Kit Barton
@kmbarton.bsky.social
Craftsperson at large | They/Them
PhD Studentship in 'Gender and the Material Culture of Wills: England 1540-1790'
Ask me about early modern sailmakers
PhD Studentship in 'Gender and the Material Culture of Wills: England 1540-1790'
Ask me about early modern sailmakers
Reposted by Kit Barton
Have I sailed as close as you are legally allowed to do to have a nose at the SS Montgomery?
Of course.
Moment I knew she existed, I was out there faster than Jay Hulme when he spots a rickety ladder in a church.
Here she is:
Of course.
Moment I knew she existed, I was out there faster than Jay Hulme when he spots a rickety ladder in a church.
Here she is:
November 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Have I sailed as close as you are legally allowed to do to have a nose at the SS Montgomery?
Of course.
Moment I knew she existed, I was out there faster than Jay Hulme when he spots a rickety ladder in a church.
Here she is:
Of course.
Moment I knew she existed, I was out there faster than Jay Hulme when he spots a rickety ladder in a church.
Here she is:
Moving... Listening... Reacting... Sampling...
You can listen to the #futuresonair recordings on @soundartradio.bsky.social now, to hear me and many other much more eloquent and interesting researchers talking about our research and interests.
soundartradio.org.uk/services/fut...
You can listen to the #futuresonair recordings on @soundartradio.bsky.social now, to hear me and many other much more eloquent and interesting researchers talking about our research and interests.
soundartradio.org.uk/services/fut...
Futures 2025 : A new series of Futures on Air bringing together research and community radio as part of FUTURES, a South West wide research festival run by the...
A new series of Futures on Air bringing together research and community radio as part of FUTURES, a South West wide research festival run by the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter, Plymouth and Bat...
soundartradio.org.uk
November 7, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Moving... Listening... Reacting... Sampling...
You can listen to the #futuresonair recordings on @soundartradio.bsky.social now, to hear me and many other much more eloquent and interesting researchers talking about our research and interests.
soundartradio.org.uk/services/fut...
You can listen to the #futuresonair recordings on @soundartradio.bsky.social now, to hear me and many other much more eloquent and interesting researchers talking about our research and interests.
soundartradio.org.uk/services/fut...
Reposted by Kit Barton
📜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...
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
November 5, 2025 at 8:18 AM
📜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...
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...
Reposted by Kit Barton
🎆 It's Bonfire Night🎆
To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).
To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).
November 5, 2025 at 12:26 PM
🎆 It's Bonfire Night🎆
To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).
To celebrate we're showing our copy of 'The second booke teaching most exactly, the composing of all manner of fire-works for tryumph and recreation' by John Bate, published in 1635 (shelf marl: S PAM 479).
Reposted by Kit Barton
Producer: "we've seen you explore churches and the theme is 'abandoned spaces' so we were wondering if you had a faith space that fit the..."
Me: "I have 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "you? what?"
Me: "Let Me Tell You About 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "does it fit our brief for the..."
Me: "𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕾𝖙 𝕽𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖙"
Me: "I have 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "you? what?"
Me: "Let Me Tell You About 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "does it fit our brief for the..."
Me: "𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕾𝖙 𝕽𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖙"
November 3, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Producer: "we've seen you explore churches and the theme is 'abandoned spaces' so we were wondering if you had a faith space that fit the..."
Me: "I have 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "you? what?"
Me: "Let Me Tell You About 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "does it fit our brief for the..."
Me: "𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕾𝖙 𝕽𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖙"
Me: "I have 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "you? what?"
Me: "Let Me Tell You About 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊"
Producer: "does it fit our brief for the..."
