Top Tips For Deciphering Old Handwriting

We are often ask why it it that we have so much success deciphering old handwriting.  Part of that is experience but there are also some good tips to help make this easier.

Check out the National Records of Scotland's website Scottish Handwriting which gives free tuition on Scottish handwriting.  Whether you want to do all the exercises or use it as a reference for the style of old letters, it is an invaluable aid.

During the 16th and 17th centuries in Scotland, most legal documents were written in Latin or Scots so it's important to become familiar with Latin genealogy terms and also to have a good Scots dictionary or visit the Dictionary of the Scots Language online.

If you are looking at a document online or scanned into your computer then it is normally possible to make a negative image of the original.  This can often decipher unclear handwriting.

Get used to the style of the writer. If you are looking at a long document then this is easy but if you are looking at a document such as a birth/marriage/death certificate then try looking for other records that you are interested in from the same location around the same time period.  You will often find a registrar is there for many years and so you have more examples of their handwriting for reading practice.

If you have trouble deciphering a word then write down what you think it is and then search for the word online.  This will often give you good results and also an explanation of any unfamiliar words.  It's also a great way of pinning down streets and place names accurately. 

If you are completely stuck with a word, it helps to try to break it down into individual letters.  If this still proves a problem, look in the document for that letter in other words where you have been able to read a word.

A fresh pair of eyes can help!  Not only if you are tired, though that can be a problem at times but by asking someone else to look.  Everyone has their own way of looking at things and sometimes they can decipher a puzzling word or phrase.

The vocabulary used is often different to the words we use now however if you read a document and find a word that is unfamiliar, it does not mean that you have made a mistake. Transcribe what you see and make an educated guess as to what it might mean in the context of the document. Once again, it is worth checking online for the meaning of words if you are unfamiliar with them.

Along with vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and abbreviations have all changed over the centuries - and more than once!  Sometimes there is no shortcut but to research these!

Find out how we can help you decipher puzzling words or documents by contacting us for a no obligation chat at kintree@ymail.com.

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Ever come across conflicting evidence and wonder what to believe?

Sometimes you can come across conflicting evidence when researching family history.

In Scotland, birth, marriage and death certificates give detailed information not only of the person or people registered in the event but also give details of the parents.

Death certificates are a common source of conflicting evidence.  The person registering the death is likely to be upset and can give the wrong information accidentally.  They may not know some of the details or guess at them.  Dependent on the registrar taking the details, they may have been encouraged to provide an answer so that no gaps were left!

However, even in birth and marriage certificates, details can bee recorded incorrectly.

For birth certificates, it is often only one parent who attended to register the birth and they may not know the details of their partner's family or some forget their marriage date!  

With marriage certificates, there may be problems as one person may have filled in the details for both even though each person needs to sign the forms.  

For any documentation, it may simply be that your ancestors could not read or write and they were reliant on someone else recording the details with no way for them to correct any mistakes.

So how do we deal with these types of problems?

Where we can corroborate the evidence then there is much more likelihood that this will be the correct information.  Sometimes of course, when it has been recorded incorrectly once, then it may be repeated if the information is simply copied.  However, what is far more likely is that it will be recorded incorrectly once and correctly on other occasions.

There may only be two pieces of evidence however so how should you deal with this? If you are recording a birth for example and have conflicting dates with no way to choose between the two, then record anything that is certain.  

John Hunter

Using the example of the renowned physician and anatomist John Hunter who was born in 1728, we find that his birth was recorded in the parish records as being 14 July 1728.  However recorded evidence shows he celebrated and believed his birthday to be 13 February 1728. 

On a family tree therefore we can record the year of his birth and the place as neither of these facts are disputed and are corroborated.

Keep a record of the other information and put a note in your files about the disputed date as you do not know what other information may come to light in the future to help clarify this.

If you are writing a family history book then you can record the date but add in the information about the conflicting evidence on the day and month of birth.  This can be an interesting item to include and most of us enjoy the mystery and to think about what might have happened!

