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Magic and Law: “Witchcraft” Then and Now

Student volunteer and PhD student Charlie Clark‘s new exhibition of items from the University of Exeter’s Special Collections explores the relationship between magic and civil law, from the 16th century to present day. You can find the exhibition in the display case on Level 0 of the Forum Library on Streatham Campus.

Introduction

Much has already been said about the persecution of so-called ‘witches’ in early-modern Europe. Between 1542 and 1736, the introduction and enforcement of the Witchcraft Act in England and Wales meant that the civil arm of the law was responsible for prosecuting individuals suspected of its practice. The accused, disproportionately women, were blamed for causing a range of undesirable circumstances, including illness and death, at Satan’s behest.

A woodcut from *A Century of Ballads*, by John Ashton, 1887. Baring-Gould Library 0501.2

However, the story does not end with the repeal of the Witchcraft Act in 1736. Self-proclaimed ’witches’, or individuals practising ‘witchcraft’ or ’sorcery’, first sought legal recognition and protection in the UK in the twentieth century. Consequently, practitioners reclaiming such terminology continue to engage with one another, with the latter often appealing to the memory of the witch trials to assert their rights. Meanwhile, witchcraft trials continue to take place in the contemporary world. People still alive today have been the focus of accusations, ordeals, and subsequent punishments for their perceived guilt.

This new exhibition of items from the University of Exeter’s Special Collections seeks to raise awareness of the continued relationship between magic and civil law. It first explores early-modern witch trials in England, focusing on the Bideford witch trials that took place in Exeter and the introduction of legal protections for self-proclaimed ‘witches’. The exhibition will conclude with an examination of witchcraft trials in twentieth-century Socotra, demonstrating that such accusations continue to impact communities today.

Witchcraft in Early-Modern England

Discussions concerning witch-hunting in early-modern England should begin with the introduction of the Witchcraft Act in 1542. This law, and its successors (1563, 1604), made civil authorities rather than ecclesiastical ones responsible for the extermination of heretics employing “witchcrafts enchauntmentes or sorceries” (An Act against Conjurations, Witchcrafts, Sorcery and Inchantments; Great Britain Parliament House of Commons, vol. 1). Thus, anyone suspected of using witchcraft to procure knowledge or wealth, or to harm others, would be executed. This was ratified by King James I in 1604 (Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, vol. 4), reemphasising the need to expunge Christian society of witches, who were understood to act at the behest of the Devil. Indeed, King James possessed a keen interest in witchcraft, authoring the Daemonologia (not displayed in this exhibition, but available via the University of Exeter’s Special Collections).

Malleus Maleficarum (Baring-Gould Library 0495)

Such perceptions of the capabilities of and dangers posed by witches, as well as the desire for civil authorities to handle such cases, were codified by the Malleus Maleficarum, “The Hammer of the Witches”, which greatly influenced the later introduction of the Witchcraft Act (Gent, 1982 – Edmund pamphlet 942.359/B40 GEN). Written and published by Heinrich Kramer in Speyer in 1486, the text is divided into three sections. The first is concerned with proving that the heresy of witchcraft exists; the second discusses the powers possessed by witches; and the third describes the ‘appropriate’ procedure for prosecution. Hearsay and other non-verifiable sources of evidence were enough to justify the accusation and arrest of suspects, who tended to be women who occupied socially ambiguous or marginalised positions, such as widows and midwives. The guilt of the accused would be assumed; if the woman maintained her innocence, a confession would be forced by torture “so that the truth will be had from [her] mouth and [she] will no longer offend the ears of the judges” (trans. Mackay, 2015). If the accused did not confess, they would be told that a confession would spare them the death penalty. The Malleus confirms that this was a lie, as it enjoins civil authorities to prescribe death to all those suspected of practising witchcraft, proclaiming “extermination to heretics” (trans. Mackay, 2015). The manuscript on display (Baring-Gould Library 0495) was copied in 1588. Its faded cover and fragile binding, as well as its late production date, bear witness to the popularity and longevity of beliefs surrounding witchcraft during this period.

Prior to the publication of the Malleus, there are few records that describe the prosecution of witches. A surge in the number of trials and prosecutions follow its publication, further demonstrating its widespread impact. Indeed, accusations, trials and death sentences across England typically followed the pattern laid out by the Malleus Maleficarum. One such trial occurred in Devon in 1682, commemorated on a plaque in Heavitree. Gent (1982, Edmund pamphlet 942.359/B40 GEN) recounts how Temperance Lloyd, Mary Trembles and Susanna Edwards were arrested and tried for witchcraft following sensationalised accusations that they had caused illnesses and death, possessed “carnal knowledge” of the Devil, and could perform supernatural acts including shapeshifting. The trial was held at the Exeter Assizes amid much publicity. As the Malleus prescribed, hearsay and public animosity comprised much of the evidence against the accused, and they were manipulated into giving confessions. They were found guilty on the 14th of August and hung eleven days later.

