An initiative all the more important since in 1922, several of these archives of great historical value went up in smoke.
Administrative records of the Archbishop of Armagh
An invaluable witness to the country's history, the “ecclesiastical” register of the Archbishop of Armagh, Milo Sweteman, approximately 650 years old (1361 to 1380), is the oldest handwritten text in Ireland. Currently, restoration work is being carried out on these precious leaves.
Work begins to conserve one of the oldest paper documents on island of Ireland
➡️ https://t.co/7qLUsHlGkx https://t.co/7qLUsHlGkx
— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) December 26, 2024
As indicated by a local media outlet, Irish Examiner, this type of register included all of the archbishops' administrative work, namely wills, letters of correspondence, legal documents, etc.
Particularly meticulous restoration-conservation work
Work on another register, that of Archbishop John Swayne (1418 to 1438), has indeed been finalized. A digitized copy as well as a summary are now available online.
The bindings dating from the 17th century were detached, the paper leaves were washed and a gelatin solution was applied to the leaves to consolidate them. All while deploying treasures of care and attention to detail.
If the paper was found to have tears, they were filled with Japanese kozo paper. For their part, the books were bound with materials dating from the 18th century.
This ongoing work attempts to repair damage caused by subsequent restoration work in the 20th century where tracing paper was placed over the pages. Too acidic, it had actually accelerated their corrosion.
At the forefront of history
The register of Archbishop John Swayne contains accounts of his early days as a legal expert in the Papal Curia in Rome. At this time, he had notably witnessed the Council of Constance (1414-1418) which forced the three popes Gregory XII, Benedict XIII and John XXIII to resign by electing Martin V (1417), thus putting an end to the great schism of 'West, as Larousse reminds us.
In addition to these accounts of crucial historical value, one can also find in the archbishop's register observations and reflections on trivial aspects of life in Armagh. The archbishop speaks in particular of his aversion to women wearing pointy hats…
Of many Irish historical archives, only ashes remain
This work is led by experts from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (Proni), and is part of a wider project to rejuvenate and preserve texts important to Ireland's historical heritage. They are important because, as Sarah Graham, head of conservation at Proni, told the Irish Examiner, paper was rare at the time the records were compiled.
Indeed, Milo Sweteman's register dating from 1361 to 1380 and that of Archbishop John Swayne, dated 1418 to 1438, precede the invention of the printing press (1450). Therefore, the writing medium used at the time was parchment made from animal skin.
“Documents before 1450 are particularly rare. They were not found in Ireland for a few centuries, after the completion of Milo Sweteman's Register or John Swayne's Register”, explains Sarah Graham. For her, it is probable that the archbishops had imported the paper into Ireland, following their trip to Europe.
Finally, the head of conservation recalls that in 1922, the Public Record Office of Ireland, where several historical archives were located, burned down during the Irish Civil War. As a result, very few records of medieval Ireland remain today. These registers are therefore recognized as a medieval treasure.
Source: The Guardian
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