A very cool (and little known) 1638 Shakespeare mention in the Court of Requests proceedings. The dispute concerns the property next door to Shakespeare's house on Henley St [Shakespeare's Birthplace] so mentions John and William Shakespeare living in the property. TNA REQ 2/487B/147

Struggling in the heat? Visit an archive. Sweet sweet temperature control for the sake of the documents. Also, they have cool documents.

As a Gosling, it's good to see these 18th Century goose stealers properly punished for their crimes. During this period, the punishment was whipping, though interesting that this could be public or private. James Kendrick in the bottom entry was "privately whipped" #LegalRecords

Sure, this King's Bench bille file looks like a horror show on the outside, but this might be one of the clearest jury lists I've ever seen. KB 147/2/4/3 discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5...

What type of tea was destroyed during the Boston Tea Party? British Sovereign-tea... www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...

As a Gosling, it's good to see these 18th Century goose stealers properly punished for their crimes. During this period, the punishment was whipping, though interesting that this could be public or private. James Kendrick in the bottom entry was "privately whipped" #LegalRecords

At the Restoration in 1660, it was agreed that Charles II's reign began immediately following the death of Charles I a decade earlier, essentially ignoring the Interregnum. Some documents were even retroactively given a regnal year, like this 1649 Commonwealth record dated 1 Car. 2 [E 133/145/72]

A very cool (and little known) 1638 Shakespeare mention in the Court of Requests proceedings. The dispute concerns the property next door to Shakespeare's house on Henley St [Shakespeare's Birthplace] so mentions John and William Shakespeare living in the property. TNA REQ 2/487B/147

Very few sign-ups for the in-person document sessions on 16 and 17 June. Please circulate with PhD students etc who use legal records in their research (or I won't be able to run the sessions this year). I can promise witchcraft, treason, and all that good stuff (if it runs). Details via the thread.

International Tea Day, you say? Better repost this fab document from The National Archives (UK), the East India Company's request for compensation following the Boston Tea Party. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...

"Off thong at back". Don't threaten me with a good time, random King's Bench file.

Sure, this King's Bench bille file looks like a horror show on the outside, but this might be one of the clearest jury lists I've ever seen. KB 147/2/4/3 discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C5...

Here's Henry VIII's perfectly normal response to Katherine Howard's alleged adultery, the act making it treason for any 'unchaste' woman to marry the king in future... (33 Hen VIII, c. 21) [YHL/PO/PU/1/1541/37H8n33] discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/96...

250 new item descriptions for E 134 Exchequer depositions live on the catalogue this week. Did you know that depositions could be taken overseas? To find them, just search for the country in E 134. Here are the cases relating to North America. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_a...

Sex! Treason! Death! Tudors! Other buzzwords to catch you in the algorithm! Anyway, I chatted about Queens Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard for The National Archives a few years ago. Enjoy. youtu.be/xtjxpvceY98?...

216 uses of the word praemunire in 10,000 words. Not too shabby.

Quote posting this with another example, because it's really cool seeing Exchequer commissioners travel across the world to take depositions. Here are cases relating to the West Indies. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_c...

If you can't make it to either of the on-site sessions on 16 and 17 June, I'm running an online introduction to early modern legal records on 11 June 2026.

200 years ago the handloom weavers of Lancashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire engaged in a 10-day rising, destroying over 1,100 power looms. To learn more check out our interactive StoryMap: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9a84... #19thCentury #skystorians @sslh.bsky.social @esriuk.bsky.social

Spaces still available for my in-person records workshop on 17 June at The National Archives. I can promise treason records, witchcraft cases, and chunky plea rolls. What more could you want.

Once we've all finished having a good laugh, the upload of items in REQ 2/402 marks another REQ 2 project milestone as we cross the 25k mark. 25,075 items have now been added to the online catalogue since project start. Truly REQceptional.

In my happy place today, looking at King's Bench Plea Rolls. This beauty is from Easter term 1662. TNA KB 27/1842

250 new item descriptions for E 134 Exchequer depositions live on the catalogue this week. Did you know that depositions could be taken overseas? To find them, just search for the country in E 134. Here are the cases relating to North America. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_a...

"Slightly" less creepy charges against Anne and her brother.

Spaces still available for my in-person records workshop on 17 June at The National Archives. I can promise treason records, witchcraft cases, and chunky plea rolls. What more could you want.