The final execution of a so-called ‘witch’ occurred in 1712, with the victim later royally pardoned (Gent, 1982, Edmund pamphlet 942.359/B40 GEN). The Witchcraft Act was finally repealed in 1736 (Great Britain Parliament House of Commons, vol. 24), marking the end of the witch-hunt craze in England. However, the relationship between ‘witchcraft’ and secular law did not conclude here; rather, it continued further into modernity.

Contemporary Witchcraft: England

An increasing number of individuals, typically adherents of paganism and related faiths, self-identify as witches and practitioners of witchcraft. As a result, several groups have formed to promote and defend the legal recognition and protection of their members. Whilst it’s unclear how many of today’s witches identify with persecuted individuals in early-modern England, proponents of pagan rights continue to cite historic trials and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when advocating for their rights (and rites!) (EUL MS 105/29). Their success sharply contrasts the fervor of the witch hunts a mere three centuries prior.

One such group is the Pagan Front – now known as the Pagan Federation – which was formally established in 1971. Their manifesto, written in 1970, outlines their beliefs and aims. Confidently self-identifying as ‘witches’, the Front acknowledges that, while “past persecution and intolerance” may hinder their public acceptance, “Witches and other Pagans are people, too, and have the same human and civil rights as anyone else” (EUL MS 105/29, emphasis added). Thus, a primary concern of theirs has been to enjoin civil law to protect witches and practitioners of witchcraft.

Indeed, self-identified witches began to use their newfound legal protections to their benefit. An open letter to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, dated the 20th of March 1970, detailed a defamation case against the press (EUL MS 105/29). The Pagan Front referred to false claims that a Wiccan had lured a teenager into witchcraft to seduce her; this accusation had resulted in the destruction of private property belonging to pagans. The letter implied that the Witchcraft Act and its consequences continued to loom over the pagan community – referring to the “repeal of the anachronistic Witchcraft Act”, the letter implores the addressee to understand that the witchcraft practised by modern pagans is not harmful, despite the claims of the Malleus and related texts.

The result of the case described above is unclear. However, the twenty-first century has witnessed a significant progression in the rights of self-proclaimed witches. The 2010 Equality Act protects people of any (or no) faith, including pagans, from discrimination, harassment and victimisation (Legislation.gov.uk). This has resulted in legal cases that would have been unimaginable in early-modern England. Notably, a witch called Karen Holland claimed that she was unfairly dismissed from her job for attending a Halloween festival. The court ruled that the dismissal was indefensible based on religious discrimination and awarded her £15,241.28 (‘Holland v Angel Supermarket Ltd and Anor’, 2013). While it may be the case that witches continue to face discrimination, the law is now on their side.

Contemporary Witchcraft: Socotra

Unlike the English witch hunts, the prosecution of so-called ‘witches’ in Socotra endures in living memory. ‘Witches’ – exclusively women – were tried and excommunicated by law in Socotra, an island currently under Yemeni jurisdiction, until the end of the Sultanate period in 1967 (Peutz, 2009). Accounts detail trials by ordeal and subsequent banishments, which have had an enduring impact on the accused and their families.

John Carter, in his writings on Omani witchcraft (EUL MS 476/1/7), recounts the typical legal proceedings following an accusation of witchcraft in the 1950s. Every year, between fifteen to twenty women would be sent to Hadibo, the capital of Socotra, to be put on trial. If the accused maintained her innocence, the Sultan, who oversaw the law courts, would recommend a trial by ordeal, carried out by a well-reputed Muslim. The accused would be tied up with rocks, taken out to sea and dunked at a depth of fifteen feet. If she hit the seabed three times, she was considered innocent. If she floated back to shore, she was deemed guilty and forced onto the next departing vessel to be exiled. Her children couldn’t go with her. Carter witnessed one such trial of three women in 1955. One admitted her guilt prior to the ordeal, whilst the others were found guilty. All three women were excommunicated, and thus cut off from their families.

The consequences of these trials reverberate even today, sometimes in unexpected ways. Peutz (2009) spoke to both a woman excommunicated on account of her perceived practise of sorcery, and her family back in Socotra. She, like many other banished women, did not openly discuss the reasons for her exile. She continues to support the Socotran economy by sending home monetary gifts, some of which have been used to build important structures including mosques. Meanwhile, her family do discuss the reasons for her banishment – which, at first glance, is unexpected. The Socotran government and populace outwardly treat their “traditional” but “erroneous” beliefs in witchcraft and sorcery (as cited in Peutz, 2009) with palpable embarrassment, referring to the relevant period as the “regime of ignorance” (Peutz, 2009). Despite this, though no longer punishable by law, rumours of its practice still circulate amongst locals. There is no legal protection for anyone who may choose to self-identify as such.