Me: "𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖆𝖛𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝕾𝖙 𝕽𝖔𝖇𝖊𝖗𝖙"
Reposted by Kit Barton
Happy #Halloween 🎃Since this fellow was so popular we are once again sharing spooktacular illustrations of Vampyroteuthis. The 'vampire squid from hell' is neither squid nor vampire, using sticky filaments to feed on marine snow
📖 Reports from the German Deep-Sea Expedition 'Valdivia' 1898-1899
📖 Reports from the German Deep-Sea Expedition 'Valdivia' 1898-1899
October 31, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Happy #Halloween 🎃Since this fellow was so popular we are once again sharing spooktacular illustrations of Vampyroteuthis. The 'vampire squid from hell' is neither squid nor vampire, using sticky filaments to feed on marine snow
📖 Reports from the German Deep-Sea Expedition 'Valdivia' 1898-1899
📖 Reports from the German Deep-Sea Expedition 'Valdivia' 1898-1899
Reposted by Kit Barton
And here we all are, not being at all self-conscious about having our photo taken and enjoying Harry's visualisation of our bequests.
October 29, 2025 at 1:42 PM
And here we all are, not being at all self-conscious about having our photo taken and enjoying Harry's visualisation of our bequests.
Reposted by Kit Barton
Join us next Thursday (30/10, 5.30 pm) for Dr Emily Vine’s (@emilymayvine.bsky.social) talk on ‘Birth, Death and Domestic Religion in Early Modern London’! You can sign up to join in-person (IHR Wolfson Room, NB02) or online via Zoom here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Birth, Death and Domestic Religion in Early Modern London
Society, Culture and Belief, 1500-1800 Seminar- Session 2
www.history.ac.uk
October 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Join us next Thursday (30/10, 5.30 pm) for Dr Emily Vine’s (@emilymayvine.bsky.social) talk on ‘Birth, Death and Domestic Religion in Early Modern London’! You can sign up to join in-person (IHR Wolfson Room, NB02) or online via Zoom here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Kit Barton
One of our PhD students Jane Tozer recently visited @nationaltrust.org.uk Ham House during their 'Open Cabinets' event while researching 'japanning' - furniture finishes that imitated East Asian lacquerwork.
The cabinets are opened only twice a year - Jane captured this beautiful photograph:
The cabinets are opened only twice a year - Jane captured this beautiful photograph:
October 23, 2025 at 3:05 PM
One of our PhD students Jane Tozer recently visited @nationaltrust.org.uk Ham House during their 'Open Cabinets' event while researching 'japanning' - furniture finishes that imitated East Asian lacquerwork.
The cabinets are opened only twice a year - Jane captured this beautiful photograph:
The cabinets are opened only twice a year - Jane captured this beautiful photograph:
Reposted by Kit Barton
📅 Save the Date!
🎉 To mark 50 years of the Social History Society, we’re hosting a Social History Festival with @ihr.bsky.social!
🗓️ Fri 24 April 2026
📍 Senate House, University of London
Panels, a keynote + hands-on activities!
💡 Want to contribute? 👉socialhistsoc@gmail.com
More info coming soon!
🎉 To mark 50 years of the Social History Society, we’re hosting a Social History Festival with @ihr.bsky.social!
🗓️ Fri 24 April 2026
📍 Senate House, University of London
Panels, a keynote + hands-on activities!
💡 Want to contribute? 👉socialhistsoc@gmail.com
More info coming soon!
October 22, 2025 at 8:27 AM
📅 Save the Date!
🎉 To mark 50 years of the Social History Society, we’re hosting a Social History Festival with @ihr.bsky.social!
🗓️ Fri 24 April 2026
📍 Senate House, University of London
Panels, a keynote + hands-on activities!
💡 Want to contribute? 👉socialhistsoc@gmail.com
More info coming soon!
🎉 To mark 50 years of the Social History Society, we’re hosting a Social History Festival with @ihr.bsky.social!
🗓️ Fri 24 April 2026
📍 Senate House, University of London
Panels, a keynote + hands-on activities!
💡 Want to contribute? 👉socialhistsoc@gmail.com
More info coming soon!
