30 April 2025
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Join us for the May Family Tree Brickwalls, Skills & Solutions Club webinar, at which Wayne Shepheard will be tutoring us in working with old documents – in particular covering skills to help you read and transcribe old handwriting as found on English documents and handwriting.
Why are palaeography skills useful?
In genealogical studies nothing is probably more important than seeing the original documents, or at least true copies of them from which information about individuals is retrieved. But reading them can pose a problem when they were written in old cursive styles. Thankfully, there is help available.
Many institutions and societies offer advice on how to read old handwritten records.
Articles and books have been published about palaeography (the study of writing and documents from the past) to assist researchers in deciphering material.
What will this talk on old handwriting cover?
While help is obtainable for translation in almost any language, this talk will focus on English documents and handwriting.
During the presentation, the origin of methods to read and interpret old writing will be reviewed, emphasizing the Secretary Hand style with commentary on others.
Sources of information about reading Old English handwriting will be listed, including websites that offer instruction and explanation.
Advice to help you take your learning further
Information about courses will be discussed. Some are free; some are part of post-secondary programs at colleges and universities; some are tutor-led and others are designed for individuals to learn by doing exercises on their own.
And examples will be shown of various styles employed by scribes and the vagaries of how competency of penmanship can help or hinder transcribing.
How will this talk help you?
It’ll help you level up your genealogy skills and learn more about the key topic of palaeography for family history research. ‘Participants should find useful information from the talk,’ writes tutor Wayne Shepheard, ‘and the references provided in reviewing old documents they will encounter in their family history research.’
We look forward to you joining us.
How can I join the Brickwalls, Skills & Solutions Club webinar
The webinar will take place on Zoom on 22 May, 6.30pm UK time with Wayne Shepheard.
This webinar presentation is part of the Brickwalls, Skills & Solutions Club programme brought to you by Family Tree Plus.
The online learning session will last one hour: with a 30-40 minute presentation, followed by time for questions.
Get your ticket for £10, or join Family Tree Plus for just £5, come along to this webinar and attend four webinars every month! Already a Family Tree Plus member? Log in now to get your link.
Got a query? Email us a [email protected]
About the speaker
Wayne Shepheard has published several articles and two books, Surviving Mother Nature’s Tests and Genealogy in the Little Ice Age, that describe how climate change and other natural phenomena impacted our ancestors. www.discovergenealogy.ca