Conclusion

This exhibition has sought to raise awareness of the continued relationship between witchcraft and civil law – not only in Europe, where the history of witch-hunts is well known, but elsewhere in the world. As we have seen, English witches appeal to past persecutions to advocate for their civil rights, which has resulted in the introduction of legal protections. Meanwhile, although witch trials are no longer legal in Socotra, the victims of accusations and their families continue to live with the consequences of persecution and now-defunct laws that targeted so-called ‘witches’. Thus, laws regarding witches and witchcraft continue to impact communities in the contemporary world.

To discover more about these objects, visit the Subject Guide for Esotericism and the Magical Tradition LibGuide here .

Bibliography

‘An Act against Conjurations, Witchcrafts, Sorcery and Inchantments’. [n.d.]. <https://digitalarchive.parliament.uk/book/view?bookName=An%20Act%20against%20Conjurations,%20Witchcrafts,%20Sorcery%20and%20Inchantments&catRef=HL%2fPO%2fPU%2f1%2f1541%2f33H8n8&mfstId=15b0be56-3940-41f6-a0f9-e3e3e2174d80#page/n1/mode/1up> [accessed 7 February 2025]

Great Britain Parliament House of Commons. Journals of the House of Commons. 249 vols(London)

‘Holland v Angel Supermarket Ltd ET/3301005/13’. [n.d.]. Practical Law <https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/3-553-1785?contextData=(sc.Default)&transitionType=Default&firstPage=true> [accessed 7 February 2025]

Legislation.gov.uk. [n.d.]. ‘Equality Act 2010’ (Statute Law Database) <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents> [accessed 7 February 2025]

Mackay, Christopher S. (trans.). 2009. The Hammer of Witches: A Complete Translation of the Malleus Maleficarum, 1st ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)

Peutz, Nathalie Mae. 2009. ‘Heritage and Heresy: Environment, Community, and the State at the Margins of Arabia’ (unpublished Ph.D., United States — New Jersey: Princeton University) <https://www.proquest.com/docview/304986625/abstract/B7D543D243894FC5PQ/1> [accessed 7 February 2025]

Scottish Parliament. 1814. The Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, 1124-1707, Record Commissioners Publications, vol. 4 (London: Record Commission)

Student Volunteering in the University of Exeter’s Special Collections

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As this week is Student Volunteering Week, we are celebrating our amazing student volunteers: Charlie, Ted, Esme and Mitch!

Volunteers make an invaluable contribution towards Special Collections, enabling us to extend the work that can be done by our team, and making our collections more accessible for people to use and enjoy. Volunteering is unpaid, but can offer a wide range of benefits to those who generously volunteer their time with us, including the opportunity to get hands-on with unique collections, to develop new skills and knowledge, and to gain valuable experience which can improve employability.

For the academic year 2024-2025, Special Collections has been delighted to welcome four student volunteers to our team: two Exhibitions Volunteers and two Collections Care Volunteers. The Exhibitions Volunteers have been working with a member of Special Collections staff to plan and co-curate an exhibition of Special Collections materials. The Collections Care Volunteers have been working with a member of Special Collections staff to repackage archive materials into new housing suitable for long-term preservation.

Charlie, Ted, Esme and Mitch have kindly agreed to share some of their experiences of volunteering with Special Collections below. The Special Collections team would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their fantastic work, enthusiasm and dedication.

Charlie (Exhibitions Volunteer)

Since October, I have been fortunate enough to work as an Exhibitions Volunteer with the University’s Special Collections. The role involved many happy afternoons sifting through archival materials in the Ronald Duncan Reading Room, selecting several to display and discuss in an upcoming exhibition on magic and law in the Forum Library. The Special Collections house a number of extraordinarily significant items relating to the history of magic, including a personal favourite; a 1588 copy of the Malleus Maleficarum (Baring-Gould Library 0495), a foundational text for the witch-hunt craze in Europe and North America. Copied 102 years after its initial publication, the worn binding bears witness to the respect afforded to the text – and, therefore, is a sharp reminder of the devastating consequences of its contents. Indeed, engaging with the material aspects of manuscripts and learning what this communicates about the owner, the environment, or the cultural significance of the object and others like it has been my favourite experience. It makes history tangible, so learning how to handle archival material has been invaluable. It has also been exciting to use one manuscript to learn about another, connecting the dots between the available items to create a complete historical picture to present. The Malleus, for example, can somehow be mentioned alongside a pamphlet concerning the Bideford witch trials, almost 400 years its junior! In short, creating an exhibition for the Special Collections has been great fun and a massive privilege, and I’m excited to present my findings.