You'll have to excuse my absence I've been roving around, gadding about, meandering, ambling, bunking off, and generally poking things with sticks.
October 23, 2025 at 8:42 AM
You'll have to excuse my absence I've been roving around, gadding about, meandering, ambling, bunking off, and generally poking things with sticks.
Reposted by Kit Barton
🐏 New Absolute Units 🐏
Same-sex relationships have always been part of rural England, but they've been underrepresented in our collections.
In the first of 2 episodes, @timjerrome.bsky.social shares his work tracing queer rural lives in The MERL archives.
merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...
Same-sex relationships have always been part of rural England, but they've been underrepresented in our collections.
In the first of 2 episodes, @timjerrome.bsky.social shares his work tracing queer rural lives in The MERL archives.
merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...
October 16, 2025 at 9:35 AM
🐏 New Absolute Units 🐏
Same-sex relationships have always been part of rural England, but they've been underrepresented in our collections.
In the first of 2 episodes, @timjerrome.bsky.social shares his work tracing queer rural lives in The MERL archives.
merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...
Same-sex relationships have always been part of rural England, but they've been underrepresented in our collections.
In the first of 2 episodes, @timjerrome.bsky.social shares his work tracing queer rural lives in The MERL archives.
merl.reading.ac.uk/explore/abso...
Reposted by Kit Barton
📢ARTIST CALLOUT📢
4-5 week paid placement for creative practitioner to work alongside the Gender and Sexuality Collective at Uni of Exeter.
💡Visual | Digital | Sound | Performing | Design | Lit | Film | Music
💡 Budget: £6,000
🗓️ Deadline: Sun 2 Nov
🔗 www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/creativ...
4-5 week paid placement for creative practitioner to work alongside the Gender and Sexuality Collective at Uni of Exeter.
💡Visual | Digital | Sound | Performing | Design | Lit | Film | Music
💡 Budget: £6,000
🗓️ Deadline: Sun 2 Nov
🔗 www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/creativ...
Arts & Culture Exeter | Creative Fellowship 2025-26: Callout for Artists
Applications are invited from creative practitioners for this year's Arts and Culture Creative Fellowship, which will be hosted by the Gender and Sexuality Collective, and will focus on reimagining th...
www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk
October 3, 2025 at 9:41 AM
📢ARTIST CALLOUT📢
4-5 week paid placement for creative practitioner to work alongside the Gender and Sexuality Collective at Uni of Exeter.
💡Visual | Digital | Sound | Performing | Design | Lit | Film | Music
💡 Budget: £6,000
🗓️ Deadline: Sun 2 Nov
🔗 www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/creativ...
4-5 week paid placement for creative practitioner to work alongside the Gender and Sexuality Collective at Uni of Exeter.
💡Visual | Digital | Sound | Performing | Design | Lit | Film | Music
💡 Budget: £6,000
🗓️ Deadline: Sun 2 Nov
🔗 www.artsandcultureexeter.co.uk/news/creativ...
Reposted by Kit Barton
🎺ANNOUNCEMENT!🎺
STORIES & SONGS: WILLS AS WINDOWS ONTO PAST LIVES
Join Chris Hoban and I at #Exeter Phoenix for a unique performance of history & original music inspired by #Tudor, #Stuart & Georgian wills! 🗃️
FREE! Claim your ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1738865536...
STORIES & SONGS: WILLS AS WINDOWS ONTO PAST LIVES
Join Chris Hoban and I at #Exeter Phoenix for a unique performance of history & original music inspired by #Tudor, #Stuart & Georgian wills! 🗃️
FREE! Claim your ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1738865536...
Stories and Songs: Wills as Windows onto Past Lives
A unique performance of history and original music inspired by Tudor, Stuart and Georgian wills.
www.eventbrite.co.uk
September 29, 2025 at 8:10 AM
🎺ANNOUNCEMENT!🎺
STORIES & SONGS: WILLS AS WINDOWS ONTO PAST LIVES
Join Chris Hoban and I at #Exeter Phoenix for a unique performance of history & original music inspired by #Tudor, #Stuart & Georgian wills! 🗃️
FREE! Claim your ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1738865536...
