The community of the realm in Scotland, 1249–1424
History, law and charters in a recreated kingdom

22 September 2018, Newbattle Abbey College, 12pm-5pm

In partnership with Newbattle Abbey College, which lies on the site of the old medieval abbey, the project will run an interactive history afternoon on ‘The People of Medieval Scotland’ (PoMS) database and the information it contains about medieval Newbattle and its environs.

About:

The People of Medieval Scotland (www.poms.ac.uk) is an interactive database providing information on the identity and relationships of over 20,000 individuals known to have lived and worked in medieval Scotland between 1093 and 1314. It is a key source for the public to find out about the people who lived and worked in their locality during the medieval period. But who were they?

Our interactive afternoon of public history will not only highlight current research on Newbattle and its early history, it will also show users how to get the most out of the PoMS database so that they can write this history themselves. It will be centred around the question: What does the PoMS database tell us about the lands and people associated with Newbattle Abbey in the first quarter millennium of its existence? And how did people connect to and interact with the wider political world of the Scottish kingdom and community in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

The venue is wheelchair-accessible and please do contact the organisers at cotr2020@gmail.com if you have any specific requirements.

Sign up here: https://newbattle-peopleofmedievalscotland.eventbrite.co.uk

Programme:

From midday: Arrival, registration and lunch

1300-1330: Introduction: The People of Medieval Scotland database and the Community of the Realm project. (Alice Taylor, Dauvit Broun, Matthew Hammond, Joanna Tucker)

1330-1340: Tea

1340-1425: Introductory Papers:

(1) Newbattle Abbey’s cartulary: its documents and charters (Joanna Tucker)

(2) Three PoMS stories about medieval Newbattle (Matthew Hammond)

/break/ 1425–1445: Tea

1445-1530: Workshop 1: how to use the PoMS database (focus: Midlothian)

1530–1600: Workshop 2: The centre and the local: how to connect individuals in the medieval world.

1600–1700: Playing around with the database (find a person or place who means something to you!), and feedback.

There will be prizes!!!

At the end, participants will be invited to do their own research using the PoMS database and to write up their findings. The prizes for the best entries will be awarded at a conference in April 2020, marking the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, at Newbattle Abbey College.