CEMS Exeter
LightNews LightNews
banner
cemsexeter.bsky.social
CEMS Exeter
@cemsexeter.bsky.social
2.4K followers 40 following 29 posts
University of Exeter Centre for Early Modern Studies - a place for interdisciplinary exchange among staff and students and engagement with the wider academic world.
(Posts by Lucy Hurst).
Posts Replies Media Videos
cemsexeter.bsky.social
The CEMS Research Showcase will be held this Wednesday 26 November, 3.30-5pm. Six CEMS researchers from across departments will tell us briefly about their work in Forum Seminar Room 10 & on Zoom (Hybrid).

The attached schedule contains a list of speakers and the Zoom link. @lsangha.bsky.social
CEMS Research Showcase schedule on Weds 26 November, 3.30-5pm
November 25, 2025 at 6:21 PM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
We are delighted to welcome Dr Kate Gibson (Manchester) on Wednesday 12 November, 3.30-5pm in Forum Seminar Room 10 and on Teams for the following CEMS seminar:

'Fostering and Adoption in Eighteenth-Century Britain'.

Full description attached. Please join us! @lsangha.bsky.social
A text description of ‘Fostering and Adoption in Eighteenth-Century Britain’
November 10, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
emilymayvine.bsky.social
A round up of recent @materialwills.bsky.social project news below 👇

Including recent @zooniverse.bsky.social milestones, project meetings, and new blog posts!

#earlymodern #history #skystorians @leverhulme.ac.uk @uoearchhist.bsky.social @cemsexeter.bsky.social
materialwills.bsky.social The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · 27d
It's been a busy week for the project!

1. A huge milestone: we're delighted to share that our @zooniverse.bsky.social volunteers have now checked ALL images! 🎉

Thank you to everyone who has contributed.

We're going to pause Zooniverse for now while we evaluate if more training is required.

🧵1/4
November 3, 2025 at 7:45 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
Upcoming event: The Quay Words writer-in-residence, Chris Hoban, will share his narrative song-cycle, telling tales from Exeter’s Quay. Chris will be joined by renowned historian, Professor Mark Stoyle.

Thursday 30 October, 18.30-19.30

Book: quaywords.org.uk/events/chris...
@lsangha.bsky.social
Quay Words at Exeter Custom House | Writer-in-residence Chris Hoban with Professor Mark Stoyle
quaywords.org.uk
October 27, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
lsangha.bsky.social
📢TODAY📢

Tune in to hear @bhamhistory.bsky.social and @emilymayvine.bsky.social discuss our unique methodology 👇

Weds 22 Oct, 5pm
Zoom
#EarlyModern 🗃️ #DigitalHumanities @cemsexeter.bsky.social @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social @uoearchhist.bsky.social @dhlabexeter.bsky.social
materialwills.bsky.social The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · Oct 14
Project Research Fellows Harry Smith and Emily Vine are looking forward to speaking as part of the Warwick History 'Post-Doc' Club series, next Wed 22 October @ 17.00.

They'll be discussing 'Digitization & Citizen Science'📜💻

Follow this link for Zoom details:
warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his...
A poster with a white background and black text, with a blue border at the top of the poster, and photographs of manuscripts. The title of the poster reads Warwick History ‘POST-DOC’ CLUB METHODOLOGIES SERIES. Online Meeting: Weds 22 October at 5pm DIGITIZATION & CITIZEN SCIENCE: Inviting collaborative research to transcribe handwriting. With Harry Smith and Emily Vine of the Material Culture of Wills, 1540-1790 project at the University of Exeter.
October 22, 2025 at 6:23 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
CEMS members are invited to attend ‘Conflict, War and Violence in the Early Modern World’, a two-day conference taking place at the University of Exeter on 30-31 October 2025.

Full programme attached.

Register attendance (for one or both days) via: earlymodernwar@gmail.com

@lsangha.bsky.social
Conference Poster for 30-31 October, ‘Conflict, War and Violence in the Early Modern World’, University of Exeter
October 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
Today! Please join us for the first CEMS Seminar of the year: Dr Emily Vine, 'Birth, Death, and Domestic Religion in early modern London'. 2.30-4pm in Forum Seminar Room 5 and on Teams. Hope to see you there!
#earlymodern
October 8, 2025 at 6:47 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
TOMORROW! (5 March) Professor Catherine Hall will be delivering our annual early modern history lecture, "Racial Capitalism across the Black/White Atlantic". 15:30 to 17:00 in the Newman Red lecture theatre, or on Zoom. Register here: racialcapitalism.eventbrite.co.uk
#earlymodern
Racial Capitalism across the Black/White Atlantic
A lecture by Professor Catherine Hall on the question: what was ‘racial capitalism’ in its C18 form?
racialcapitalism.eventbrite.co.uk
March 4, 2025 at 9:43 PM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
Our first CEMS event of the term will be on 29 January at 2pm in the Old Library: 'Exeter & Gambling: The ‘Bewitching Lotteries’ of Virginia', from Emily Rose. In addition to the talk, there will be a showcase of archival materials from the Special Collections. Hope to see you there! #earlymodern
January 27, 2025 at 9:08 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
Professor Catherine Hall will be delivering our annual early modern history lecture, "Racial Capitalism across the Black/White Atlantic". Join us on Wednesday 5 March from 15:30 to 17:00 in the Newman Red lecture theatre, or on Zoom. Register here: racialcapitalism.eventbrite.co.uk
#earlymodern
Racial Capitalism across the Black/White Atlantic
A lecture by Professor Catherine Hall on the question: what was ‘racial capitalism’ in its C18 form?
racialcapitalism.eventbrite.co.uk
January 21, 2025 at 7:07 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
Today! Professor Rebecca Probert (Exeter Law School) will be giving a paper titled ‘Criminalizing remarriage: the scope of the Bigamy Act of 1604’ at 3.30pm in Forum Seminar Room 4, and online on Teams. Hope to see you there! #EarlyModern
December 4, 2024 at 5:02 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
On Wednesday, 04 December Professor Rebecca Probert (Exeter Law School) will be giving a paper titled ‘Criminalizing remarriage: the scope of the Bigamy Act of 1604’. Join us at 3.30pm in Forum Seminar Room 4 or on Teams. #EarlyModern
November 28, 2024 at 2:01 PM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
A reminder that our AGM is tomorrow in Forum Seminar room 4 and online at 3:30. If you want to add anything to the agenda please get in touch, and we look forward to seeing you there! #EarlyModern
October 1, 2024 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
emilymayvine.bsky.social
There's a new "Will of the Month" blog post over at @materialwills.bsky.social , looking at the will of a man 'local' to @uniofexeter.bsky.social, who was 3 x mayor of the city. #twitterstorians #earlymodern #history
@cemsexeter.bsky.social
materialwills.bsky.social The Material Culture of Wills Project @materialwills.bsky.social · Sep 24
📢 NEW Will of the Month Blog Post! 📢