STORIES & SONGS: WILLS AS WINDOWS ONTO PAST LIVES
Join Chris Hoban and I at #Exeter Phoenix for a unique performance of history & original music inspired by #Tudor, #Stuart & Georgian wills! 🗃️
FREE! Claim your ticket: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1738865536...
Nothing else like a crisp bright morning!
September 29, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Nothing else like a crisp bright morning!
Reposted by Kit Barton
ICYMI: last week the Wills Project circulated our autumn newsletter, with an update on what we've achieved over the past 6 months or so.
#EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
Download the pdf or plain version from our news page: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
#EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
Download the pdf or plain version from our news page: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
September 22, 2025 at 8:36 AM
ICYMI: last week the Wills Project circulated our autumn newsletter, with an update on what we've achieved over the past 6 months or so.
#EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
Download the pdf or plain version from our news page: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
#EarlyModern 🗃️ @leverhulme.ac.uk @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social
Download the pdf or plain version from our news page: sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
One day I'll learn to make accurate and thorough notes of exactly which reference numbers go with which sources, but until then I'll go swearing scrambling back into the archive chasing an old scribble with no useful identifying information. "George Iron coffin embalm" who are you???
September 19, 2025 at 1:04 PM
One day I'll learn to make accurate and thorough notes of exactly which reference numbers go with which sources, but until then I'll go swearing scrambling back into the archive chasing an old scribble with no useful identifying information. "George Iron coffin embalm" who are you???
Reposted by Kit Barton
**spoiler**
There was a lot to cover but I managed to squeeze in a bit of reflection on the creativity at the heart of the discipline of History too. Enjoy! 👇
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
There was a lot to cover but I managed to squeeze in a bit of reflection on the creativity at the heart of the discipline of History too. Enjoy! 👇
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
History and Art / History as Art
Laura Sangha What do you get if you combine a historian, a musician, and 25,000 historic wills? All sorts of fun things! In this post I reflect on what composer, arranger, songwriter and performer Chr...
sites.exeter.ac.uk
September 10, 2025 at 7:01 AM
**spoiler**
There was a lot to cover but I managed to squeeze in a bit of reflection on the creativity at the heart of the discipline of History too. Enjoy! 👇
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
There was a lot to cover but I managed to squeeze in a bit of reflection on the creativity at the heart of the discipline of History too. Enjoy! 👇
sites.exeter.ac.uk/materialcult...
Reposted by Kit Barton
📜Call for Papers: Digital Medievalist sponsored sessions International Medieval Congress 2026 (Leeds, UK).
We seek proposals on the following themes:
- 'Large Language Models and Medieval Texts'
- 'Digital Methods and Materiality of Manuscripts'
▶️Full call: tinyurl.com/f82tcrzk
📆21 Sept 2025
We seek proposals on the following themes:
- 'Large Language Models and Medieval Texts'
- 'Digital Methods and Materiality of Manuscripts'
▶️Full call: tinyurl.com/f82tcrzk
📆21 Sept 2025
September 5, 2025 at 1:31 PM
📜Call for Papers: Digital Medievalist sponsored sessions International Medieval Congress 2026 (Leeds, UK).
We seek proposals on the following themes:
- 'Large Language Models and Medieval Texts'
- 'Digital Methods and Materiality of Manuscripts'
▶️Full call: tinyurl.com/f82tcrzk
📆21 Sept 2025
We seek proposals on the following themes:
- 'Large Language Models and Medieval Texts'
- 'Digital Methods and Materiality of Manuscripts'
▶️Full call: tinyurl.com/f82tcrzk
📆21 Sept 2025
Reposted by Kit Barton
Believe it or not, this is a parish register from the seventeenth century that was damaged during a fire! 🔥
Heat causes the collagen fibres in the parchment to denature and shrink and eventually turn to gelatine, which sometimes has a ‘glassy’ appearance.
