Today the main surviving building is in the care of English Heritage. It is on three floors and boasts a fine range of museum artefacts within the impressive upper rooms. It is open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 2-5 until the end of October.
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250th anniversary of the discovery of the Kingston Brooch
Clearance at the IHGS at Northgate in Canterbury continues as we prepare to sell one quarter of the building and receive a generous legacy of the William Marsh Harvey antiquarian library. Whatever duplicates there are will be added to our own our enormous collection of extra books for some kind of ongoing grand sale during the summer. Our Diamond Jubilee Awards Day and Celebrations are now fixed for July 31 and preparations are now underway. Zoom tutorials and lectures continue to draw very healthy audiences. My own consolidated Canterbury Probate Index which brings together grants of probate and administration from all courts for the city parishes is now well advanced. Once sorted it will be interesting to be able at a glance to see all the inhabitants of one parish, the occupants of the various almshouses, or perhaps all the Canterbury silkweavers in one go. The first tranche will cover c.1720-1858. Having for years dreamt about writing a parish history I have at last settled on Reculver. Judicious purchasing of reference works has reminded me how much background reading to the sources is necessary before undertaking a venture of this nature, although at 67 I hope to have long enough to complete it, DV ! One plus point of course is that unlike most places whose recorded history might begin with Domesday Book at the earliest, here we start with the Roman fort of Regulbium and the important Anglo-Saxon church of St Augustine founded in A.D. 669. Thus there is much to consider between then and the intrusive and unsightly modern caravan site so horribly close to such venerable remains. It is just as well that the site is guarded by English Heritage for otherwise what would be left in a another generation? I have already witnessed partial destruction and losses since my own childhood. Sic transit gloria mundi.
From Newsletter 231: Dr. David Wright, is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Society of Genealogists. He is well known to genealogists for his East Kent Probate Index as well as for his several books on Kent genealogy, including Tracing Your Kent Ancestry which was published in 2016. David has been a genealogical lecturer for many years and is a specialist in Medieval Latin. Alongside his love of genealogy he has a keen interest in the history of Anglo-Saxon and Mediaeval England. "Having lived (almost) within the shadow of Northgate all my life, and consequently knowing many of the past and present staff as well as numerous former employees who are now distinguished genealogists in their own right, it is with a sense of slight foreboding that I shall formally enter the august portals of the Institute as its Principal on August 3. Not quite fully behind me are careers in philately, the classics, history, genealogy, translating, teaching, writing and lecturing, some of which I shall hope to bring to bear to my daily duties in Canterbury. Genealogy still remains a huge passion after 45 years, and I note with considerable pride the splendid IHGS educational classes and courses currently on offer - all still very much needed, especially as the Internet means our subject is now a little less earthbound than it used to be. Alas, I cannot fool myself that I shall be able to equal Dr Richard Baker's long tenure in the post, but I arrive with a fresh pair of eyes and enthusiasm to see what may lie ahead for the Institute as it enters its diamond jubilee year." Having lectured in Australia for much of last autumn, 2020 is proving to be a time of consolidation and catching up on domestic projects. I am currently translating a series of interesting borough charters for the Kentish Cinque Port town of Hythe, all from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, and typically a rich source of placenames and surnames. My consolidated Canterbury probate index, 1700-1858, draws together both wills and administrations as well as the relevant PCC wills form the supreme court in London. It will be sorted by surname, address/parish and occupation, and should prove a fruitful source for local researchers. It will appear on my website later this year. I am delighted to announce that from August I shall take up a new position as Principal at the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury. The Institute is strongly focussed on education and achievement by examination results, of which there is already an impressive run over many years. In September I shall start teaching classical Latin for beginners at Blean Village Hall near Canterbury. Full details will appear in the U3A summer programme. Do come and learn the basics which will of course be exceptionally useful for looking at many earlier genealogical documents. My genealogical lectures have attracted good crowds in Brisbane and Canberra, and there is till time to attend the congress in Sydney this weekend or my venues in Melbourne and Adelaide shortly afterwards, details of which are within this website. I look forward to meeting old and new friends. David Wright is on his fourth Australian tour and second genealogical lecture circuit, starting in Brisbane (October 1 and 5), proceeding to Canberra (October 7), the Sydney conference (October 11 and 12), Melbourne (October 17, 18 and 20) and Adelaide (October 22 and 23). He is talking on a variety of subjects including parish registers, the workhouse, and genealogical geography and history, as well as giving practical seminars in the interpretation and reading of old documents. Do please come and have a chat if he may be able to help you with your genealogical problems.
