Had a great time helping to deliver the Skills Training in Archival Research at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social yesterday!

A Minton Bisque Porcelain Figure of Hannah More, c. 1835, sat on a chair and place atop of couple of More’s works. modelled after the portrait by Henry William Pickersgill

A new arrival in the Barley Wood archive— a Minton Parian ware figurine of Hannah More (c.1835). Modelled on the famous portrait of her by William Pickering (that she *hated*), it’s a testament to how popular she was a writer that people wanted figurines of her in their homes!

Image of a male presenting person with brown hair in front of the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford holding a large white envelope

This week marks *a whole decade* since I handed in my undergrad dissertation on Anne Finch and John Dryden’s drama. Little did I know I’d still be rummaging through manuscripts and teaching the joys of seventeenth century lit ten years later!

Image of an unbound and rather dirty printed play text on a white cushion. The text is a quarto of Love’s Victim or the Queen of Wales from 1701.

Restoration drama week @bristolunienglish.bsky.social means time to get hands on with some first edition play texts

Image of a wooden printing press with a forme of type ready to be printed

Two hand printed postcards, one with Bristol Common Press in red and gold, the other an extract from the poem The Political House that Jack Built

Had a great time with Bristol Common Press getting inky fingers with the departmental printing press last week @bristolunienglish.bsky.social

This was so much fun to do, and wonderful to collaborate with other creatives. Thanks @beinghumanfest.bsky.social for making it possible with their generous funding!

Perks of my knowledge exchange project? Getting to stay on site at Barley Wood in Hannah More’s bedroom and waking up to these views across the Mendips

Nerdy highlight of the @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy trip so far— getting to work with documents signed by Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell

I’m glad I finally did— there’s a great exhibition on letters at the moment that I popped into post manuscript scramble

Image of a manuscript book on a stand

Image of the courtyard of the national archives, a large building with water in front of it

Image of the front of the national archives, made of stone and glass

Somehow this is my first trip to @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy — time to delve into the State Papers!

Brilliant news! Watched @benwt.bsky.social presentation on this project today and it looks so awesome. A great example of public centred yet academically rigorous and exciting research. A hard trio to achieve!

Thanks so much Pam!

A brown dog looking out at the quad of royal Holloway. The buildings re red brick and there is a grass quad in the centre.

Margot approves of her new workplace @royalholloway.bsky.social

Thank you!

Picture of a manuscript on a desk with a brown dog below.

Margot had her first day with me in the manuscript reading room today @thelondonarchives.bsky.social today. As you can expect, she’s a dab hand with secretary hand and civic records!

As part of the project, I'll also be curating an exhibition, garden trail, and a whole other range of public engagement events for the local community. As well as helping the YMCA restore the garden according to More's plans.

Can't wait to get stuck in!

It also covers the property's ownership and expansion by the tobacco merchants the Wills family-- the 'founding family' of @bristoluni.bsky.social whose colonial wealth funded The Wills Memorial Building.

Hannah More by Augustin Edouart, cut black paper with wash, 1827, NPG 4501. © National Portrait Gallery, London. This silhouette shows More sitting at a table holding some papers with her inkstand and quill before her.

These cover the years in which the property was built and owned by the best selling writer and abolitionist @hannahmore.bsky.social (1745-1833), who hosted a salon of writers and social reformers at the property inc. W Wilberforce, ST Coleridge, Elizabeth Fry, and royalty

More good news! I've been awarded funding by the YMCA/AHRC to lead a heritage engagement and knowledge exchange project @bristolunienglish.bsky.social. 'The Remarkable History of Barley Wood' will see me set up a community archive of the manuscripts I've uncovered at the property 1/

Thanks v much Jo— nice to finally be able to announce it!

Thank you v much Erin!

Thanks Paulina!

Thanks so much Liz!

Image of a 16th century manuscript

Image of the front of the London Archives, a red brick building with red banners outside

Image of the Founders Quad at Royal Holloway. The building is red brick with white stone. The quad is grassed and has a central path leading to a statue of Queen Victoria.

News! I've started as the early modern Post Doc on the AHRC-funded 'Inclusive Histories' project @royalholloway.bsky.social. I'm working at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social to research the stories of marginalised groups, which will be used to foster a more inclusive approach to teaching GCSE History