DEEDS HTR Dataset

A collection of transcriptions for medieval cartularies written in Latin used in the training of HTR models to read medieval texts.

Context / Project

• This repository houses a compilation of transcriptions from medieval cartularies written in Latin, specifically curated to serve as training data for HTR models dedicated to deciphering medieval charter texts written in Latin.
• This dataset was created using eScriptorium, as an interface for HTR ground truth production, and Kraken, an HTR and layout engine.
• Composed of primarily English cartulary material ranging from the 9th - 16th Centuries
• More of a focus on material from the 10th - 15th centuries, to develop the machines capacity to read more complex scripts (compared to earlier scripts which the machine already performs relatively well on)
• Dataset is mostly made from pre-existing transcriptions
  • Supplemented with machine-generated transcriptions that were corrected manually
• This dataset is comprised of transcription data from the following cartularies/manuscripts:
  • British Library, Cotton MS Nero E VI
  • Bibliothque Virtuelle des Manuscrits Mdivaux, Cartulaire de l'abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel, AVRANCHES, Bibliothque municipale, 0210, 1154-1158
  • Bodleian Library, Founder's and Benefactors' book of Tewkesbury Abbey, Bodleian Library MS. Top. Glouc. d. 2, 16th century
  • Christ Church Library, Cartulary of Eynsham Abbey, Christ Church MS 341, 11961197
  • Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Confirmatio chartarum, Charta de foresta, et alia statuta regum Henrici III, Edwardi I, et Edwardi II, fisher2:134, 1316-1422
  • British Library, Cartulary of Reading Abbey, Egerton MS 3031, 1190-1199
  • Archives Departementales de Saone-et-Loire, Cartulary of the bishopric of Autun, G 443, 13th century
  • Trinity College Dublin, Cartulary of Torre Abbey, IE TCD MS 524, 13th century

Dataset

| Shelfmark | Holding Institution | Century | Script | Content | |-------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | British Library, MS_Nero E VI | British Library | Secretary (double compartimented a, looped d and tironian et, forked r, final s is a closed loop) | 200r-204r; 205r; 206r-209r; 210r; 211r; 212r; 213r; | Cartulary of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England (title); behalf of the prior and brethen of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and begun under Grand Prior Robert Botyll (produced on); Clerkenwell, Essex, England (composed at); Latin (language); vellum (material). Content: Prima Camera of the Hospitaller Cartulary (ff. 3-288), counties: Reynham (200r), Morehall (200v), Westhurrok/Purflete (201-203v), Turrok Grey (204), Chaureth (205-214v). Two hands: first hand until fol. 204 (Turrok Grey), second hand from Chaureth (205r). | | AVRANCHES, Bibliothque municipale, 0210 | Bibliothque Virtuelle des Manuscrits Mdivaux | Praegothica | 5r-9v | Cartulaire du Mont Saint Michel (title); montois monk or abbot (author); Mont St Michel, France (composed at); Latin (language); parchment (material). Content: original part of the cartulary (ff. 1-108), literary text of the Revelatio (ff. 5-10). | | Bodleian Library MS. Top. Glouc. d. 2 | Oxford Library | 6v-7v; 12r: Secretary. 9r-11v: imitates at 13th c. hand: cursiva anglicana imitation | 6v-7v; 9r-12r | Founder's and benefactors' book of Tewkesbury Abbey (title); several hands; Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, Benedictine abbey of St Mary the Virgin, England (composed at); Latin (language); parchment (material). Charter of William fitz Count, with his portrait (ff.6-7v); Chronicle of founders and benefactors (ff. 8-40v). | | Christ Church MS 341 | Christ Church, University of Oxford | Late protogotic bookhands | 11r; 13v-14r; 15v, 16r; 21r | Cartulary of Eynsham Abbey (title); Monks of Eynsham (authors); Eynsham, England (composed at); Latin (language); parchment (material). Rubric: Carta Regis thelredi de fundatione huius Ecclesie (ff. 7-45), cartulary of Eynsham abbey. |

Collaborators

• cole Pratique des Hautes tudes
• cole Nationale des Chartes
• ALMAnaCH, Inria

Funding

This project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC), under the project Text as Image, Image as Text: Charter integrity and topic modelling, an Insight Grant under the code 1350911.

Additional funding is provided by the University of Torontos Work-Study program through its Career & Co-Curricular Learning Network.

Transcription guidelines

The transcription guidelines are described in a paper available on HAL: the project follows the guidelines from the CREMMA Medieval datasets.