Saturday 29 April, 10 - 11am or 11.30am - 12.30pm, Cathedral Archives Reading Room, CT1 2HG
This visit to the Cathedral Archives and Library will focus on the early printed books, manuscripts and other sources in the collections. On display will be examples from the archive of the cathedral, which dates from the ninth century onwards and which is included on the UNESCO UK Memory of the World Register. There will also be documents from the archive of the City of Canterbury, including charters and financial records.
Cressida Williams leads the staff team of the Cathedral Archives and Library, which cares for the manuscript and book collection of the Cathedral and other local organisations. Having qualified as an archivist in 1997, she is particularly interested in medieval charters and seals, as well as architectural records.
Based mainly on examples in the Bodleian Library, this lavishly illustrated account tells the story of manuscript production from the early Middle Ages to the high Renaissance. Each stage of production is described, from the preparation of the parchment, pens, paints and inks to the writing of the scripts and the illumination of the manuscript.
Thomas Becket lived at the centre of medieval England. Son of a draper's merchant, he was befriended and favoured by Henry II and quickly ascended the rungs of power and privilege. He led 700 knights into battle, brokered peace between warring states and advised King and Pope.
A gripping tale of the ongoing quest for Becket's mortal remains. John Butler's page-turning account unravels the evidence in this true life medieval mystery.