Ted (Exhibitions Volunteer):

Items from the Jack Clemo literary and personal papers (EUL MS 68)

As a Special Collections Exhibitions Volunteer, I am currently creating an exhibition regarding the life of Jack Clemo (1916-1994), utilising the archives’ considerable collection of: letters and diaries, as well as deeply sentimental objects such as love letters and dog fluff. A religious poet, Clemo remains highly praised for visionary writing on mysticism that was noted for its visceral realism. Set within the backdrop of Cornwall’s clay mining pits, Clemo invoked a “clear, fiery vision” and was referred to by A.L. Rowse as the “progeny… of Thomas Hardy”. This realism and clarity of vision are even more remarkable when considering that Clemo was completely deaf and blind for the vast majority of his adult life; although he was quick to point out that he became blind after the release of his early works. Exploring the Clemo archive within Special Collections offers a remarkable insight into the life of a firebrand poet with a fierce spiritual vision, who was able to write with grounded realism even after his senses had been lost.

Esme (Collections Care Volunteer):

I have loved my experience working as a Collections Care volunteer at the university’s Special Collections. This role has given me a great opportunity to see behind-the-scenes of how an archive operates and the intricacies of managing rare and unique materials. One project I have particularly enjoyed was cleaning and repackaging Alfred William Clapham’s postcard collection, which contained over 2300 postcards of notable landmarks and buildings across Britain. In the process of repackaging, I was also able to read correspondence from as early as 1903, and I enjoyed the detective work of finding the locations of landmarks that Clapham hadn’t been able to locate pre-internet. I was also able to help with the catalogue information for this collection, improving accuracy through counting the postcards and noting dates where they were available. My most recent project has been listing items that were recently collected from the St Luke’s Library, and it has been fascinating to read student periodicals from the 1970s-1990s and gauge their opinions on student life. These items will join the University Archive.

Working in the archives has also allowed me to explore other materials for my own interests, such as Francis James Child’s collection of English and Scottish Ballads, which I enjoyed writing a blog post about. I have also been able to make use of archive resources for my degree, and viewing primary sources in the Special Collections has been invaluable to extending my understanding of material and print cultures and the importance of archives. I would thoroughly recommend volunteering in the Special Collections to anyone interested in these materials, as you get to work with a lovely group of people and gain knowledge about so many different aspects of the work that goes into maintaining these resources.

Mitch (Collections Care Volunteer):

It’s not often that you can approach the curtain of your university programme and peek behind the fabric of journals, articles, and academic excess. The production of knowledge can seem so glossy that you might forget that it must come from somewhere, with brilliant people working tirelessly to categorise, organise, and research the raw materials required for its shine. The University of Exeter’s Special Collections team gave me just that opportunity, and I doubt I’ll ever look at my set-readings in quite the same way.

I applied for the volunteering position because I wanted experience. What experience, exactly? Well, I didn’t quite mind. When studying in the Humanities, job prospects are always in doubt, and so hands get grabby when it comes to opportunities. Of course, I expected the volunteering would give me some experience in archiving, but I hardly knew what that meant. An archive recalls arcane, moss-covered temples with devout robe-wearing scholars meticulously sorting a mine of knowledge, and I’ve largely found that despite a notable lack of moss and robes, that’s not altogether false!

My time with Special Collections has been spent growing familiar with the archive’s wealth of facilities, resources, and rituals. Under the supervision of James, I have developed the skills to handle a range of manuscripts and rare books, repackaging them, and marking them up for storage. My time with James has involved working on the Middle East Collections, becoming not only familiar with the processes of handling and repackaging, but the collection itself. Every step of the way, James talked me through the contexts of manuscripts, and the lives of their predecessors, working to break the sterility of work through an engagement with the cultural artefacts as they passed through my hands.

The Jean Trevor archive has been one of particular interest for me. The opportunity to understand her documents through the context of her life and legacy, and all the while gaining access to her research on rural Nigerian populations and their lived experiences, has been intellectually enriching. Her connection to the University of Exeter was especially attractive, inviting the sense that I was engaging in a localised academic community, albeit in a small way. It has been a pleasure to repackage and sort her notes and research.

Finally, I would recommend the volunteering programme to anyone looking to enrich their engagement with the academy and knowledge studies. The Special Collections archive offers their volunteers the opportunity to see knowledge-production in action, while gaining valuable skills in handling and repackaging fascinating material. Not only that, but I believe the work has clarified potential career choices for me and birthed a wealth of new perspectives on the Culture and Heritage sector. Thank you to both Annie and James for your ongoing support.

Special Collections runs a small volunteering programme, which currently accepts up to four volunteers for time-limited projects (usually three to six months). The volunteering programme is open to university students and staff, as well as members of the public. New volunteering opportunities in Special Collections are advertised at the beginning of the Autumn Term (see University term dates), with any additional spaces being advertised as they become available. Find out more on our Volunteering webpage.

