So that’s the first day’s research at the Bodleian is done. Carte Manuscript 64 turns out to be a gem of a manuscript. Apart from the tine handwriting, which gave me a serious bit of trouble this morning (English secretary hand is not really what I’m used to), and the fact that half of the margins are either cut off or disappeared into the binding the contents are just spectacular. I already found a reference to two powdermakers from Namen/Namur employed by the Confederates Irish. Exactly the kind of thing I am hoping to find.
The reading room for the Special Collections is temporarily located in the Radcliffe Science Library. The fact that it is based in a basement can get to you, though. Sunlight is a vital factor for any historian (and is often forgotten, but spending the day in a room with no windows really reminds you). So I had my lunch in the botanic garden and made a couple of pictures on the way.
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