For more information on how we can help you sort through conflicting evidence, please get in touch for a no obligation chat.

kintree@ymail.com

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Successfully Tracing And Contacting Relations

Kin Tree is often asked if we can search for descendants as well as ancestors. The answer is yes! 

The research itself is similar to looking for ancestors because what is important is to carry it out in a systematic way and have the knowledge to know where to access the information.

It  is  not  only direct  descendants  that people are interested  in finding but also  2nd, 3rd, 4th cousins  etc. People look for these relations for a variety of reasons. Occasionally it is for medical reasons but mostly it is simply to widen their family circle and find out what happened to other branches of the family.

What sometimes worries people is what reaction they will get to the initial contact that is made.  Most people are welcoming and interested themselves and the worst that is going to happen is that someone says they are not interested or doesn't reply.

The way in which you contact someone is very important.  The best way to get in touch is by mail.  This gives the person the time to think about what you are saying and how they want to respond.  If you phone them then they may be suspicious that you are trying to scam them and could brush you off. 

The important things to remember

• Be specific about why you are getting in touch
• Explain how you obtained their contact details
• Give them multiple ways of contacting you so they can pick the one with which they are comfortable
• Offer to share information with them
• Be patient! Some people don't answer for a while

After you successfully contact and get a response from your relation then it can provide new information for you.  It is often one person in the family who inherits the old photos and documents and they are likely to be a rich source of information.  All great for filling in some blanks in your family tree!

If you would like help to search then please contact us for a no obligation free chat.

Contact us by email: kintree@ymail.com  

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So You Thought You Had No Images To Add To Your Family History. Here's How To Find Some!

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono
 www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When we are researching our ancestors, it's not always possible for us to have images of them and their families. 

So how can we make their stories come to life in pictures?

If we are looking for images, we can either look for images that already exist or produce some images for ourself!

The internet produces a wealth of images which can relate to our ancestors. First though, remember copyright! Don't simply copy someone's images!  Most people are happy to let you have a copy of images for personal use or will sell you an image at a low cost but please ask!  Remember they have taken the time to produce the image themselves and it belongs to them. You would not take a photograph from their house without asking permission!

A good way to add images to our ancestors' stories is to look for images from the area in which they lived or worked.  There are many sites which have old photos of towns or buildings.  Facebook too has many groups researching specific towns and other  places of interest.  Even if the images don't always match what you are looking for, then you can often leave a message to see if there is anyone who can help.

It is often possible also, to see images of uniforms, medals, or equipment that your ancestors may have owned.  Once again, the internet is useful but  you can also think about visiting places such as museums and graveyards. Look at how we have added to the information by adding the images.

James joined the Royal Navy in 1916 and served aboard HMS Nonsuch.  The photo shows us the uniform that James would have worn.

During World War 2, Henry was too old to join the services. He played a vital role in the war effort as part of  the Casualty Service.  Henry would have had to carry an Identity Card which would include details of his name, address and date of birth along with a description of his appearance.

If it's possible to visit places yourself then this is great!  Although you may feel that the present day image is not representative of the time in which your ancestors lived, it still adds to the story.  Look at  our example of present day image that we took and how it can be woven into the story.

David and Mary were married on 21 January 1905 at Example Church, Anytown. This is the view that Mary would have had as she came over the bridge towards the church.  We do not know if there was snow on that day but the bridge and the surrounding buildings were built in the 19th century so the view is largely unchanged. 

It is also possible to alter photos to give a more "old fashioned" feel. 

David and Mary were married on 21 January 1905 at Example Church, Anytown. This is the view that Mary would have had as she came over the bridge towards the church.  We do not know if there was snow on that day but the bridge and the surrounding buildings were built in the 19th century so the view is largely unchanged. 

Kin Tree can help you with images and writing relevant information.  We can produce these for you or offer further tips for you to do it yourself. We can also supply images, either ones we have ourselves or by visiting places on your behalf.  Getting in touch with us costs nothing so please don't hesitate!

Contact us at kintree@ymail.com

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