Flodden 1513 Ecomuseum & The Flodden 500 Project

1. Introduction

Back in 2008 a small group of people came together to consider the quincentenary of the Battle of Flodden in 2013, to debate what Flodden means, why it was such an important event in our history and who might want to have some involvement in commemorating this anniversary. A list of around 30 names of people and organisations was drawn together and a short article in the local press produced a positive response. It was the start of the Flodden 500 ‘journey’ and it was clear that the momentum needed to be maintained and encouraged.

2. Ecomuseums: How Flodden fits the model

Introduction

Elsewhere (Davis, 1999; 2008, 2011) I have described in detail the development of the ecomuseum and its relationship to the new museology movement. Originating in 1972 at a meeting in Chile known as ‘The Round Table of Santiago’, this change in museum practice was at first named ‘the integrated museum’, one integrated with locality and community.

2. Ecomuseums: How Flodden fits the model

3. Documentary Research Project The Archivist’s Perspective

I first became involved in the “Flodden Project”, as I call it, back in about 2010 when a number of meetings were held to discuss how the Battle of Flodden could be commemorated. As an Archivist, I am passionate about taking research back to primary sources (those produced at the time) and reading the originals so that interpretation can be based on personal research and not necessarily what has been written by others.

3. Documentary Research Project The Archivist’s Perspective

4. Documentary Research Project: An Introduction to the Documents

Background and Historical Context

Before delving into the discoveries of the research volunteers the documents need to be considered in historical context, at local, national and international level. It is also important to consider a collective analysis of the information, before examining the documents on an individual basis.

4. Documentary Research Project: An Introduction to the Documents

5. Documentary Research Project: Volunteers’ Perspective at the Heritage Hub

Our task was to transcribe and, as far as possible, translate approximately two boxes (about 15 documents) containing legal charters and sasines written in Latin and dating from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, which had been given to the Heritage Hub in Hawick.

5. Documentary Research Project: Volunteers’ Perspective at the Heritage Hub

6. Documentary Research Project: A Volunteer’s Perspective at Berwick Record Office

The ability to read and analyse old documents is a highly rewarding experience. The ‘Documentary Research’ element of the ‘Flodden Project’, presented an opportunity for this skill, called ‘palaeography’, to be taught to a team of in excess of 40 amateur volunteers. Following an intensive six week course led by Berwick Archivist, Linda Bankier, and a competency test, we volunteers set to work. Our task was to transcribe, deconstruct and analyse a variety of primary and contemporary documentary sources.

6. Documentary Research Project: A Volunteer’s Perspective at Berwick Record Office

7. Tudor Hand Writing

When Linda asked for volunteers to join a certain project
People came from near and far to learn more on the subject.
Forty folk enlisted, much to her surprise, each matched with a buddy as
a second pair of eyes.

8. Bygone Borderlands

Bygone Borderlands

Linda Bankier

Bygone Borderlands was a concept and an event which was initiated by the Berwick Record Office in 2003 as part of Berwick’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Union of the Crowns. The aim was to bring together local and family history groups on both sides of the Border so that they could showcase their own community and give the general public the opportunity to find out more about them. Over the years similar weekends had taken place in Berwick but on a low key basis. However, as the Flodden Project was crossborder, it seemed very appropriate to organise another event in the period leading up to the commemoration.

9. Community Archaeology Project: Till Valley Archaeological Society

A great deal of interest and enjoyment had been generated by the talks and other activities which took place in the run up to the five hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Flodden. This eventually led to the question being asked, “Would it be an idea to have a local archaeology society?”

9. Community Archaeology Project: Till Valley Archaeological Society

10. Community Archaeology Project: A Volunteer’s Perspective

I had been interested in history and archaeology for over forty years and when I saw the Flodden 500 advertisement in the Berwickshire News, looking for volunteers to help on a dig at Ladykirk, I was surprised and pleased. I wrote to Chris Burgess immediately saying I had no experience but would like to help if I could.

10. Community Archaeology Project: A Volunteer’s Perspective

11. Flodden Young Archaeologists’ Club

The Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) is the only UK-wide club for young people aged 8 to 17 who are interested in archaeology. YAC’s vision is for all young people to have the opportunity to be inspired and excited by archaeology, and to empower them to help shape its future. This is done through the national YAC website and local branches.

12. Flodden Education Programme

Learning is a key theme that has permeated through every strand of the Flodden Project, from archaeological training excavations and workshops to archival courses and talks. Lifelong learning really has been at the heart of the project, with participants developing core, transferable skills that will enable them to pursue their own research interests or take part in future heritage projects.

13. Flodden Education Programme: A Teacher’s Perspective

I embarked on the Flodden journey several years ago with a Primary 7 class of mixed ability pupils. This was a completely new topic for me as I had never taught it before. As a teacher who has always adopted a proactive approach to active learning I was delighted to find that a Flodden project, to commemorate the 500 year anniversary, had been set up with an outreach education officer.

13. Flodden Education Programme: A Teacher’s Perspective

14. Our Flodden Project

Flodden education staff and class teachers from Duns Primary School worked together to plan and deliver an extensive and varied series of Flodden workshops, site visits and experiences for primary 7 pupils during the 2014/15 academic year.