AI Deciphers 1477 Valentine Letter in Middle English
MyHeritage's Scribe A.I. tool has successfully translated the earliest surviving Valentine written in English, a 1477 letter from Margery Brews to her fiancé John Paston. The letter is part of the Paston letters, a collection of over 1,000 documents from 1422 to 1509 owned by the British Library. Scribe A.I., launched this spring, provides transcripts, historical context, and research suggestions for handwritten documents in multiple languages. The translation reveals Brews's promise of devotion despite family disputes over money and dowry. The couple married that autumn. Scribe A.I. joins other AI deciphering tools like Aeneas used on the Epic of Gilgamesh, Herculaneum Scrolls, and Dead Sea Scrolls.
Key facts
- Scribe A.I. translated the earliest surviving Valentine in English, written in 1477.
- The letter was from Margery Brews to John Paston.
- The Paston letters comprise over 1,000 documents from 1422 to 1509.
- The British Library owns the Paston letters.
- Scribe A.I. was launched by MyHeritage this spring.
- The tool provides transcripts, historical context, and research suggestions.
- Brews wrote of devotion despite family arguments over money and dowry.
- The couple married in autumn 1477.
Entities
Artists
- Margery Brews
- John Paston
- John Fenn
Institutions
- MyHeritage
- British Library
- 23andMe
Locations
- England