Dr Laura Sangha
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lsangha.bsky.social
Dr Laura Sangha
@lsangha.bsky.social
7.6K followers 630 following 4.6K posts
Associate Prof at Exeter Uni | English history 1480-1700 | CI: Material Culture in English Wills | reformation | angels & ghosts | she/her | brown-ish | 1st gen

Wills Project: https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcultureofwills/
Blog: manyheadedmonster.com
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lsangha.bsky.social
Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · Nov 5
📜WILLS ON THE RADIO!📜

The brilliant Chris Hoban was on local radio talking about the wills project and playing some songs!

This one is perhaps my favourite: based on the will of London widow Alice Walter, proved September 1665. TNA PROB 11/317/428.

#EarlyModern 🗃️

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXwB...
Chris Hoban - Rings On My Fingers (one )
YouTube video by Will Pollard
www.youtube.com
lsangha.bsky.social
Before Christmas I wrote a post about Christmas names in The National Archives' wills collection.

It turns out our techical expert, Mark Bell (TNA) wrote a post about what we can learn from naming patterns in the collection many years ago:

webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/201512...

🗃️
January 7, 2026 at 11:21 AM
lsangha.bsky.social
6 black shapes in a line, the second is a star shape, the other shapes are amuptated versions of the star.
January 7, 2026 at 6:48 AM
lsangha.bsky.social
#EarlyModern 🗃️
markhailwood.bsky.social Mark Hailwood @markhailwood.bsky.social · 21h
Kick started the new work year with another installment of my 'research walk', retracing the parish boundaries of 17thC Portishead for my book on 'Everyday Life in the 17thC Village'. Got a taste of the 'Little Ice Age' - a period of colder temperatures that impacted the 17thC - by going out in -1!
A frosty churchyard
January 6, 2026 at 4:13 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
Pub name of the day: The Pig and Bee Hive

🐷🐝

Will of Henry Holder, proved 1785
Handwritten will that mentions 'the sign of the Pig and Bee Hive victualling house in Honey Lane Market, Cheapside'
January 6, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Sangha
exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social
Our collections of archives, maps and rare books are available for everyone to access for research, interest or enjoyment in the Reading Room!

When visiting us, please:
🗓️ Book in advance
🧼 Wash your hands with soap and water
✏️ Bring a pencil or electronic device (no pens!)

Book your visit here ⬇️
LibGuides: Visiting Heritage Collections: Reading Room booking form
LibGuides: Visiting Heritage Collections: Reading Room booking form
libguides.exeter.ac.uk
January 6, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Dr Laura Sangha
exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social
We are delighted to announce that we are starting off the new year with THREE new exhibitions in the Forum Library!

Level -1: Find out about life as an international student in Exeter in the 1930s 🎓

Level 0: Gallop back in time for the Year of the Horse 🐎

Level +1: Explore some Devonshire fungi 🍄
Green background with a Special Collections border at the top and bottom of the box. The white and light green text reads: 'NEW Special Collections exhibitions available to explore in the Forum Library!' In the centre of the box are three photographs of small exhibition cases (each with three or four shelves) featuring archival items and rare books. Under the three photographs is 'Level -1', 'Level 0', and 'Level +1'.
January 6, 2026 at 3:08 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
New year's resolution: to one day also own eleven small cheese plates 🧀🧀🧀

Will of Elizabeth Gill, TNA PROB 11/1130/310
handwriting that reads 'and eleven small cheese plates'
January 6, 2026 at 10:15 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Sangha
lrylandepton.bsky.social
It is John Aubrey’s 400th anniversary this year! My next book publishes his Natural History in full for the 1st time. It is not the quaint collection of random anecdotes suggested by the heavily edited 1847 version, but cutting edge c17 science all penned with Aubrey’s characteristic brilliance.
January 4, 2026 at 1:06 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
'I Give and Bequeath to the said George Calloot Rice my picture Painted in Oils by Hamilton of Saint James's Street London in or about the year 1754 in a Chinese Dress at that time esteemed a very Strong Resemblance of me'.

And lo and behold! Here is the painting. (Refs in next post).
Painting of Thomas Keymer of Kidwelly, he wears a distinctive pointed red hat and has gold decoration on his clothes.
January 5, 2026 at 4:05 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
📢 Historical occupation klaxon: Pew Opener.

Just came across a bequest to the pew opener of Portland Chapel, Mrs Sarah Fuller, in this 1785 will [PROB 11/1127/29]

@sarahmurden.bsky.social explains the role in this post georgianera.wordpress.com/2023/10/09/t...

🗃️
A line from am 18th-century English will that reads 'to Mrs Sarah Fuller Pew opener of Portland Chapel'.
January 5, 2026 at 11:39 AM
lsangha.bsky.social
pleased to report I have seen them all IRL!
exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social University of Exeter Special Collections @exeterunispeccoll.bsky.social · 2d
Today is National Bird Day! 🪶

One of our favourite items in the collections is a 19th century volume containing 76 watercolour illustrations by an unknown artist of birds local to Devon and Cornwall.

