From the fair number of wills I have, I notice that the handwriting of the registered wills from the Prerogative Court is much better than those of the Consistory and Archdeaconry Courts. Is this just a coincidence or is there a story to tell here? ~~ Keith Griffiths --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.677 / Virus Database: 439 - Release Date: 04/05/2004

Good Morning Keith and All - A very interesting observation indeed, I don't come into contact with all that many docs so I would not be able to offer anything on this, but I eagerly "Watch This Space" and have setup a "Watch Folder" - Kind Regards June & Roy (SANHS Member No 1066) http://www.btinternet.com/~roy.cox/index.htm -----Original Message----- From: Keith Griffiths [mailto:kgriffiths5000@btinternet.com] Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2004 7:05 AM To: OLD-ENGLISH-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [OEL] Handwriting >From the fair number of wills I have, I notice that the handwriting of >the registered wills from the Prerogative Court is much better than those of the Consistory and Archdeaconry Courts. Is this just a coincidence or is there a story to tell here? ~~ Keith Griffiths --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.677 / Virus Database: 439 - Release Date: 04/05/2004 ==== OLD-ENGLISH Mailing List ==== Going away for a while? Don't forget to UNSUBSCRIBE! OLD-ENGLISH-L-request@rootsweb.com

In message <002801c4358b$b546aa50$a32d8351@KFGriffiths>, Keith Griffiths <kgriffiths5000@btinternet.com> writes >>From the fair number of wills I have, I notice that the handwriting of the >registered wills from the Prerogative Court is much better than >those of the Consistory and Archdeaconry Courts. Is this just a coincidence >or is there a story to tell here? It doesn't always work. Thw writing was that of legal clerks, some of whom used a good neat hand which is reasonably legible. Others showed off by adding swirls and squiggles for no reason, and these, while looking fine as a piece of art, can be difficult to decipher, ioslating the letter from the mess of decoration. -- Eve McLaughlin Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society