aspects of palaeography and reading handwriting. We will look at reading strategies and tips throughout, as well as key reference and study resources for further study.
The course tutor is an experienced archivist and will use documents from collections she has worked with as examples, as well as from published and online sources. Teaching methods will range from short lecture-style talks on theory and historical context, as well as in-depth practical sessions focusing on reading documents, either individually, in pairs or as a class.
Please note:
- This event will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 21 January 2026.
- This weekend event will recycle some documents used in the 2022 weekly classes version of the event.