Tuesday 1st October - Brisbane Tweed Gold Coast Family History Society, South Tweed Sports Club, 4 Minjungbal Drive, Tweed Heads South
Saturday 5th October - Brisbane Genealogical Society of Queensland, 25 Stackpole St, Wishart, Queensland 4122
Monday 7th October - Canberra Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra, 41 Templeton St, Cook, A.C.T. 2607 All day seminar:
Friday/Saturday 11,12 October - Sydney 'Exploring The Past' Conference, Ku-ring-gai Historical Society, Knox Grammar School, Pacific Highway, Wahroonga, NSW 2076
Thursday 17th October - Melbourne Genealogical Society of Victoria, Level 6, 85 Queen St, Melbourne 3000
Friday 18 October - Melbourne Mount Waverley Library, 41 Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley, Victoria 3149
Sun. 20th October - Melbourne Family History Connections, 1/41 Railway Rd, Blackburn, Melbourne 3130
Tuesday/Wednesday 22, 23 October - Adelaide South Australian Genealogy and Heraldry Society, 201 Unley Rd, Unley, S.A.
Do please get in touch for more details and perhaps the possibility of further speaking appointments. 350th Anniversary Conference & Exhibition |
Willian Somner, Kentish ScholarArticle by David Wright Arrangements for the March 2019 William Somner 350th anniversary colloquium at Christ Church, Canterbury, are now well in hand. My full life of him will appear in Archaeologia Cantiana over 2019/2020, but a summary of his remarkable scholarly activities is now available in the latest edition of the Kent Archaeological Society Newsletter for all to see. |
William Somner 1606-1669
350th Anniversary Conference & Exhibition Saturday, 23rd March 2019 Exhibition: Canterbury Cathedral Archives, Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury, CT1 2HG: 9.30-10.45 Conference: Old Sessions House, Christ Church University, Longport, Canterbury, CT1 1PL: 11.00-17.00 Before the lectures at Old Sessions, there will be an exhibition of Somner manuscripts and books in the Canterbury Cathedral Archives for those who have booked for the full day. |
Programme
Session One – Preliminaries AT THE CATHEDRAL ARCHIVES
09.30-10.45 Exhibition of Somner manuscripts and books
11.00-11.35 Coffee at OLD SESSIONS HOUSE
11.35-11.45 Welcome and introduction by Dr David Wright
Session Two – Somner and Canterbury
11.45-12.30 Professor Jackie Eales – Somner’s Canterbury
12.30-13.00 Avril Leach – Somner’s The Antiquities of Canterbury
13.00-14.00 Lunch (not provided)
Session Three – Somner the Scholar
14.00-14.30 Dr Rachel Fletcher – The Anglo-Saxon/Latin/English Dictionary
14.30-15.15 Dr David Shaw – William Somner’s Books
15.15-15.45 Tea
Session Four – Somner and the Church
15.45-16.45 Professor Kenneth Fincham – Somner and William Laud
16.45-17.00 Questions, summing-up and close
09.30-10.45 Exhibition of Somner manuscripts and books
11.00-11.35 Coffee at OLD SESSIONS HOUSE
11.35-11.45 Welcome and introduction by Dr David Wright
Session Two – Somner and Canterbury
11.45-12.30 Professor Jackie Eales – Somner’s Canterbury
12.30-13.00 Avril Leach – Somner’s The Antiquities of Canterbury
13.00-14.00 Lunch (not provided)
Session Three – Somner the Scholar
14.00-14.30 Dr Rachel Fletcher – The Anglo-Saxon/Latin/English Dictionary
14.30-15.15 Dr David Shaw – William Somner’s Books
15.15-15.45 Tea
Session Four – Somner and the Church
15.45-16.45 Professor Kenneth Fincham – Somner and William Laud
16.45-17.00 Questions, summing-up and close
Booking & Downloads
To download your copy of the Programme for the day, the flier for the event, and also for details on tickets and to book tickets for the event, please click the link button:
I am busily completing my life of William Somner (1606-1669) the Canterbury scholar and antiquary whose two greatest works were 'The Antiquities of Canterbury' (1640) and the 'Anglo-Saxon-Latin-English Dictionary' of 1659. Somner was a notary public as well as being the cathedral auditor and registrar, and was instrumental in saving and protecting many of the cathedral records during the Civil War.
