----- Original Message ----- From: "Family Tree Finders" <soda-send@gt.sodamail.com> To: <diva1@dnaco.net> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2000 11:02 AM Subject: Family Tree Finders Tuesday April 18, 2000 > > > FAMILY TREE FINDERS > Tuesday - 18 April 2000 > > Brought to you today by OfficeClick > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > ***Admins - Win A Year Off with Pay From OfficeClick.com!*** > Come to OfficeClick.com, the web site designed just for > admins, and tell us how you would spend a year off. Think > carefully, because your answer could win you the chance to > do anything you want for a year - with pay! It's our way > of recognizing the hard work you do every day. > http://www.OfficeClick.com/?MPC=0,1284 > > <a href="http://www.OfficeClick.com/?MPC=0,1284"> > AOL Users Click Here</a> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Understanding Older Hand Writings > > Not too long ago, as I was going through some photocopies > from the mid-1800s, my husband stopped long enough to see > what I was looking at. His comment? "I don't know how you > can read that stuff." And of course I was thinking how nice it > was to be reading something that was actually neat and > legible. > > Once you get beyond the published books and indexes to > records, you will find yourself delving into a variety of hand- > written records. The further back in years you go, the more > difficult the handwriting will become. > > Just as with other aspects of genealogical research, there are > rules to the handwritings we will find ourselves trying to read. > There are certain aspects to the writings of the time that affect > the penmanship and the ease with which you can read the > record. Some of those include: > > -- Writing Implements > -- Inks Used > -- Type of Paper > -- Handwriting Styles > > You may be sitting there saying that handwriting is > handwriting. But how many of us remember sitting through > penmanship class? The letters were supposed to be made a > certain way. My youngest daughters are this year learning yet > a new way to make those very letters. So even today there is > not a constant in handwritings. > > There are times when we first look at the pages in one of those > older books and none of the words seem to make any sense. In > fact, you need to plan more than a few minutes time to search > these documents. Just as you need to get familiar with records > in a foreign language, likewise, you need to immerse yourself > in the writing of the time period. However, reading these older > records also requires that you be able to interpret both the > value and significance of the record. You will need to analyze > the record to fully understand its importance. > > With all the advances in technology being used by > genealogists today, there are many genealogists who are not > expecting and therefore are not prepared for what awaits them > when they have to turn to original records. The fact is that the > further back you go the harder the handwriting is likely to > become. I can remember being in school and having one of the > kids in class ask why there were so many misspelled words in > the Declaration of Independence. > > When you get back into the records of the seventeenth > century, many of the letters are transformed. One of the most > noticeable is the letter "S". In the handwriting of the period it > looks more like an "F". Another common word you are likely > to see is "ye." While we tend to read this as "yee," in reality, > the Y took the place of the letter combination th. So in fact the > word is actually the. > > Once you find yourself working in these records, it is always > useful to have a aid that you can refer to. An excellent guide > with many samples to help you become familiar with the > different styles of handwriting is Kip Sperry's "Reading Early > American Handwriting," published by Genealogical > Publishing Company, Inc. in 1998. > > > > Rhonda R. McClure > rhondam@sodamail.com > > > If you know someone who is interested in genealogy, > please forward this entire message to them! > _________________________________________________ > > IMPORTANT ADDRESSES: > Newsletter Web site: http://www.sodamail.com/site/ftf.shtml > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE VIA WEB > 1. Go to: http://gt.sodamail.com/cgi-bin/gt/login.html > 2. Enter the e-mail address: diva1@dnaco.net > 3. Uncheck the newsletters you wish to unsubscribe > NOTE: You can subscribe to other Sodamail newsletters at the same time! > > TO UNSUBSCRIBE VIA E-MAIL > Send blank email message to: > leave-family-tree-finders@gt.sodamail.com > > TO SUBSCRIBE VIA E-MAIL > Send blank email message to: > join-family-tree-finders@gt.sodamail.com > > Need help? -- write to: help@sodamail.com > Have questions--write to our editor: editor@sodamail.com > __________________________________________________ > COPYRIGHT 1999-2000 SodaMail LLC. All rights reserved > http://www.Sodamail.com > > > > >