I’ve just discovered today that there are two recent academic journal papers about the Coldingham area, which are freely available online until the end of May 2016. So download them fast! Normally they are only available to subscribers to the journals, and members of academic institutions that subscribe to them. But to celebrate their new website Edinburgh University Press have made their journal papers all freely available until the end of May.
The two papers are both by academic Dr J. Donnelly. The most recent was published in the April 2016 issue of the Journal of Scottish Historical Studies, titled “The perils and dangers of these knights (and undead peasants): Interpreting English and Scottish Extent Rolls of 1297-1305“. I’ve only glanced through it quickly so far, but it includes some discussion of the Coldingham evidence, including for non-knights – more ordinary people.
The other paper, in some ways a companion piece, was published in the Innes Review in 2012. “Cult and culture in a medieval community: Ayton and Coldingham, 1188-1376“. It is a 52-page article, with much information about the nature of local life in these parishes. Again I’ve only looked at it briefly so far – too eager to post here and tell people to get it while it is still freely available! But it looks superb for giving an insight into life and society in the Coldingham area three centuries and more before surviving parish registers.
Both journal papers are only available freely online until the end of May 2016, so get them now! They will continue to be available online afterwards in a more restricted form, and in print form in academic and university libraries who subscribe to the relevant journals.
Coldingham One-Place Study 