At the Restoration in 1660, it was agreed that Charles II's reign began immediately following the death of Charles I a decade earlier, essentially ignoring the Interregnum. Some documents were even retroactively given a regnal year, like this 1649 Commonwealth record dated 1 Car. 2 [E 133/145/72]

Looking forward to this! And the rain has just let up (hopefully for the day), so am strolling into Stratford rather than driving.

Tomorrow (Monday 11 May), I'll be in Stratford upon Avon chatting about some of the Shakespeare-adjacent records I've been researching at The National Archives. www.shakespeare.org.uk/visit/whats-...

I've had to play it cool (because 5 years olds are a contrary bunch) but I've finally got my boys into Horrible Histories.

A reminder that in May 1536 Anne Boleyn was charged with kissing her brother "with their tongues in each other's mouths...with their eyes wide open". And a jury heard that and thought, "sure, that sounds like a realistic way of kissing". [Translated quote taken from the Latin trial record in KB 8/9]

Once we've all finished having a good laugh, the upload of items in REQ 2/402 marks another REQ 2 project milestone as we cross the 25k mark. 25,075 items have now been added to the online catalogue since project start. Truly REQceptional.

If you heard me cackling in the Map Room earlier this week, it's because I was adding this 1630 Court of Requests dispute about a wet beaver (hat) to the online catalogue 🫢 TNA REQ 2/402/73. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2...

and you can see this document (and around 75 others telling the story of the American Revolution) in our exhibition ‘Revolution 250’ at The National Archives - opens 24/06! www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/whats-on/exh... #skystorians

What type of tea was destroyed during the Boston Tea Party? British Sovereign-tea... www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...

🎉 Book launch! Learn more about Criminal Justice and Peace-Making in Early Modern Italy by Paolo Broggio at an online book event on Tuesday May 19th! 📅 Tuesday, May 19, 4pm (GMT) 5pm (CET) 11am (EST) 🖥️ Online Teams Call - buff.ly/4pRQHSc @imems.bsky.social

Spaces still available for my in-person records workshop on Equity and Conciliar Court records at The National Archives on 16 June 2026. The ticket price includes an online intro to Early Modern Legal Records on 11 June. Can't say fairer than that. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/past-early...

If you heard me cackling in the Map Room earlier this week, it's because I was adding this 1630 Court of Requests dispute about a wet beaver (hat) to the online catalogue 🫢 TNA REQ 2/402/73. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2...

"Off thong at back". Don't threaten me with a good time, random King's Bench file.

A great little 16th century Exchequer bill of complaint, the complainant alleging that he was kept prisoner for "2 halfe dayes" and verbally abused for trying to deliver a writ. TNA E 112/2, no 37

Spaces still available for my in-person records workshop on Equity and Conciliar Court records at The National Archives on 16 June 2026. The ticket price includes an online intro to Early Modern Legal Records on 11 June. Can't say fairer than that. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/past-early...

✉️ Explore 145,000 medieval merchant letters as a live map: the correspondence network of Francesco di Marco Datini (c.1363–1412), spanning Florence to Barcelona to North Africa. Visualise routes, travel times & seasonality. docuracy.github.io/datini/ #DigitalHumanities #MedievalHistory

Also just a lovely example of Henry VIII's great seal to go along with the blatant abuse of treason law.

We have some visitors on library lawn today 🪿 #archives #york #spring #gosling

Also just a lovely example of Henry VIII's great seal to go along with the blatant abuse of treason law.

Delighted to be talking about my dissertation research with the lovely folks at the IHR’s British History in the 17th Century seminar this Thursday, April 30 (10:30am Calgary time/5:30pm UK time)! Wish I could be there in person, but I’ll be zooming in instead. www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Nearly time for my Shakespeare (adjacent) talk for Richmond Shakespeare Society, chatting all about the 1640s Chancery case over the ownership of New Place, Stratford upon Avon. Yes, I'm pleased with my title.

Another REQ 2 milestone this morning. Up to REQ 2/400 now searchable to item level online. Two years ago, it was only searchable up to REQ 2/15. 25,000 items and counting. A REQstravaganza. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/r/C...

"Murder by a hand unknown" is giving me real Agatha Christie vibes. This coroner's inquisition predates Christie by a good century, though. [TNA KB 13/8]

Here's Henry VIII's perfectly normal response to Katherine Howard's alleged adultery, the act making it treason for any 'unchaste' woman to marry the king in future... (33 Hen VIII, c. 21) [YHL/PO/PU/1/1541/37H8n33] discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/96...

In my happy place today, looking at King's Bench Plea Rolls. This beauty is from Easter term 1662. TNA KB 27/1842