Math and Palaeography

By Shannon-Combs-Bennett, Student Oh dear… math. I am not a math person, and the next three modules of Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents proved it. That being said, please understand that numbers, money, and measurements are very important to reading and analyzing manuscripts. So, I muddled through the best I could. Even if it meant I consulted with my husband who has a math degree (and tutored me in several math classes in school) to get me through it. Now, don’t freak out on me. This is important information, I can just be a bit thick when it comes to numbers. You may have an easier time than me.  Especially when making change in the old English way.  You know, before they went to the current decimal system. I bow down to those of you who made change the old fashioned way! This skill, unfortunately, is one that I need to nail down. I read quite a bit of colonial Virginia documents. Guess what? They use the pound / shilling / pence model for taxes and inventories up through the first decade of the 19th century. Now, after the Revolution you can find both the English system and the American dollar and cents shown next to each other in many cases. Fascinating as that may be, I admit that I will be going back to figure out conversion rates and check the math now that I really know how. I particularly enjoyed Module 5 which covered weights and measurements. There…

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On Old Handwriting, Shorthand, and Vellum

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Ah, the stuff I LOVE. Calligraphy and old handwriting. Many people might find reading and deciphering (let alone attempting to write) old handwriting a daunting task. I was very excited that our instructor in  Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents jumped right in with the  basics straight away. She even goes through the various types of writing materials, instruments, and even covers watermarks in the first few pages. These are all important things to consider and observe when you are researching.  Recently I have pulled military land bounty warrants from the National Archives in Washington, D.C.  Most of the time I see a variety of types of paper in the files. Then, on occasion, I get to see a document that was created on vellum. For those of you who don’t know about vellum, it is animal skin that is prepared in a specific way for writing on. It can be fragile if not cared for correctly, but it is superior in many ways to paper made from wood pulp in its longevity. Holding original documents made from vellum is an amazing thing. Of course, more important than identifying paper and styles of handwriting, our instructor also covered common shorthand used over the years. Hopefully, you didn’t think modern writers were the only ones with a set of shorthand abbreviations to make writing quicker. If you did, well, then you need to pay attention to this section, and take  Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents! There are…

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Starting Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Paleography (or palaeography) is an odd word isn’t it?  I mean, we all know what paleontology is (well, if you have kids you do since dinosaurs are awesome) and some of you may know a few other disciplines that begin with pale.  But what exactly is paleography? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary it is: 1        the study of ancient writings and inscriptions 2      a :  an ancient manner of writing  b :  ancient writings So, for genealogists having a firm grasp in this discipline sounds like a must.  Do you agree?  Thankfully, The National  Institute offers such a course and I am diving into it full steam ahead. However, and many of you may be figuring this out about me, I have had exposure to paleography in the past. In fact, I have studied various forms of medieval calligraphy for the past decade. I simply love old handwriting and calligraphy. Some of it is amazingly beautiful. Some of it, well, is amazingly undecipherable! I bet you have seen some words, symbols, shorthand or other things that made you want to scream! Which is why I was excited to see that   Palaeography: Reading & Understanding Historical Documents covers more than just how things were written. I am particularly interested to learn more about weights and measurements plus Latin terminology. In school I took German, not Latin, and even though I am slowly picking up some words as I read old manuscripts, knowing more Latin would be helpful. I…

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The Business of Learning: Methodology 6

By Shannon Combs-Bennett, Student Methodology Part 6: Professional Preparation and Practice concentrates on professional development and further educational opportunities.  This is a topic  I am always looking into, so I was very excited to jump into the information provided. Unlike many professions, there really is not a standard way a person becomes a professional genealogist.  Sure, you can take programs like the one from the International Institute of Genealogical Studies and others. You could go for certification or accreditation.  Maybe you decide after 30 years of researching your own family tree that you now want to try your hand at someone else’s. However, no matter your path, genealogists are left to learning about being a professional on their own. Anytime I am offered insight from a course, webinar, lecture, etc. that gives me a clue to what it means to be a professional (or just bring myself up to that level) I am all ears. You know what? You should be too. Even if you never “hang your shingle” you should still strive to be as professional as possible in your research. It will make your descendants very, very happy.  Trust me. Through the course I learned about: Setting up a business Managing clients Writing reports Teaching others These are all things that I do, nearly every day, and I still was able to pick up new pointers. Especially in the aspect of working for others (aka client work).  Even if your “clients” are friends or family (and they  may…

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