One Day Colloquium, Saturday 23 March 2019
A one-day colloquium on his life and work will be held in Canterbury on 23 March 2019, where various expert speakers will help to give a rounded picture of this remarkable man. Contact me directly for more information.
I spoke last night at the Faversham Guildhall on the history of writing and mediaeval manuscripts, a subject very dear to me, and one which saw an appreciative audience and many interesting questions. Even in 2018 the computer has not yet completely done away with the art of handwriting, and large numbers of historians and other researchers still spend many hours wrestling with the physically written word.
To the Folkestone Family History Society to talk about Kentish ancestors. I have now spoken to every Kentish genealogical group, the first meeting being over twenty years ago. Time rolls on and we are all older but still busy with our family trees! |
A good crowd last night at Loose school near Maidstone to hear me talk about tracing Kentish ancestors.
Some people were rather amused to discover that my great-grandfather Charles Elvy Wright and King George III shared something in common: they each produced 15 children in 23 years! No way really of stopping babies in those times, and of course innumerable Victorian families had a dozen or more children, even if a proportion died as infants. How times have changed, now that even three or four are considered an expense.
Some people were rather amused to discover that my great-grandfather Charles Elvy Wright and King George III shared something in common: they each produced 15 children in 23 years! No way really of stopping babies in those times, and of course innumerable Victorian families had a dozen or more children, even if a proportion died as infants. How times have changed, now that even three or four are considered an expense.
Spring Short Course - 10 Sessions,
Canterbury Christ Church University
Whether your classical Latin is languishing, moribund or non-existent, come and revive it! We shall begin with a general introduction to the language by way of the essential cases, verb forms, nouns and some elementary grammar. This will help us to start reading some simple adapted texts, based on one of the comedies of Plautus. We shall be using the Cambridge University Press Reading Latin by Peter Jones and Keith Sidwell (2 vols.: Grammar, Vocabulary and Exercises; and Text). |
After ten sessions, with care and diligence, your Latin should be progressing and your English vocabulary wider. Further study will be offered in the spring term. The tutor is a former teaching fellow of University College, London, and guided many beginners in Latin through the Classical Association Summer Schools.
'Bryan Faussett: Antiquary Extraordinary' St Mary's Church, Nackington
After many Faussett lectures, at last a return to Nackington where Bryan Fausett junior and senior lie buried in the chancel to give one more talk to a packed St Mary's church. Much interesting conversation afterwards, and a great delight to see that the family descendants had turned up for a repeat performance! |
Autumn Short Course - 10 Sessions, Canterbury Christ Church University
Whether your classical Latin is languishing, moribund or non-existent, come and revive it! We shall begin with a general introduction to the language by way of the essential cases, verb forms, nouns and some elementary grammar.
This will help us to start reading some simple adapted texts, based on one of the comedies of Plautus. We shall be using the Cambridge University Press Reading Latin by Peter Jones and Keith Sidwell (2 vols.: Grammar, Vocabulary and Exercises; and Text).
After ten sessions, with care and diligence, your Latin should be progressing and your English vocabulary wider. Further study will be offered in the spring term. The tutor is a former teaching fellow of University College, London, and guided many beginners in Latin through the Classical Association Summer Schools.
This will help us to start reading some simple adapted texts, based on one of the comedies of Plautus. We shall be using the Cambridge University Press Reading Latin by Peter Jones and Keith Sidwell (2 vols.: Grammar, Vocabulary and Exercises; and Text).
After ten sessions, with care and diligence, your Latin should be progressing and your English vocabulary wider. Further study will be offered in the spring term. The tutor is a former teaching fellow of University College, London, and guided many beginners in Latin through the Classical Association Summer Schools.
Autumn Short Course - 8 Sessions, Canterbury Christ Church University
An introduction to the palaeography of English documents, looking chiefly at 16th- and 17th-century material, including wills, manorial records, parish registers and private letters.
Our reading and interpretation will be facilitated by close inspection of letter forms, abbreviations and, crucially, keeping an eye on the scribe’s mind as he wrote and the types of mistakes that frequently occurred.
