[Bell Historians] Re: Heavy old bells

[Anne Willis]

>How true John, and it is not just documents from the 16th century, it took
us a couple of weeks to fully read our 1707 John Waylett court order, using
photocopies of the original. Although ostensibly in the neat >hand of court
clerk, John Morrington, there was some very strange stuff in that one, like
the shape of a kidney used for the letters `re'! (Apparently a reference to
renal, so I am told??) In fact at first we thought it was >a contract for
re-casting the tenor bell, it was only after it was fully de-ciphered that
it became clear it was a court order against the Canewdon churchwardens
taken out by Waylett for unpaid money! 
>As a mater of interest John Waylett's own hand righting on another Canewdon
documents was quite clear and easy to read.

>Brian Meldon



 

 

I find the worst hand is the Victorian one; it seldom seems to have any
consistency in it.  I don't mind 17th or 18th century writing, but the 16th
century 'secretary hand' I find very difficult.  There's a passage in the
Broad Blunsden archives which neither the archivist or I could transcribe.

 

One archivist described 18th century writing to me as 'having ten words when
one would do and abbreviating wherever possible'.

 

Our local record office has regular classes in palaeography which I found
very helpful.

 

Anne

           
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