10 Top Tips for…
Deciphering Old Handwriting
You've found the record! An old will, a parish register entry, a census page penned before the age of typewriters... but it looks like meaningless scribbles. Don't panic! Reading historical handwriting (palaeography) is a common hurdle in genealogy, but it's a skill you absolutely can learn. While styles changed over centuries (from elaborate Secretary Hand to flowing Copperplate), these practical tips will help you decipher the handwriting most often encountered in 17th to 19th-century documents vital for family history.
TIP 1
Know Your Letters (Especially the Tricky Ones!) Many letters used to look quite different. Get familiar with common variations that trip people up:
The Long 's' (ſ): Looks like an 'f' but without the crossbar (or only a tiny left-sided nub). It appears at the beginning or middle of words, not usually at the end (e.g., ſucceſs = success).
Capital Letters: 'C' might look like 'O' or 'L'. 'S' had various forms. 'I' and 'J' were often used interchangeably.
Lowercase Letters: 'e' can look like 'o', 'c' like 'r', 'r' like 'n' or even 'v'. 'h', 'y', 'p' might drop below the line significantly.
Action: Look up online palaeography guides (The UK National Archives has excellent tutorials!) specific to the era/location you're researching.
TIP 2
Look for Familiar Words & Names First Don't try to read the whole document cold. Scan for words you expect to be there based on the record type:
Baptism Register: baptised, son of, daughter of, and, month names (January, Febry etc.), parents' first names if you know them.
Census: Head, Wife, Son, Dau, Lodger, common occupations (Farmer, Weaver, Servant), place names. Use these 'anchor words' to help you figure out individual letter shapes used by that specific scribe.
TIP 3
Go Letter by Letter, Not Whole Words When faced with a tricky word, resist the urge to guess the whole thing immediately. Focus on deciphering each individual letter based on its shape and how it connects to the next. Sound it out phonetically as you build the word. This methodical approach prevents jumping to incorrect conclusions based on assumptions.
TIP 4
Understand Common Abbreviations & Symbols Scribes used shortcuts constantly to save time and precious paper/parchment:
Superscript Letters: Indicate omitted letters (Tho^s or Tho: for Thomas, Jn^o or Jn: for John, Geo^e for George, W^m for William).
Latin Terms (esp. older parish records): uxor/ux (wife), filius/filia (son/daughter), vidua/vid (widow), infra aetatem (under age).
Month Abbreviations: Often based on Latin numbers: 7ber (September), 8ber (October), 9ber (November), 10ber/Xber (December). Also Janry, Febry, Mar.
Symbols: & or + for 'and', etc or &c for 'etcetera', a tilde (~) or line over a letter might indicate missing letters (M~m for Memorandum).
TIP 5
Context is Your Best Friend Read the words and sentences around the bit you're stuck on. What is the overall purpose of the document? Is it listing names and dates? Describing property boundaries? Recording court proceedings? Understanding the context helps you anticipate the type of word you're looking for (e.g., a name, a place, an occupation, a legal term) and interpret ambiguous letters more accurately.
TIP 6
Compare Letter Shapes by the Same Scribe Most clerks, vicars, or census enumerators had a consistent way of forming their letters within the same document. If you're unsure about a letter in one word, find other places on the page where you think the same letter appears in a word you can read. Compare the shapes directly. Create your own mental alphabet for that specific scribe.
TIP 7
Transcribe as You Go – Don't Just Read Actively writing or typing out what you're reading forces your brain to engage differently. Transcribe word for word, line by line. Use square brackets [?] or underscores _ for letters or words you absolutely cannot decipher (W[?] Sm_th). Seeing it typed out can make sense of jumbles, highlights recurring words/phrases, and creates a working text you can refine later.
TIP 8
Magnify & Manipulate the Image Use the zoom function! Get right in close on the letters. Many online viewers or basic photo editors allow you to adjust brightness and contrast, which can make faded ink clearer. Sometimes inverting the colours (viewing as white text on a black background) can make letter shapes pop surprisingly well.
TIP 9
Practice, Practice, Practice! Honestly, this is the key. The more old handwriting you look at, the more familiar the letter forms, abbreviations, and common phrases become. Browse through different types of original documents online (even if they aren't your ancestors). Try online tutorials with transcription exercises. Some archives and genealogy sites even have volunteer transcription projects you can join.
TIP 10
Ask for a Second Opinion (When Truly Stuck) If you've tried everything and a crucial word remains stubbornly illegible, don't be afraid to ask for help. Take a clear screenshot of the specific word or phrase (including a little context around it). Post it on a reputable genealogy forum or specialist Facebook group (mention the document type, date, and location). Fresh eyes from experienced researchers can often spot things you've missed.
Deciphering old handwriting can feel like cracking a code, and in many ways, it is! It takes patience, but it's an incredibly rewarding skill that allows you to connect directly with the original records of your ancestors' lives. Keep practicing, and those scribbles will start making sense!