#EarlyModern #Skystorians
Heat causes the collagen fibres in the parchment to denature and shrink and eventually turn to gelatine, which sometimes has a ‘glassy’ appearance.
#EarlyModern #Skystorians
September 3, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Believe it or not, this is a parish register from the seventeenth century that was damaged during a fire! 🔥
Heat causes the collagen fibres in the parchment to denature and shrink and eventually turn to gelatine, which sometimes has a ‘glassy’ appearance.
#EarlyModern #Skystorians
Heat causes the collagen fibres in the parchment to denature and shrink and eventually turn to gelatine, which sometimes has a ‘glassy’ appearance.
#EarlyModern #Skystorians
Small win for the beginning of Sept, my new years resolution was to read more fiction books - a habit that fell off as my day-to-day work increasingly became about reading academic stuff. Just finished number 14 and it feels great to finally be telling people "I read that book you recommended!"
September 1, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Small win for the beginning of Sept, my new years resolution was to read more fiction books - a habit that fell off as my day-to-day work increasingly became about reading academic stuff. Just finished number 14 and it feels great to finally be telling people "I read that book you recommended!"
Reposted by Kit Barton
An absolute masterclass from UK Quakers on how organisations of all kinds can stand up for the rights and safety of trans people, even post Supreme Court ruling and with all of the EHRC's cruelties:
www.quaker.org.uk/documents/re...
www.quaker.org.uk/documents/re...
www.quaker.org.uk
August 29, 2025 at 10:54 AM
An absolute masterclass from UK Quakers on how organisations of all kinds can stand up for the rights and safety of trans people, even post Supreme Court ruling and with all of the EHRC's cruelties:
www.quaker.org.uk/documents/re...
www.quaker.org.uk/documents/re...
Reposted by Kit Barton
CfP for maritimebritain.org Maritime Britain Project c.1550-1750 (led by Prof Craig Lambert, University of Southampton) end of project conference is live. See poster below & register your interest on Eventbrite in attending and/or giving a paper:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maritime-b...
#maritimehistory
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maritime-b...
#maritimehistory
July 3, 2025 at 5:34 AM
CfP for maritimebritain.org Maritime Britain Project c.1550-1750 (led by Prof Craig Lambert, University of Southampton) end of project conference is live. See poster below & register your interest on Eventbrite in attending and/or giving a paper:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maritime-b...
#maritimehistory
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maritime-b...
#maritimehistory
Reposted by Kit Barton
At every stage I did what the state asked me to, even though it was humiliating, degrading and cruel.
And it kept moving the goalposts, and reneging on the agreements it made, whilst continuing to hold me to them even when they are now mutually contradictory. (12/13)
And it kept moving the goalposts, and reneging on the agreements it made, whilst continuing to hold me to them even when they are now mutually contradictory. (12/13)
August 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
At every stage I did what the state asked me to, even though it was humiliating, degrading and cruel.
And it kept moving the goalposts, and reneging on the agreements it made, whilst continuing to hold me to them even when they are now mutually contradictory. (12/13)
And it kept moving the goalposts, and reneging on the agreements it made, whilst continuing to hold me to them even when they are now mutually contradictory. (12/13)
Reposted by Kit Barton
As it's still valid, presumably if I don't keep following it, I am also breaking the law and subject to arrest.
The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest. (11/13)
The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest. (11/13)
August 29, 2025 at 11:56 AM
As it's still valid, presumably if I don't keep following it, I am also breaking the law and subject to arrest.
The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest. (11/13)
The law of the land simultaneously requires me to be both a man and a woman and if I do either then I am breaking the law and subject to arrest. (11/13)