Reading Early Modern Handwriting: Palaeography from 1550 to 1750

Unlocking the secrets of historical documents is a thrilling experience, but staring at early modern handwriting can often feel like trying to read a foreign language. This text-based course is designed to guide you step-by-step through the process of reading and transcribing English documents written between 1550 and 1750. By understanding the structure of old scripts and practicing with real-world historical examples, you will build the confidence needed to conduct your own archival research. You will transition from feeling overwhelmed by unfamiliar letterforms to systematically transcribing historical records with high accuracy. What you'll learn: - Understand the core principles of palaeography, including common abbreviation marks and phonetic spelling variations - Master the distinctive letterforms of Secretary Hand and Italic script used in early modern England - Decipher historical wills, inventories, and property records to extract valuable genealogical and social data - Transcribe old correspondence and household accounts using standard modern transcription conventions - Apply systematic strategies to solve difficult or damaged passages in historical texts This course begins with foundational terminology, historical context, and basic alphabet charts before moving into guided transcription exercises. You will read through clear explanations of historical writing materials, common legal formulas, and standard abbreviations, practicing with authentic document transcriptions at your own pace. This course is designed specifically for beginners, local historians, genealogists, and academic researchers with no prior training in palaeography. Start your journey into the past and bring historical archives to life today.