Guest Blog Post: Exploring Connections Between Sabine Baring-Gould and F.J. Child

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By Esme Thompsett, Collections Care Volunteer

This week marks the birthdays of two traditional song scholars with names familiar to anyone interested in folk music, Sabine Baring-Gould and Francis James Child. While volunteering in the University of Exeter’s Special Collections, I was delighted to discover that we had Baring-Gould’s own copies of Child’s The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, and so for this occasion it only seemed right to highlight the correspondence and collaboration between the two.

Child’s 10-volume series is regarded as one of the most important works in traditional song and ballad scholarship, and in the course of exploring the 305 ‘Child Ballads’ he details many song variants, found in both printed forms such as broadsides, and in those from the oral tradition that have been shared with him by song collectors. Baring-Gould was an avid collector himself across Devon and Cornwall, and his work Songs and Ballads of the West was published between 1889-91. Around this time, there is evidence of correspondence between the two, with Baring-Gould offering Child South West variants and additions to songs he included in earlier volumes. In the preface to the seventh volume, Child writes that “The Rev. S. Baring-Gould has done me the great favour of furnishing me with copies of traditional ballads and songs taken down by him in the West of England,” and he similarly offers Baring-Gould “very cordial thanks” in his eighth volume, which is where the majority of Baring-Gould’s contributions feature.

Perhaps his most significant contribution is that of the ballad “Henry Martyn,” which Baring-Gould, in a letter from the 6^th June 1890, remarks “is doubtless Andrew Barton,” Child ballad number 167. While Child remarks that “Henry Martyn” “must have sprung from the ashes of Andrew Barton” (393) he nonetheless includes it in his collection, where it is Child number 250. Baring-Gould’s version becomes Child’s ‘A’ variant of the text, and Child makes use of two versions which Baring-Gould collected, from Matthew Baker of Lew Down, Devon, and Roger Luxton of Halwell, North Devon.

As well as the addition of a new ballad, Child also includes a section of “Additions and Corrections” at the end of this eighth volume, and many of Baring-Gould’s contributions can be found here, drawing directly from traditional singers of the South West. For Child number 78, “The Unquiet Grave,” Baring-Gould writes to Child in 1892 with a version he collected featuring “two stanzas in it new to me,” and Child illustrates these variants, writing, “The Rev. S. Baring-Gould has recovered several copies of ‘The Unquiet Grave’ in the West Country. It will be observed that the variations in this ballad do not take a wide range. The verses are not always sung in the same order; there is not story enough to keep them in place” (474).

As well as including variants of songs collected from traditional singers, Baring-Gould also shares other folk customs with Child. For “The Elfin Knight,” Child adds a note in his “Additions and Corrections” to include Baring-Gould’s description of a practice “from the North of Cornwall, near Camelford … now quite discontinued,” where the song is used “as a sort of game in farm-houses” (439). These examples demonstrate the impact that Baring-Gould’s work had on Child’s scholarship, allowing traditional singers of the South West to contribute to this seminal work.

If you are interested in exploring these items further, the full 10 volumes of the Child Ballads are held by the University of Exeter’s Special Collections, and you can find details on the library catalogue here.

The correspondence between Baring-Gould and Child has been digitised and is available for all to view on the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library website.

And, most importantly, happy 191^stbirthday to Sabine Baring-Gould, and happy 200^th birthday to Francis James Child!

Special Collections Dissertation Guides

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Over the last three months, undergraduate students Joelle Cutting and Charlotte Lovell have been working on a volunteering project here at Special Collections to create dissertation guides for students interested in using archives and rare books. The guides aim to highlight under-used archival collections and encourage more students to the breadth of resources held here in the Special Collections. This blog will introduce you to the project and explore some of the highlights of each guide.

You can find the dissertation guides on the Special Collections LibGuides webpage.

Knowing where to start with your dissertation is an incredibly daunting task, but we hope that the English and History Dissertation guides that we have been working on over the past few months will help. These dissertation guides were created in collaboration with staff from the University’s Special Collections to help students access some of the excellent material in our archives here at Exeter.

Joelle:

After combing through the online archival catalogue, we have organised collections into categories that cover possible avenues of interest for dissertation topics. For example, in the English Dissertation Guide there is a section that lists all the archives relating to writers from the Southwest. We have an exceptional collection of unique material here at Exeter, and these dissertation guides provide a great starting point for research. It is worth noting that for those doing a creative writing dissertation, or doing a joint honours course that includes a language, there are opportunities discussed in the guide too. Some of the collections offer inspiration for a creative writing dissertation and others are written in other languages, providing the chance for translation. Plenty of the collections have had very little research done about them and provide plenty of scope for a unique and original dissertation topic.