Further study will be offered in the spring term; looking at earlier documents, touching on some basic Latin, and probing further into the fascinating world of textual criticism.
Our reading and interpretation will be facilitated by close inspection of letter forms, abbreviations and, crucially, keeping an eye on the scribe’s mind as he wrote and the types of mistakes that frequently occurred.
Further study will be offered in the spring term; looking at earlier documents, touching on some basic Latin, and probing further into the fascinating world of textual criticism.
Lucky the man who enjoys what he does! I shall be sharing some of my great loves by teaching them at Christ Church University in Canterbury this autumn. If you are historically minded but hindered by early documents, come and learn some classical Latin (always a good basis for the later mediaeval), and if you can’t read early forms of English, then come and practise your palaeographical skills with a variety of late mediaeval, Tudor and Stuart documents.
Allied to both of these subjects, a day course on classical manuscripts and early printed books will show how classical texts survived the Dark Ages, were rewritten under Charlemagne in his especially devised and wonderfully legible new script, and then frequently copied in succeeding centuries. But copying often meant gradual textual corruption, and at the advent of printing in the 1400s, how fit were texts to be committed to the printed page? Here enters the world of textual criticism which has tested some of the most acute minds in the history of scholarship.
As a boy I was mad on stamp collecting – and still am! This still hugely popular and very visual hobby attracts millions of collector and millions of pounds in the formation of great collections. Every country in the world has issued stamps reflecting its own history, geography, products and famous people, starting with the 1d black in 1840. The world is your oyster on the album page!
Allied to both of these subjects, a day course on classical manuscripts and early printed books will show how classical texts survived the Dark Ages, were rewritten under Charlemagne in his especially devised and wonderfully legible new script, and then frequently copied in succeeding centuries. But copying often meant gradual textual corruption, and at the advent of printing in the 1400s, how fit were texts to be committed to the printed page? Here enters the world of textual criticism which has tested some of the most acute minds in the history of scholarship.
As a boy I was mad on stamp collecting – and still am! This still hugely popular and very visual hobby attracts millions of collector and millions of pounds in the formation of great collections. Every country in the world has issued stamps reflecting its own history, geography, products and famous people, starting with the 1d black in 1840. The world is your oyster on the album page!
Autumn 2017 Schedule
Mondays from 2 October, 10am-12 noon. Latin for Beginners: a 10-week course for absolute beginners. There is the possibility of a continuation class in the spring 2018 term. Mondays from 2 October, 1pm-3pm. English Palaeography: an 8 week course on 15th/16th century documents. There is the possibility of a continuation class in the spring 2018 term. Saturday 11 November, 2017: a day school on philately, "The Hobby of Kings and King of Hobbies". Saturday 10 February 2018: a day school on early manuscripts and printed books covering the glories of illuminated manuscripts, examples of early printing, and the transmission of literature and how ancient texts survived a millennium of loss and destruction. | Click image above to read and to download the brochure >> |
As a veteran and founding member of the Guild of One Name Studies, I was pleased to speak at their Kent conference today on our county's magnificent probate records. A good crowd, good lunch, and very comfortable village hall, of which more are probably needed as social and business centres.
What is a One-Name Study?
Family historians generally focus their efforts on researching their own family trees, collecting and analysing data in order to find as much detail as possible on every branch, twig or tiny leaf. Others compile surname studies, which seek all occurrences, past and present, of a single surname, anywhere in the world.
A one-name (or surname) study is a project researching all occurrences of a surname, as opposed to a particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or descendancy (descendants of one person or couple). Some ‘one-namers’ restrict their research geographically, perhaps to one country, but true one-namers collect all occurrences worldwide.
A one-name (or surname) study is a project researching all occurrences of a surname, as opposed to a particular pedigree (ancestors of one person) or descendancy (descendants of one person or couple). Some ‘one-namers’ restrict their research geographically, perhaps to one country, but true one-namers collect all occurrences worldwide.
I spoke last night in the rather splendid Ash next Sandwich village hall with attached heritage centre containing a fine archive of local material for researchers. I was guaranteed a good crowd to hear about Bryan Faussett as one of his major sites was Gilton in Ash parish. A number of people lived very close to the original sand pit where excavations started in the 1760s and were extremely curious to hear the history of the many interesting finds which have now continued for over 200 years. What lies under their back gardens now, I wonder?
Archaeology is flourishing!
Archaeology is flourishing!