Manuscript Cataloguer

Location: College of Arms, 130 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4BT

Working hours per week: 35 per week over five days.

Contract type: Fixed term for duration of project, estimated two years.

Reports to: College of Arms Librarian.

Benefits: Non-contributory pension scheme, 20 days annual leave, Bank Holidays. Overview

The College of Arms is seeking to recruit a full-time employee for a fixed period to prepare a detailed catalogue of a collection of 17^th century heraldic and genealogical manuscripts.

The collection is part of the archives of the College, which range in date from the Middle Ages to the present day and are principally concerned with heraldry, genealogy and ceremonial. They have a strong historical, antiquarian and topographical content which the College wishes to publicise by means of the catalogue.

The successful applicant must have a good understanding of manuscripts of the period, together with proven skills to prepare a catalogue and index.

Project

The catalogue will be the third volume to be published in a series. In 1988 the College of Arms published the first volume A Catalogue of Manuscripts in the College of Arms, subtitled Collections, Volume 1, covering the earliest unofficial collections of the College, including what is sometimes called The Old Library. A second volume in the series was published in 2023 as A Catalogue of Manuscripts in the College of Arms, Records Volume 1, being a comprehensive catalogue of the Tudor visitation manuscripts. The third volume will cover the remaining visitation manuscripts dating from 1603 to the end of the 17^th century.

Responsibilities

• Focus on the 17^th century records of the heralds’ visitations of the counties of English and Wales.
• Examine the collection, compare the manuscripts with other surviving records from the College’s archives and elsewhere.
• Prepare a detailed catalogue of this collection, and prepare it for publication, with scholarly apparatus.
• Meet three-monthly cataloguing targets set by the Librarian.
• Contribute to newsletters and reports to promote the cataloguing project.
• Participate in public engagement as needed.

Personal Specification

Essential:

• Excellent academic credentials;
• Post-graduate experience (ideally 3 years)
• Excellent analytical and drafting skills;
• Enthusiasm, adaptability and ability to learn quickly;
• Professionalism, proactive nature and ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to lift boxes and climb stairs (the College of Arms is a Grade 1 listed building and has no lifts).
• Working knowledge of Latin and medieval/early modern palaeography.
• Good IT skills and competence in cataloguing and indexing to modern archival standards.

Desirable:

• Knowledge and experience of heraldry and genealogy.
• Knowledge of British history.

Application Process.

Those interested in this position are requested to send a CV and covering letter (not to exceed two pages) to: bursar@college-of-arms.gov.uk (via the ‘Apply’ button above).

Closing date for applications is 15 November 2024.

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