Unlocking a unique historical resource
A fully online course
This one-week online course, supported by two Q&A sessions with your tutor, offers a general introduction and guide to the records of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century ecclesiastical courts.
Practical and skills-based
The records of the early modern church courts are a hugely important historical source, but they remain heavily under-used because of the difficulty of reading and interpreting them. They were famously described by G.R. Elton as ‘among the more strikingly repulsive of all the relics of the past – written in cramped and hurried hand, in very abbreviated and technical Latin’. But Elton rightly called them an indispensable body of evidence, because they ‘take one to the realities’ of life in early modern England and ‘illumine the history of church and people in ways that no other source can’. This short course offers an introduction to these records and a practical guide to their use.
This course is designed for beginners who have never used church court records before. However, it presupposes some knowledge of early modern secretary hand. Prospective students who are not confident of their ability to read early modern hands are recommended to take our course ‘Reading Early Modern Handwriting’ before booking for this course.
Entirely at your own pace
The course consists of five sessions, which you can take at any time during your 8 weeks of access to the platform. Each session has downloadable transcripts and lists of resources.
Please contact us (study.imems@durham.ac.uk) for further information.
Course outline
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will:
- Have a basic historical understanding of church court records and their contents
- Know how to locate these records in archives and record offices
- Recognise the common Latin words and phrases in these records, and their abbreviations
- Be familiar with the typical cases handled by these courts: e.g. the moral and sexual offences that gave the church courts their popular name of ‘bawdy courts’, and the slander and defamation cases arising from interpersonal conflicts
- Be equipped to use and interpret these records in their own research
Course specifications
Format
This course is delivered online. All content is asynchronous, supported by two optional Q&A live sessions where there will be a chance to ask questions and give feedback.
Q&A sessions are hosted on Microsoft Teams. You will receive the links to the next scheduled sessions with your confirmation e-mail upon booking.
Time investment
The course will be delivered asynchronously, via five pre-recorded lectures of 20-30 minutes each. You can follow the course at your own pace, but it is recommended that you watch 1 lecture per day in order to complete the course in 1 week.
You will have access to the course for 8 weeks from the start date.
Pricing
The current price for this course is £100.
Payment will be taken via Events@Durham by following the ‘Book now’ link above and below. We will be in touch with further details within 3 days of your booking.
Bursaries
No bursaries are offered for this course.
How to enrol
Book
Follow the link below or above to book via Event Durham.
You will receive a confirmation e-mail with links to the Q&A sessions within 3 days of booking.
Start
Start any time within 8 weeks of your confirmation e-mail.
You will have access to the platform for 8 weeks from the date your confirmation e-mail is sent.