This is a page of reference materials on the web for abstracting, transcribing, and understanding old documents. According to Merriam-Webster, palaeography, or paleography, is “the study of ancient or antiquated writings and inscriptions : the deciphering and interpretation of historical writing systems and manuscripts.” The English language has its roots in, among others, Latin and Medieval English. Western Canadian genealogists are likely to see English, French, and Latin. This page last updated 14 Apr 2024.
What are the palaeography styles and timeframes?
| Dates | Type | Details and Links |
|---|---|---|
| 12th-16th cent., used for books | Black Letter (aka Gothic Book, Textura) | Handwriting Styles, University of Nottinghmam; “Chaucer’s works go online,” British Library; found in Anglo-Norman, Middle English, French, and Latin (or a mix) |
| 14th-18th cent. | Court (aka Chancery, Cursiva, Exchequer) | Court Hand was Latin until mid-18th cent. |
| Court | Alphabet Chart, Brigham Young University | |
| Court, Jacobean | Jacobean Court Hand; Early Modern Handwriting: Alphabets; University of Cambridge | |
| 16th-18th cent. | Italic | The Italic Hand; Early Modern Handwriting: Alphabets; University of Cambridge |
| 16th-19th cent. | Secretary | English Secretary alphabet, FamilySearch |
| Secretary | Alphabet Charts, Brigham Young University | |
| Secretary | The Secretarie Alphabete; Early Modern Handwriting: Alphabets; University of Cambridge | |
| 16th-18th cent. | Scottish | Scottish Handwriting, Scotlands People |
| 18th cent. – present | Round Hand, (aka English round hand, or what we think of as cursive today) | Alphabet Chart, Brigham Young University |
Palaeography Resources
| Description | Provider |
|---|---|
| Abbreviations | Brigham Young University |
| Abbreviations, names and more | Sherri Mastrangelo, Start Researching Genealogy |
| Alphabets, by letter | Early Modern Handwriting: Alphabets; University of Cambridge |
| Early Modern Manuscripts Online | 16th-17 cent. manuscripts and transcriptions in Diplomat, Semi-Diplomat, and regularized formats; Folger Shakespeare Library |
| English Dates Calculator | Ian’s English Calendar |
| Latin | “Latin Handwriting,” by Fritz Juengling, FamilySearch |
| List of Classical abbreviations | Wikipedia; online dictionary of classical Latin |
| List of Latin abbreviations | Wikipedia; online dictionary of Latin abbreviations still in use |
| [Names in] Old Handwriting | Judy White, RootsWeb; also see clipped examples of names from RootsWeb wiki here |
| Palaeography Posers | Scotlands People; tutorials |
| Palaeography Tutorial | The National Archives, Kew; tutorials with transcripts |
| Reading the Past | York University, [PDF] |
| Reading and Understanding Medieval Manuscripts | University of Nottingham |
| Scribal abbreviation | Wikipedia; marks used for abbreviation for Roman languages |
Sample Western Canadian Records
| Document | Description | Details and Links |
|---|---|---|
| 1671 minute book | [Italic Hand] | “Hudson’s Bay Company: 350 years of archives,” Library and Archives Canada |
| 1814 Letter from Lord Selkirk | [Italic Hand] | Selkirk Collection, C2, Héritage Canadiana |
| 1861-86 | [Italic Hand] | [LF Louis Riel to wife Marguerite], Library and Archives Canada |
| 1 Jan 1868 | [Italic Hand] | Re: the North West Territory, Héritage Canadiana |
References
Folger Shakespeare Library, 2024, museums and archives, Folger Shakespeare Library: accessed 14 Apr 2024.
Héritage Canadiana, 2024, museums and archives, Héritage : accessed 14 Apr 2024.
“Script Tutorial: Making Sense of Old Handwriting,” 2024, universities, Brigham Young University : accessed 14 Apr 2024.
“Manuscripts and Special Collections,” 2024, universities, University of Nottingham: accessed 14 Apr 2024.
“Palaeography,” 2024, museums and archives, The National Archives [of London, England]: accessed 14 Apr 2024.
“Scottish Handwriting,” museums and archives, ScotlandsPeople : accessed 14 Apr 2024.
Mindy Taylor, “Deciphering and Reproducing Old Documents,” [2022], video, International Commission for the Accreditation of Genealogists, ICAPGEN: accessed 14 Apr 2024.
Andrew Zurcher, Gavin Alexander, and Raphael Lyne, “English Handwriting Online 1500-1700 – an online course,” 2024, universities, University of Cambridge online: accessed 14 Apr 2024.