A WORLD of abbreviations, contractions and ligatures was introduced to Salisbury branch of Wiltshire Family History Society when John Hurley took a light-hearted look at reading old handwriting.
Mr Hurley, who leads the team transcribing the original registers of baptisms, marriages and burials in Wiltshire’s 311 parishes, reminded members that the first task for anyone charged with keeping records in the 1500s was to find a suitable feather and fashion it into a quill. Then they probably had to make some ink.
As members struggled to read extracts copied from 17th century documents, Mr Hurley said the record keepers had to interpret names and places spoken in local accents without the benefit of dictionaries, gazetteers or similar reference books, resulting in many variations.
The branch re-elected Philip Rabbetts as chairman and David Chilton and secretary and treasurer. Its next meeting at Wilton Community Centre at 7.30pm on Wednesday, July 16 will hear a talk on links between handwriting and personality.
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