Reading 17th century handwriting. Aug 25, 2020 · “Secretary hand” is the name for the dominant form of handwriting used by writers of the English language from the late 15th through the mid-17th century. Iconic American documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the U. University of York Feb 8, 2018 · A “commonplace” book from the 17th century. During this period, some of the more recognizable and legible hands—the Round Hand and the Running Hand—began to emerge. Before this time, most of the population couldn’t write at all, so there was little need for a universal style. Paper in this period was invariably rag paper, less than perfectly smooth, and naturally absorbent. By reading the practical tips and working through the documents in the […] A 17th-century alternative was italic hand. Sep 7, 2021 · Books include Kip Sperry's Reading Early American Handwriting, and which focuses on 18th and 19th century handwriting, Harriet Stryker-Rodda's Understanding Colonial Handwriting, which focuses on 17th and 18th century handwriting, specifically of the North American British colonies. At first glance, many documents written at this time look illegible to the modern reader. Ornate upper–case letter shape is a typical feature of seventeenth–century handwriting, especially at the beginning of each section. Webb, Reading the Past: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century English Handwriting (2001). This course takes a practical approach to reading and transcribing old handwriting, focusing on Secretary Hand, a commonly used form during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is generally used nowadays to describe reading old handwriting, rather than its original meaning of interpretation of ancient scripts. It’s far easier to read than secretary hand, but unfortunately, it’s less common. We previously learned the skills to read, abstract, and transcribe documents written in simple hands. com - Name and Word Spellings Includes a brief explanation of errors caused by handwriting. Freely available PDF from the Borthwick Institute, University of York. Learning how to read Secretary Hand will help you better find answers in your genealogy. (Image: Folger Shakespeare Library/CC BY-SA 4. M. May 2, 2021 · Reading 17th Century Handwriting In my role as an Associate Editor of the forthcoming volume Records of the Salem Witch-Hunt, I have had to learn a lot about the penmanship practices used in the original manuscripts that we are transcribing. 0 On any given day, from her home on the Isle of Man, Linda Watson might be reading a handwritten letter from one Content: nd abbreviations used in documents from the 16th century onwards. Includes full colour facsimiles, transcripts and reading notes. Paper for writing was treated with size, a gelatinous substance made from the hooves and . Feb 1, 2013 · The ability to read and understand original, handwritten documents is critical to historical and genealogical research. 0) Penmen got to cut a little looser while teaching ladies. This particular style was known as secretary hand because much of the work of writing was done by professional copyists, known variously as secretaries, clerks, scriveners or scribes. org) How to Decipher Unfamiliar Handwriting (Natural History Museum) Misspellings and Misnomers in the Archives: The Case of Simon Kratzer (The Library of Virginia) Wiggles and Squiggles (The Legal Genealogist) Diction learned young did not disappear in later life. During the course of the seventeenth century, the vertical handwriting that had been typical in the past began to slant more and more to the right. L. From 19th century onwards we’ve seen the rise of personal handwriting which doesn’t conform to a set, taught style, and ironically 20th and 21st century writing can be more difficult to read than Tudor, depending on the writer! In addition there are specialist hands used only in certain central law courts. Historically, English handwriting has not been so easy to read for our modern eyes. Reading the Past: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century English Handwriting (PDF , 61,339kb), by PM Hoskin, SL Slinn & CC Webb, 2001. 3 days ago · That many of the texts known to an educated English reader of the seventeenth century would have been encountered in manuscript rather than in print is hardly news: the collections of major British and United States libraries contain many thousands of testimonies to this fact. May 6, 2016 · The 17th-century copybook of Sarah Cole, featuring simple arithmetic and complicated doodles. Oct 2, 2025 · 17th Century Handwriting 17th-century documents are slightly more common in Special Collections than their 16th-century counterparts. This free-flowing, expressive way of writing is especially common in personal papers and letters from the 18th century. Secretary hand or script is a style of European handwriting developed in the early sixteenth century that remained common in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for writing English, German, Welsh and Gaelic. English Language Resources and Handwriting Helps (FamilySearch. This web tutorial will help you learn to read the handwriting found in documents written in English between 1500 and 1800. Paleography is the study of ancient writing systems. Created by Amelia Dolbeare '24, Reference Assistant About 16th Century 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century Accessing Materials Oct 2, 2025 · 18th Century Handwriting Reading 18th-century handwriting will serve researchers well in Special Collections, as well as out in the broader word. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Beinecke Flickr Laboratory/CC BY 2. Hoskin, S. 3 days ago · Different writing surfaces might also call for inks of different viscosity. C. Scottish Handwriting Welcome to the Scottish Handwriting resource on the Scotland's People website which offers online tuition in palaeography for historians, genealogists and other researchers who are looking for guidance reading manuscript historical records written in Scotland in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. A 17th-century Christian text in English that contains the “long s” The words “himself,” “so,” “Blessed,” “apostle,” “verse,” etc. Palaeography is the study of old handwriting. Mar 1, 2018 · P. Out of print. S. Constitution often appear handwritten in archival collections. School desks and privy walls presented their own problems, but the commonest writing surfaces were paper and vellum, or parchment. Nov 27, 2020 · After a very enjoyable conversation with the Sussex Genealogist, Kerry Baldwin, (see the podcast here) about handwriting and old wills there were so many tips shared that I decided to write a blog post about them. Sep 22, 2025 · How to Read 18th Century British-American Writing The Library of Congress, US A brief overview of the characteristics of 18th century and 19th century handwriting, as well as links to external resources. This style developed in Italy though the Renaissance. By the 18th century, clean, legible hands were all the rage, particularly for secretaries and clerks. Beware of Reading Early American Handwriting In summary, some of the most difficult letters to be aware of in old handwriting, especially during the seventeenth century, are the following lowercase letters: The capitals of the above letters may also present problems in deciphering old handwriting. Knowing the characteristics of the writing system in the era in which your document was written can save you a lot of head-scratching. It’s not too far away from how we write today, although early examples may use different shapes for capital letters, almost interchangeable i’s and j’s, and a long s. Sep 18, 2024 · Sources and methods to aid in the reading (and writing) of cursive in Smith College Special Collections. Borthwick Palaeography Guides Reading the Past: Medieval Handwriting, by PM Hoskin & SL Slinn, 2003. You will also be shown ho Sep 18, 2024 · 17th Century Handwriting 17th-century documents are slightly more common in Special Collections than their 16th-century counterparts. Kerry’s tips for reading and interpreting an old will Read it through from start to finish to get a sense of it Look for the Language Handwriting Latin Influence Abbreviations Numbers Types and Formats Through your efforts to read French records dating back to the 16th century, you will come to know both the development and individual characteristics of the records and become proficient in reading the text and format. Online edition released Learn more about 17th century handwriting and 18th century handwriting. Beware of A 17th-century Christian text in English that contains the “long s” The words “himself,” “so,” “Blessed,” “apostle,” “verse,” etc. Handwriting & Script » General Resources 25 Links English Paleography: Learn to Read Secretary Hand Examples of Letters of the 17th Century Found in Parish Registers Findmypast - 11 Tips For Reading Old Handwriting Genealogy. contain the “long s” that could easily be confused with an “f” by a modern reader. It will be demonstrated that, perhaps surprisingly, some 16th- and 17th-century hands are relatively e sy to read as they are much more uniform than modern handwriting. This guide provides resources, context, and samples of text written in the languages common to early United States history. Slinn and C. xzgpqr pi l7uy nwv kqi 9ezli t009qi zjax lnrsw ezx6q