Dublin, Cambridge, and London

Sorry for my long hiatus.  Getting ready for my trip to Ireland and the UK and the first stages of the trip have proven very time-consuming.  However, I am now in the UK.  I’m at a restaurant/bar called Henry’s near the Cam which has free wireless.  I still have to finish my paper for PCCBS, but I think I’m almost done.

I’ve already been to Dublin, where I did not find very much useful, but I found out that Mabbott’s son’s wife died in 1667.  So, not very much useful.  However, I did get a chance to do some sightseeing; I may post a picture soon.  As well, if anybody every makes it out to Howth, there’s a small restaurant called The House that makes the best eggs I’ve ever had.  I will also add that the librarians and archivists at the Dublin City Archives and the Royal Irish Academy were very friendly and helpful.

Cambridge is amazingly beautiful.  I was not expecting it to be this nice.  Today I went to Sussex chapel and saw the sign that Cromwell’s head is buried somewhere nearby.  It only took 300 years to get it back in the ground.  We head to London in a few days and I have got a full docket.  I’m trying to plan out all the archival work, but there’s a lot.  It looks like I will be spending a great deal of time at the National Archives; more than I had anticipated.  Kew is nice, but I prefer the BL and the Lords Records Office, neither of which place will I be spending much time this turn.

Anyway, back to other things.  I may try to make it out to Ely tomorrow to see Cromwell’s house, but likely not.  I will try to post again soon, maybe with some pictures.  One last note: I never believed it, but the Guiness really is better in Ireland.

Random updates

The blog Early Modern History noted that Tanner-Ritchie now has, among others, the early HMC reports for purchase online.  While google books has some of the HMC reports up, it certainly does not have all, and I am seriously considering purchases reports six and seven.

Doing a little digging, I have found out that all the archival material of the Stationers’ Company up to the twentieth century has been microfilmed.  I am curious to see what the Court records have to offer.  The Huntington has copies, so I will have to go check it out.  Only about a dozen libraries in the US have full sets.  I may instead look up a guide and order some reels through ILL, because getting to the Huntington is a bit of a hassle.

The other day I told a friend I couldn’t do anything because I was busy reading about early modern papermaking.  Ever wonder what the hell it is that we do?

 I was at the Huntington for the Charles I conference last weekend.  It was really good.  I don’t have the time to go into it right now, but there were a lot of really interesting papers, such that it is difficult to single out any.  Of course, because of my own proclivities, Jason Peacey’s and Jason McElligot’s were most interesting, but all the papers were well considered and insightful.

I’m working on planning my trip back to the UK and Ireland in two weeks.  Most of the arrangements have already been made, but I’m trying to plan out my archive time as carefully as possible.  I’ve discovered, much to my chagrin (and Irish, as well), that the reason I have been able to find so little on Mabbott in Ireland is because of the fire that burned down the Irish Public Record Office in 1922.  Still, I’m making due, and I’m planning on swinging by the Dublin City Archives and the archive of the Representative Church Body which still has some of the old parish registers.  I’m hoping they will still have the one from the parish where Mabbott lived, but we’ll see.

I’m worried I might have to take a trip up to Edinburgh which I hadn’t planned for, though.  In the 1650s, Mabbott served as the agent for the town of Leith.  I’ve emailed the Edinburgh archives to see if there is anything I need to look at; hopefully I will hear back soon.  Clarke was stationed in Leith in the 1650s, which I assume is directly related to Mabbott’s service, but I would need to find some proof.  There is also the National Library of Scotland to consider.  I’m going down to the Huntington soon to check their manuscript catalogues.  If I need to, I’ll go, but I imagine Edinburgh is quite cold this time of year, and I live in Santa Barbara.

I have been finding some interesting tidbits on Mabbott’s later years, but nothing I’m ready to report on just yet.  It looks like he may have lived much longer than anyone has hitherto guessed and had some rather elite acquaintances.