Literary Historian. Working on Women's Writing, Book History, Material Culture, Dig Hums, Race, & Heritage. Senior RA and PI, 'The Remarkable History of Barley Wood' @bristolunienglish.bsky.social RA, 'Inclusive Histories', @royalholloway.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mlq7pthq2c2fReading about how 16th century Protestants viewed fasting today for work. It has led to me finding what may be my favourite scholarly quote from Alec Ryrie: “Famously, the tipping point of the Reformation in Zurich was the ostentatious eating of a small piece of sausage on Good Friday 1522.” https://static.klipy.com/ii/925f17378dd1893b674a723c07535afe/66/c0/dpHSr8ZV.gif?hh=498&ww=498&mp4=dGckJcPr&webm=MvpyN1LA7UwSEJ13 May 2026 11:38 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlq7pthq2c2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mlbu47lox22mPawforming her civic duty07 May 2026 18:33 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbu47lox22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mkrqplraqk2sThought someone had sent me a mystery gift as I had a parcel message from a skin care company. No, of course, they also have a side hustle in books and it was just another tome hiding as skincare 😂01 May 2026 08:50 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkrqplraqk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mkpshu27s22lDealing with a lot of early modern sources today that describe things as “a mischief”, which I personally think we should bring back30 Apr 2026 14:16 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpshu27s22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mkmm72zbgc27Fantastic afternoon spent yesterday with the YMCA using some of my work on Hannah More’s woodlands and schools to help early year practitioner students from Weston College learn about how to incorporate nature into pre-school learning29 Apr 2026 07:46 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkmm72zbgc27https://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mkcrqenhws2wHad such a great day talking all things memorialisation, death, and grief @arnosvalecemetery.bsky.social yesterday with colleagues and practitioners. More academic events in historic cemeteries needed please25 Apr 2026 09:58 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkcrqenhws2whttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mij55bfkg22lHad a great time helping to deliver the Skills Training in Archival Research at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social yesterday!02 Apr 2026 11:48 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mij55bfkg22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3migl3kocwk2qA new arrival in the Barley Wood archive— a Minton Parian ware figurine of Hannah More (c.1835). Modelled on the famous portrait of her by William Pickering (that she *hated*), it’s a testament to how popular she was a writer that people wanted figurines of her in their homes!01 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3migl3kocwk2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mhzzhmhi3s2iThis week marks *a whole decade* since I handed in my undergrad dissertation on Anne Finch and John Dryden’s drama. Little did I know I’d still be rummaging through manuscripts and teaching the joys of seventeenth century lit ten years later!27 Mar 2026 11:32 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhzzhmhi3s2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mhs6za3l722wRestoration drama week @bristolunienglish.bsky.social means time to get hands on with some first edition play texts24 Mar 2026 08:50 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhs6za3l722whttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mhq3n5oskc2rHad a great time with Bristol Common Press getting inky fingers with the departmental printing press last week @bristolunienglish.bsky.social23 Mar 2026 12:44 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhq3n5oskc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mhd3l6wesk2wThis was so much fun to do, and wonderful to collaborate with other creatives. Thanks @beinghumanfest.bsky.social for making it possible with their generous funding! [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Mar 2026 08:39 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhd3l6wesk2whttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mh67bfzrzc2aPerks of my knowledge exchange project? Getting to stay on site at Barley Wood in Hannah More’s bedroom and waking up to these views across the Mendips16 Mar 2026 10:01 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh67bfzrzc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mgwmw7lqgc2bNerdy highlight of the @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy trip so far— getting to work with documents signed by Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell13 Mar 2026 09:44 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgwmw7lqgc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mgwj7f4d7k2oSomehow this is my first trip to @nationalarchives.gov.uk.web.brid.gy — time to delve into the State Papers!13 Mar 2026 08:38 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgwj7f4d7k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mfoamzk2o22qMargot approves of her new workplace @royalholloway.bsky.social25 Feb 2026 08:18 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfoamzk2o22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mfa42fspr22nMargot had her first day with me in the manuscript reading room today @thelondonarchives.bsky.social today. As you can expect, she’s a dab hand with secretary hand and civic records!19 Feb 2026 17:19 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfa42fspr22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mf2lnznhvs2sMore good news! I've been awarded funding by the YMCA/AHRC to lead a heritage engagement and knowledge exchange project @bristolunienglish.bsky.social. 'The Remarkable History of Barley Wood' will see me set up a community archive of the manuscripts I've uncovered at the property 1/17 Feb 2026 12:42 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2lnznhvs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/benwt.bsky.social/post/3mew2ojni622qNews! I've started as the early modern Post Doc on the AHRC-funded 'Inclusive Histories' project @royalholloway.bsky.social. I'm working at @thelondonarchives.bsky.social to research the stories of marginalised groups, which will be used to foster a more inclusive approach to teaching GCSE History15 Feb 2026 17:28 +0000at://did:plc:ejtkwo3cuk6scqmx45i4asm5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mew2ojni622q