Detail from historiated initial, Henry VIII
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As with any new skill, the only real way to
gain proficiency in reading old handwriting is to PRACTISE! The Tutorial
offers an introduction to the basics of palaeography whilst this
section offers a variety of documents, each with a transcript, on
which you can practice your palaeographical skills.
The documents are arranged in chronological
order not in order of difficulty, so you can home in on the period
that interests you, or have a go at documents from different dates.
As before, read the brief background information provided for each
document, as knowledge of the context always helps with reading the
text. Refer back to the Quick
reference section if you need to.
You can view an image and transcription of
each practice document online, or download an Acrobat PDF file to
view offline, or print off.
16th century
Payment
to John Blanke, trumpeter. 7 December 1507
| Print
version
Complaint
in legal proceedings describing events leading to a ducking, extract.
1509-47 | Print
version
Plea
for royal clemency. 1584 | Print
version
Authorisation
for expenditure on ordnance, St Michael's Mount, Cornwall. June
1584. | Print
version
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17th century
Recipe
for mince pies. Early 17th century | Print
version
Registered
copy of will (1642) with letters of administration attached (1658). | Print
version
Particulars
of Royalist's property confiscated during the English civil war.
1646 | Print
version
Recovery,
on payment of a fine, of property confiscated by Parliament from
Sir Edward Berkley during the English civil war. 1 December 1646 | Print
version
Rental
for the manor of Trayne March and Trayne Morgan, Carmarthenshire.
July 1650 | Print
version
Report on Cromwell's Christmas ban 1650 | Print
version
Houses
in Evesham, Worcestershire: Parliamentary survey of former Crown
lands. September 1650 | Print
version
Petition
for freedom to practise religion. 24 March 1656 | Print
version
Presentment,
listing various complaints, for the manor of Hampton Court, Middlesex.
1662 | Print
version
Complaint
in court proceedings about non-payment of fees for land. 28 November
1663 | Print
version
Temporary
transfer of state documents to the Earl of Oxford for use by him
in court. 14 September 1670 | Print
version
Inventory,
estate of Daniel Hayne. 6 September 1686 | Print
version
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18th century
Memorandum
about the disrepair of the Chapter House, Westminster Abbey, used
as a repository for state records. June 1701 | Print
version
Declaration
in support of application for letters of marque for ‘Jamaica Gally'.
22 April 1708 | Print
version
Petition
for denization on behalf of six Jewish merchants. April-May 1712 | Print
version
Report
on petition for denization on behalf of six Jewish merchants. 16
May 1712 | Print
version
Deposition
of Alexander Selkirk, mariner. 18 July 1712 | Print
version
Court
order discharging Alexander Cazettes from the office of parish
constable. 25 April 1718 | Print
version
Court
order sentencing Robert Leake for trespass. 26 April 1718 | Print
version
Inventory,
estate of Moses de Solomon Mendez. 28 March 1719 | Print
version
Registered
copy of nuncupative [oral] will. 1723 | Print
version
Information
identifying Dick Turpin. 23 February 1739 | Print
version
Report
by Justice of the Peace on the identification of Dick Turpin. 24
February 1739 | Print
version
Act
of Parliament establishing a turnpike road, extract from list of
turnpike trustees. 1760 | Print
version
Registered
copy of nuncupative [oral] will. 1783 | Print
version
Mutineer's
song, found after the naval mutiny at the Nore. 1797 | Print
version
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