Within the guides, there is introductory information on how to use the guides themselves and how to navigate the online archival catalogue which holds information about all of the archives in our Special Collections. The physical archival material discussed in the guide is kept in the Old Library and can be viewed by booking an appointment on the Special Collections website — the guide contains further details on how to do this.

Charlotte and I have learnt so much about the collections during this project, so we thought we would share some highlights from the collections that we found particularly interesting.

The English Dissertation Guide includes topics such as well-known writers, poetry, theatre, and journalism, but also features more niche topics that you may not have considered. One of the elements of the archival material that we have here at Exeter which surprised me was the amount of biographical writing. After studying the genre of life writing more closely on the Transatlantic Literary Relations module in second year, I was made aware of how this genre of writing has been often overlooked. I think that the wealth of biographical material we have in our archives could inspire an interesting exploration of the life writing genre and its importance.

EUL MS 413 Letters of John Jarmain documenting his experiences in North Africa and South Italy during the Second World War from June 1942 until November 1943

Another topic in this guide that particularly excited me was the Art and Literature section. Art and literature are both creative outputs that influence culture and oftentimes influence each other. In our collections here at Exeter we have material relating to the collaboration between poet Ted Hughes and artist Leonard Baskin which might prove to be of particular interest to those who studied Modernism and Modernity in their second year. Aside from these two examples there is a real wealth of material to explore in the Special Collections, so if you’re feeling stuck with your dissertation, I really do encourage you to go and have a look for yourself!

Charlotte:

I hope that the history dissertation guide will be helpful, as one of the biggest hurdles when writing any piece of history is locating relevant and reliable primary sources. This guide is organised into thematic categories ranging from politics and government, military and scientific history to religious/folk, education or women’s history and so much more. Each category is then organised into three general period distinctions of medieval, early modern and modern, to make navigation and discovery optimal. Obviously, categorisation is not this clear cut, and it is worth looking through categories you might not be immediately drawn to as these sources will have a plethora of uses not necessarily restricted to the more obvious categories. It is for this reason that the guide will often signpost the collections that can be used very clearly in multiple collections.

The guide intends to highlight underused collections in a way that also encourages creative and interdisciplinary approaches. To do this, each section concludes with a few ideas for how the guides can be used, including comparative methods of research. This was one of my favourite parts of creating the guide. As my degree is only three years, and as there is only so much history one can write in that time, it was very refreshing and thought-provoking to look for ideas and themes within areas of history I wouldn’t normally get to explore. For example, I found the history of education collections fascinating, especially the Margaret Littlewood papers on Ford Manor (a school of music and physical therapy) and how they might connect to the Sue Jennings papers on dramatherapy. Exploring these collections opened my eyes to the innovative educational methods and therapeutic practices from different historical periods, and how they intersected with broader cultural and social trends.

The guide also highlights some important standalone collections, like the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum and the Hypatia collection. The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the history of film and cinema. It houses an extensive range of artefacts, from early cinema apparatus and memorabilia to film posters and personal papers of filmmakers. This collection is perfect for exploring the evolution of cinematic technology and the cultural impact of film through the ages.

The Hypatia collection is dedicated to literature by and about women. It’s a huge collection that covers a wide range of topics, from women’s suffrage and feminist theory to women’s contributions in various fields. This collection is invaluable for understanding the historical and ongoing struggles and achievements of women, providing rich primary sources for research on gender studies. You can find out more about the Hypatia collection on the Special Collections’ LibGuides.

Something that cannot be understated is the wealth of resources available at the University’s archives. This project took over 12 weeks and still will only be able to scratch the surface of the research opportunities available in the University’s archives. I highly encourage, at any part of your degree, to have a look at the guide and begin to think about how the University’s collection can be utilised in your work. And, most importantly, going into the collection and seeing some of the incredible archives you have access to while at the University of Exeter.

‘It was an amazing experience to handle books that have been used for centuries before me!’; Reflections on volunteering with Special Collections by Viktor Speredelozzi

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Example of mirror writing in ‘Processionale’ [EUL MS 262/1, f. 128v]

Over the past year, student Viktor Speredelozzi has been volunteering with Special Collections. Viktor used his knowledge of Latin and the medieval period to analyse medieval manuscripts in the Syon Abbey Collection and identify details – such as historiated initials and marginalia – to add to the notes section of the already existing catalogue descriptions for each manuscript. Below Viktor shares some of his impressions and reflections on the experience. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Viktor for his excellent work and wish him every success for the future.

For the 2022-2023 school year I was privileged enough for the opportunity to volunteer at the University of Exeter’s special collections. My duty was cataloguing Syon Abbey’s mediaeval manuscripts. Syon Abbey belonged to the Bridgettine Order. It was the only Bridgettine house for women in England. It was really fascinating to work with these manuscripts, piece together how they were made, and how they might have been used by the nuns.