📷 EUL MS 23; digitised by @dhlabexeter.bsky.social

#NationalBirdDay #BirdDay #Archives
Opened book, showing two small watercolour illustrations of birds mounted to the right-hand page. Each illustration is annotated with the name of bird. The top illustration features a sparrowhawk and the bottom illustration features a grey wagtail. Opened book, showing two small watercolour illustrations of birds mounted to the right-hand page. Each illustration is annotated with the name of bird. The top illustration features a sanderling and the bottom illustration features a Northern lapwing (the annotation is difficult to read, possibly 'Sea Wader'?). Opened book, showing two small watercolour illustrations of birds mounted to the right-hand page. Each illustration is annotated with the name of bird. The top illustration features a bullfinch and the bottom illustration features a green finch. Opened book, showing two small watercolour illustrations of birds mounted to the right-hand page. Each illustration is annotated with the name of bird. The top illustration features a green woodpecker and the bottom illustration features a yellowhammer.
January 5, 2026 at 11:12 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Sangha
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
This article focuses on the US data and context, but the story (and the statistics) are very similar to the UK narrative, as per SHAPE Observatory data. 2/2
SHAPE Observatory
Interactive dashboards and reports that provide insight into emerging SHAPE trends for HE professionals, subject specialists, academics and policymakers.
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk
January 5, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Sangha
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'Despite persistent myths, employment rates for humanities graduates are comparable to those of STEM graduates, as Humanities Indicators data shows. Early earnings differ but the salary gap narrows significantly mid-career, particularly for graduates who pursue further study'. 1/2
How universities can cultivate arts and humanities in practical, affordable ways
Are the arts and humanities still needed as universities retrench staff and cut costs? Patty Raun explains why curtailing or eliminating these disciplines is an egregious mistake
www.timeshighereducation.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Dr Laura Sangha
lbflyawayhome.bsky.social
Pictures that explain things.
Trees in Winter (back endpapers)
Artist: SR Badmin, 1963
12 common British trees shown with their winter silhouette to facilitate identification
January 4, 2026 at 7:43 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
Fun afternoon sorting through photos from the past 6 months.

June: Covid nearly led to me cancelling my holiday hiking in Tenerife but never fear, I smote it's ruin on the volcano side
A footpath leads through rocky landscape, dropping steeply downwards a few metres away. A sign points towards a huge volcano that looms in the far distance, its head in clouds, at its foot miles of brown lava.
January 4, 2026 at 3:51 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
Snowdroppings
A thin layer of snow in small round clumps with some frozen grass above.
January 3, 2026 at 2:51 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
bleary winter
A snowy footpath leading across an open field, it leads into some bare trees, all in shadow, with light on a wooded hillside behind.
January 3, 2026 at 2:48 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
just the facts
a lane running downhill with a dusting of snow on it. To the left of the lane is a sign that says 'Bend liable to icing'.
January 3, 2026 at 2:46 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
More Levels: spot the Tor
A flooded road on the Somerset Levels at dusk. Bare trees line the road, their roots in water. The sky is light blue with a new moon shining to the right, on the left the shape of Glastonbury Tor can be seen on the horizon.
December 27, 2025 at 2:39 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
Christmas on the Levels: wow
Photo of a huge murmuration of starlings at dusk over a reed bed. The sky is thick with the black shapes of thousands of the birds.
December 27, 2025 at 11:27 AM
lsangha.bsky.social
ICYMI: here's my jolly #Christmas post about seasonal testators in The National Archives will collection.

🦃🛷🎅❄️🎄

Merry Christmas all!

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
🗃️
Illustrations at the top of a broadsheet with Christmas carols on it. The 3 woodcuts show scriptual figures - St Matthew and St John, and the Virgin Mary carrying the Christ child.
December 23, 2025 at 12:06 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
this morn 2019 was nice
Sunrise over the River Exe - the water is very still, the yellow sun just coming over the horizon into a layer of light cloud that refracts the light, above the sky is a deep shade of blue.
December 23, 2025 at 6:38 AM
lsangha.bsky.social
it really makes no difference what month it is, there will always be a gorse bush in full bloom somewhere in Devon
Bright yellow gorse flowers against the green spikes of the plant.
December 22, 2025 at 3:42 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
What's your favourite? For some reason Thomas Turkey makes me chuckle
lsangha.bsky.social Dr Laura Sangha @lsangha.bsky.social · 16d
🎄CHRISTMAS BLOG POST!🎄

A silly gift for you all: I dug through The National Archive wills looking for Christmassy names. There were a lot, inc:

Mr 🎅
Christopher 🍮
❄️ Green
Thomas 🦃
Theophilia 🛷

sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...

📜 #EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uoearchhist.bsky.social
Woodcut showing three men. Two are dressed in 17th century clothesm the one in the centre is in a long robe with a fun hat. The man on the left says 'Keep out, you come not here', the one on the right says 'Old Christmas welcome, no not fear'. The man in the centre says 'O Sir I bring good cheere'.
December 22, 2025 at 3:39 PM
lsangha.bsky.social
very excellent solstice light
Very tall bare oak trees in a sea of dead red bracken, lit up by bright but very low winter light.
December 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM