Reading old handwriting

The technical term for reading old handwriting is palaeography.

In order to transcribe handwritten records accurately, the family historian needs to develop some skill in this area.

Useful websites

• Understanding old handwriting Help & Advice Centre, Ancestry
• Palaeography: reading old handwriting 1500 – 1800 A practical online tutorial The National Archives, Kew.
• Reading English Handwritten Records from FamilySearch Learning Center. Covers "Secretary Hand" used in the 1500s and 1600s
• Copperplate Victorian Hand Writing Causeway Museum Service
• A Guide to Reading Old Handwriting in relation to Postal History by allanoliver1937@msn.com
• Deciphering Old Handwriting by Sabina J. Murray

Brigham Young University Script Tutorials Guidance in deciphering old handwriting styles. Languages covered include English, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

• Scottish Handwriting Website offering assistance in understanding historical documents written in Scotland in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. There is a weekly poser taken from an old manuscript which helps test your skills and which gives the site a fresh feel. (answers given!)