Historiated initial showing the Virgin Mary in ‘Horae’ [EUL MS 262/2, f. 69v]

I’ve been able to look at a lot of mediaeval manuscripts during my studies at Exeter. I’ve looked at manuscripts online and in person at the Exeter Cathedral, Oxford, Stockholm, and Munich. Manuscripts commonly have red rubrication to mark paragraphs. However, Syon Abbey is unique in its use of yellow ink for rubrication. This collection is also special in its use of charming little human profiles on some of the letters. It’s always a treat to find one!

EUL MS 262/1 is one of the manuscripts I catalogued. It is a processional and contains an example of mirror writing on folio 128v. No other catalogues mentioned that was in the manuscript, so it was really cool to find something that others had missed.

EUL MS 262/2 is small, but the art is still incredibly detailed. It contains many historiated initials of the Virgin Mary and an unidentified woman (possibly Mary Magdalen?), calling attention to the fact this manuscript was made for and used by nuns. The Virgin Mary and the other woman both wear beautiful clothes with gold embroidery. The colours are still incredibly vibrant despite being made centuries ago.

Obit of Sister Alice Langton in ‘Horae’ [EUL MS 262/2, f 3r]

The archives welcome classes of students to come see the manuscripts. During one class, Professor Catherine Rider pointed out Sister Alice’s obituary to me. On folio 3r, of EUL MS 262/2 the calendar documents Sister Alice Langton (one of the nuns) died in 1491. This is just one example of how the nuns used the manuscripts. Perhaps Sister Alice’s fellow nuns added her name in this manuscript because it was one of her favourites as a way to celebrate her life.

I really enjoyed cataloguing seven of Syon Abbey’s manuscripts this school year. It was an amazing experience to handle books that have been used for centuries before me!

Volunteering at the Ronald Duncan Collection

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University of Exeter Special Collections is lucky to have a number of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. In this blog post our Volunteer Rhiannon McLoughlin talks about her experiences volunteering with the Ronald Duncan Collection.

When I say I work in a library people often respond with “Oh do you like reading?” Whilst I do like reading this doesn’t tend to be part of the job description! However, my time volunteering at Exeter University Special Collections during 2017 in order to gain some insight into the differences between library and archive work did, I am happy to report, involve a lot of reading.

When I found I was to work alongside Project Archivist Caroline Walter on the Ronald Duncan Collection I was intrigued as he is not an author I had come across before. Caroline kindly loaned me the first volume of his autobiography and I enjoyed getting to know this colourful character alongside the work.

I started out cataloguing the Ronald Duncan book collection. Cataloguing books for an archive is a far slower process than the new library books I normally deal with but can be much more fascinating. I found myself leafing through items looking for anything that made them singular – notes, dedications, markings, edition numbers, or inserts of letters, press cuttings, even a risqué postcard!

I was impressed by the wide variety of writings Duncan produced. Writer, poet, playwright, librettist and editor the collection shows his interests lay in many directions. As a Devonian I particularly enjoyed the local connection and could not help but stop occasionally to read bits and pieces about North Devon life. Whilst his former home and rented buildings may look idyllic now it sounded a far more hardy existence then in wartime and winter months. The tales of pouncing on items washed up on the beach particularly made me chuckle whilst his “Guide to housebuilding and smallholdings” and volume on tobacco farming demonstrated his determination to turn his hand to self-sufficiency.

The book collection contains not only his own writing career but writings and responses by others to his work- from letters in journals to student theses about him. There are works in progress, annotated books, proof copies and newsletters pieced together. There are a large number of different literary journals he contributed to and programmes for his plays. There are anthologies where his verse was included – “The site: choose a dry site…” seems a particularly popular choice. There are also items translated into other languages including Polish and Turkish and of course various musical scores and items relating to his work with Benjamin Britten.

I found some of Ronald Duncan’s self-published items by his own Rebel Press to be of especial interest. These are often short limited edition runs such as the volume “Auschwitz” with sobering illustrations and a volume of poems by Virginia Maskell under a pseudonym [Leaves of Silence by Simon Orme].

The book collection indicates the important relationships in Ronald Duncan’s life. Most copies of his own work are signed by him and many are also signed “desk copy” so were clearly his own personal copies – one amusingly “if anywhere else it was stolen”! But many of his books are variously inscribed to friends and family – including a multitude to his wife Rose Marie – usually loving inscriptions but some hinting at more challenging times in their relationship. A particular marker of his friendship with Gandhi are gifts of tiny books of silvery woody paper with Gandhi’s writings – one complete with woodworm holes spiralling throughout.

Once I had finished cataloguing the book collection I began to read through some of Rose Marie’s diaries in preparation for digitisation and also to sort photographs into archival wallets. Rose Marie’s diaries are written in a lively and readable style and give a real sense of the challenges of their North Devon lifestyle (including having the band Deep Purple stay in their rental property) and provide a further window onto Ronald Duncan’s work. Repackaging photographs offered pictures of their life I had been getting to know through words – family members, the house, the coast and their beloved horses.

