Off to the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro again today – went last week but there was so much stuff to go through, I need at least another day.
I found the most amazing documents from the early 1600's – original leases for Bosigran farm to tenant farmers, all hand written in English (Cornish although still the vernacular in the High Country of West Penwith, would not have been used for legal documents…) on what I think is vellum (must check out with the librarian today). They are folded up into irregular bundles and tied up with ribbon, one still has the original seal. You have to wear gloves to handle them. I felt really affected by them, not sure why… if I'd handled a piece of 16th century furniture I am sure it would not have had the same effect. I think it must be around the ritual of unfolding, of opening up a piece of someone's history; it felt so privileged. There is something here I need to explore visually and also something around collections and archives. I want to find a way to display the documents at the farm in September but there will be big issues over security to overcome first. It feels like they really should be seen, and preferably back in their original context.
