Reading old handwriting
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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
- 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
- This blog (hintsandechoes.wordpress.com) contains examples of the Spencerian script (used in the United States from approximately 1850 to 1925) and the later Palmer script
- 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- Scottish Handwriting Website offering assistance in understanding historical documents written in Scotland in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.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!)
