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In-depth learning guides

Our guides cover some of our most popular research topics. Experts have created each guide to make your time here as rewarding as possible. Our palaeography tutorial lets you test your skill at transcribing old documents whilst giving you useful tips along the way.

 

Family history

Family history

This guide displays and describes some of our key documents for family historians.
It also:

 

  • Shows you what the documents look like and what you may find in them
  • Identifies and explains how to get to these records and how to use themGo to family history
  

Latin

Beginners' Latin, Cat ref: DL 42/3

Beginner’s Latin. This tutorial is a beginners' guide to the Latin used in documents between 1086 and 1733. It is the first online tutorial to help you learn the Latin from this period.Go to Beginners’ Latin

 

Advanced Latin, Cat ref: E 36/276 f 11

Advanced Latin. A step-by-step online tutorial to teach medieval Latin to an advanced level. Practise what you learn with interactive activities and extracts from original documents held here at The National Archives. Go to Advanced Latin
     

Local history

Chertsey Abbey, 15th century estate map. Cat ref: E 164/25

This guide aims to help those interested in local history by illustrating the types of material which will be useful for local and regional historical studies.Go to local history

  

Palaeography

Learn how to read and transcribe old handwriting

Learn how to read and transcribe old handwriting. This interactive guide will mark your attempts at transcribing 10 documents dating from the reign of Henry VIII to 1800.
Go to palaeography