I have just started my third and final year of my
undergraduate degree at Bath Spa University. This is also my first year of
working in the Bath Spa Archive.
Acts of Parliament. Photo by Lisa Coomes |
The main reason why this placement interested me is because
it would allow me to use the skills I have learnt in an actual historical
project and to learn more about the history of my university. Since starting in
the archive I have been cataloguing books we have received from the Bath Record
Office, mainly Acts of Parliament. The process of cataloguing I have heard
mentioned many times in lectures but have never thought of the actual process
you have to go through. As we were not a 100% sure what we had received and the
condition of each item, I had to look at each book individually and note it all
down. Whilst doing this I found interesting this inside the books such as an envelope with a stamp from 1950 with a stamp of George VI. I found this really exciting as I don't think I have ever seen another monarch other than Queen Elizabeth II on a stamp before. At the end of the last session in the archive, I started putting it all into
the computer. The thing I learnt most from doing this, was the format in which
documents are recorded.
Envelope found in one of the Acts of Parliament. Photo by Lisa Coomes |
As I mentioned above, I also chose this placement because I
wanted to learn more about the history of the university I have been at for the
last 3 years. Since, starting in the archives I have learnt a lot of the history
about the estate. From learning that the castle itself was a tower of the
original 14th century house to the architectural designs and changes
put in when the estate was developed to make it suitable for the women's college. I have also discovered places I have never seen in the university such
as the servant’s service corridor under the main house and the Octagon room!
Despite being at the university for 3 years I have never
been exposed to the history. One of my main personal aims for the project would
be to share the history of the estate and the archive on a wider scale within
the university.
By Lisa Coomes