And I believe often that the X was not because the person was illiteratre but because they were literate in a different language. As pointed out before many people had Irish as their only language not English, and the English insisted that births be recorded in English. Cheryl ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pádraig Mór Ó Gealagain" <padraigogealagain@rogers.com> To: <irl-cork@rootsweb.com> Cc: <irl-limerick@rootsweb.com>; <irl-clare@rootsweb.com>; <cotipperary@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 10:57 AM Subject: Re: Irish Birth Certificates having an 'X' for Signatures > > I can assure you from my experience that it was illiteracy, compare > marriage certs and entries.....the old x. was very prevalent...> > > Yes, for sure there are nearly all signed by the mark 'X', but I can not > believe that such a mark meant it was always a result of illiteracy on > the part of the informants. > > Consider this probable scenario of a time before the invention of > photo-copiers and computer digitisation as to how the process of > registrations might have been accomplished: >

Yes, it would be interesting in that respect to view an 1860's BDM for persons bred, born, reared and died in the strictly Gaeltacht areas of the western seaboard. ***** Reply to the LIST ONLY - Please ***** ***** Thanks for your consideration ***** Pádraig Mór, An Sean Gabhar ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cheryl Dynan" <cdynan@rcn.com> To: <irl-cork@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 4:42 PM Subject: Re: Irish Birth Certificates having an 'X' for Signatures And I believe often that the X was not because the person was illiteratre but because they were literate in a different language. As pointed out before many people had Irish as their only language not English, and the English insisted that births be recorded in English. Cheryl ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pádraig Mór Ó Gealagain" <padraigogealagain@rogers.com> To: <irl-cork@rootsweb.com> Cc: <irl-limerick@rootsweb.com>; <irl-clare@rootsweb.com>; <cotipperary@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2006 10:57 AM Subject: Re: Irish Birth Certificates having an 'X' for Signatures > > I can assure you from my experience that it was illiteracy, compare > marriage certs and entries.....the old x. was very prevalent...> > > Yes, for sure there are nearly all signed by the mark 'X', but I can not > believe that such a mark meant it was always a result of illiteracy on > the part of the informants. > > Consider this probable scenario of a time before the invention of > photo-copiers and computer digitisation as to how the process of > registrations might have been accomplished: >