I volunteered to get experience of archival work but found myself equally glad to have gained experience of Ronald Duncan. Working on this collection I got drawn in by the writing and whilst I found myself often having to record that there were signs of damp in the condition note of the books I rather liked the sense that gave of somebody working away at the edge of the sea in his little writer’s hut.

Exploring Christmas at Syon Abbey

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My name is Sophie and I am currently a third year student at the University of Exeter, studying for a BA joint honours degree in History and Archaeology. In September I began volunteering at the University’s Special Collections, allowing me to gain valuable work experience, as I hope to pursue a career in the heritage sector. I have spent my time as a volunteer working with the Syon Abbey archive. My main role has been cataloguing the 100 diaries of the community from the late nineteenth to the twenty-first century at item level. I have enjoyed this task as it has provided me with a detailed insight into the daily life of the community.

Sophie with a sheet of 1950s Christmas wrapping paper found inside one of the diaries in the Syon Abbey archive

References to Christmas in the Syon Abbey diaries

As Christmas is fast approaching, I wanted to share some details of the celebrations that are recorded in the diaries. Many of the diaries mention the sisters’ festive decoration of the Abbey. For example, in a diary kept in 1955, an entry states that ‘the sisters’ gifts were hung on a large Xmas tree gaily decorated and illuminated with colourful lights’ and that ‘all danced around the tree and sang the Jubilee song’ [EUL MS 389/ADM/5/54]. This heart-warming image of the community is particularly festive and is one of my favourite entries from the diaries.

The sisters gave gifts as a sign of their love and affection for each other, especially during the Christmas period. The diary for 1906 contains a beautiful handmade paper snowflake, given to the abbess as a gift [EUL MS 389/ADM/5/12]. The community’s enthusiasm for gift giving can also be found in the diary for 1954 which records the gifts given to the Abbey’s gardeners and farm hands. The presents included: an electric kettle, socks, tobacco, biscuits, cake, pudding, butter, tea, and a hen [EUL MS 389/ADM/5/52]. This particular diary contains many more festive references, and even an inserted piece of 1950s Christmas wrapping paper. It also contains a lovely anecdote about how the Abbess ‘thoroughly enjoyed herself’ when she carved the Christmas turkey!

Elsewhere in the Syon Abbey Collection…

In addition to the diaries that I have been working with, the Syon Abbey Collection (which includes the archive and collections of printed books and manuscripts from the Syon Abbey library) contains further material relating to the celebration of Christmas. For example, within the Medieval and Modern Manuscript Collection is a Syon manuscript entitled ‘A Discourse or Entertainment for ye sacred time of Advent’, written by the abbess in 1657, containing spiritual exercises for the nuns to undertake during Advent [EUL MS 262/add2/5].

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A particular favourite of mine in the Syon Abbey archive is a box containing small illuminated prayer cards with detailed calligraphy and hand drawn images relating to Christmas [EUL MS 389/CRE/3]. These beautiful pieces of art were created by Sister Mary Veronica during her religious life at Syon Abbey between 1933 and 2008.

EUL MS 389/CRE/3 – A Christmas prayer card created by Sister Mary Veronica Kempson, c 1933-2008.
Provided for research and reference only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use this work must be obtained from University of Exeter Special Collections (http://as.exeter.ac.uk/heritage-collections/) and all copyright holders.

The Syon Abbey Medieval and Modern Manuscript Collection contains an illuminated transcript of the words and musical notation for ‘In Vigilia Nativitatis’ (which translates to ‘On Christmas Eve’) from the Roman Martyrology [EUL MS 262/add1/111]. This is a proclamation of the birth of Christ and would traditionally have been chanted or recited on Christmas Eve. It also contains a note on the back which details that the ‘Syon melody’ was originally taken from the Lisbon book and was handed down orally with some alterations. This ‘Christmas Martyrology’ was created in 1952 by Sister Mary Stanislas, of whom more artwork can be found in the Syon Abbey archive.

EUL MS 262/add1/111 – ‘In Vigilia Nativitatis’, created by Sister Mary Stanislas in 1952.
Provided for research and reference only. Permission to publish, copy, or otherwise use this work must be obtained from University of Exeter Special Collections (http://as.exeter.ac.uk/heritage-collections/) and all copyright holders.

To close…

The Syon Abbey Collection contains an array of fascinating material, including many insights into how the community celebrated Christmas. To find out more about the Syon Abbey Collection click here, or head to the Special Collections website to search our online archives catalogue. For those feeling festive, why not take a look at our Twitter account, where we are posting images from across the collections in our very own virtual Advent Calendar.

By Sophie Morgan, Volunteer