To mark the new academic year, we look at the will of a man 'local' to the University of Exeter.

Read about the charitable bequests of an Exeter Alderman, his pots & pans, & a box locked with 2 keys 🔑 #history #EarlyModern sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
A photograph of St Petrock's Church, Exeter, photo by Robert Cutts from Bristol - , CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43766974
September 24, 2024 at 7:20 AM
cemsexeter.bsky.social
We're pleased to announce our autumn programme! The early modern futures reading group will return, alongside a presentation from Exeter's own Rebecca Probert and a screening of Il Moro for #BlackHistoryMonth. But first our AGM, 2nd October, online and forum room 4! #EarlyModern
September 18, 2024 at 2:36 PM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
lsangha.bsky.social
September! If, like me, that means a switch to teaching preparation, here's a reminder that our many-headed monster blog hosts loads of useful short introductions to #EarlyModern History topics as well as posts on the discpline of History more broadly 🗃️

In this thread I will highlight a few. 1/
September 2, 2024 at 8:04 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
lsangha.bsky.social
📢EXCELLENT RESOURCE KLAXON📢

warwick.ac.uk/cwad

V. Hitchman & teams' #EarlyModern parish data inc. 🗃️

1) Spreadsheet listing ALL parishes in England and Wales, with maps showing them

2) individual spreadsheets for all counties, showing survival/finding info for churchwarden accounts
Part of a spreadsheet listing details of parishes in Devon, on the right part of a map of Devon divided into parishes
July 15, 2024 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
willpooley.bsky.social
Hard, cold, and short? The first episode of @markhailwood.bsky.social’s NEW Historical Association podcast busting some common assumptions about life in early modern England history.org.uk/podcasts/cat...

manyheadedmonster.com/2024/07/16/w... 🗃️
Everyday Life in a 17th Century English Village Episode 1
In this episode, Dr Hailwood (University of Bristol) asks whether everyday life in English villages 400 years ago was really as uncomfortable and harsh as we generally tend to think. Not everybody die...
history.org.uk
July 16, 2024 at 7:26 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
lsangha.bsky.social
📣NEW TODAY: my report on our 'What's in a Will?' workshops📣

Find out what we got up to at The National Archives and in the University of Exeter's Digital Humanities Lab

#EarlyModern 🗃️

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Two photos, on the left a folded up document with handwriting on it; on the right groups of people sit around tables talking, with laptops on the tables in front of them
July 9, 2024 at 6:17 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
materialwills.bsky.social
📢NEW POST📢

From different versions of wills, to household items, to exploring the Zooniverse, our latest post reflects on activities and conversations at our recent workshops

#EarlyModern 📇

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Photo of Exeter's Digital Humanities Lab seminar room with lots of people sat around desks with papers and computers on them, many look towards a very large video screen showing a presentation
July 9, 2024 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
materialwills.bsky.social
Thanks so much to all the participants at our first What's in a Will Workshop at The National Archives yesterday. We had numerous interesting conversations, plus we are delighted to report that our workshoppers transcribed 350 lines from our #EarlyModern wills during the day! 📇
Phot of some of the workshop delegates seated around tables hard at work transcribing wills Photo of Emily Vine standing next to a screen, she is presenting to workshop attendees seated in front of her Photo of some workshop delegates seated at tables enjoying lunch and conversation
June 18, 2024 at 8:39 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
materialwills.bsky.social
We have a few spaces left at our free Exeter 'What's in a Will' workshop - open to anyone with an interest in historical wills and/or deciphering old handwriting! #History #Devon @cemsexeter.bsky.social

Fri 21 June Uni of Exeter
www.eventbrite.com/e/whats-in-a...
What's in a Will? A free workshop on using wills in historical research
A hands-on workshop at The University of Exeter run by 'The Material Culture of Wills, England 1560-1790’ project team.
www.eventbrite.com
May 28, 2024 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
materialwills.bsky.social
At the workshop we discussed exactly how Transkribus (the Handwritten Text Recognition platform we use on the project) works.

It's not exactly the same but there are parallels with Large Language Models (LLMs), good explainer for those here: www.theguardian.com/technology/n...
May 16, 2024 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by CEMS Exeter
adamchapman.bsky.social
'Citizen Humanities' is concept that - as General Editor of @vchlondon.bsky.social (which has been using these approaches in myriad different ways for 125 years), I'm pretty familiar with: the tools and accessibility of material changes but history as a collective/collaborative endeavour does not!
May 15, 2024 at 3:27 PM