Revealing the Mysteries of the Canterbury Roll

UC Connect public lecture: Revealing the Mysteries of the Canterbury Roll

The Canterbury Roll is a five-metre long English genealogical text, the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Part of the University of Canterbury’s collection since 1918, the Canterbury Roll was created in the early 1400s, begins with Noah and traces the rulers of England from the mythical Brutus to King Edward IV. It was subsequently modified a number of times before it emerged in its final form, probably during the reign of King Richard III.

Modern University of Canterbury (UC) researchers and students are now asking new questions and developing new techniques to increase access to this unique historic item.

In this upcoming UC Connect public lecture – Revealing the Mysteries of the Canterbury Roll – project director Dr Chris Jones will share the results of cutting-edge scientific research undertaken at the start of 2018 by a team of British and New Zealand researchers. He will also explore the world in which the Canterbury Roll was originally made and discuss how it came to be in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Once owned by the original Nurse Maude, Sybilla Maude, the Canterbury Roll is the most significant and substantial medieval artefact in New Zealand. For 100 years, UC has been the guardian of this unique 600-year-old treasure, which tells the history of England from its mythical origins to the late Middle Ages,” Dr Jones says.

To mark the centenary of its acquisition, UC is releasing a new digital edition and translation of the Canterbury Roll.

Dr Chris Jones is a Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Canterbury and Director of the Canterbury Roll Project. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, his research focuses on the thought of medieval chroniclers. He has edited three volumes that explore medieval and Early Modern legacies in Aotearoa New Zealand that range from rare books to Magna Carta.

UC Connect public lecture: Revealing the Mysteries of the Canterbury Roll, by Canterbury Roll Project Director and medieval historian Dr Chris Jones, History department, UC Arts, University of Canterbury, 7pm – 8pm, Wednesday 18 July, 2018, at the University of Canterbury, Ilam campus, Christchurch.

Register to attend free at: www.canterbury.ac.nz/ucconnect

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