RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: John Johnston on Wednesday 04 March 20 00:23 GMT (UK)
-
Hello All,
I would be grateful for help in deciphering 2 lines of shorthand in a young girl's Bible written in the 1850's.
Thanks, John
-
I can't help with your request, but this will Bring it back up the board.
Carol
-
Thank you, Carol. I think it is a hard nut to crack!
Kind Regards, John
-
Do I see John and Martha at the bottom left John?
Carol
-
Partly right. They are Books in the Bible: Deuteronomy, John, Matthew.
I'm guessing the shorthand is a verse, or a hymn line.
John
-
Hello All,
I would be grateful for help in deciphering 2 lines of shorthand in a young girl's Bible written in the 1850's.
Thanks, John
Hi John maybe I am stating the obvious and you already know but does it not read as
Deuteronomy 6-19 Acts 9-6
Deut 32-46 1Peter 3-13
then the shorthand lines
John 5-39 Acts 17-19
Matthew 24-35 ??? 4-12
-
Hi Patsy,
Yes, that is correct, thanks for confirming.
It is the shorthand that is puzzling me.
Kind Regards, John
-
Searching Google it looks that if the shorthand was written in the 1850s then it was Pitman's version, if post 1880s then it could also be Gregg's shorthand.
There is info showing and explaining some of the characters, sorry got a borderline migraine this morning so brain's not working too lucidly otherwise I'd search more and have a go with the characters shown in the articles.
Might be worth a more detailed search to see if a full set of characters is available somewhere.
They would need to be the original version though as the system does seem to have been developed and modified over time.
-
Thank you for your suggestions, artifis. I have shown the item to teachers of shorthand but they were stumped. I hope your migraine goes soon.
Kind Regards, John
-
Hi John,
Brain theoretically working better today thanks, well leastways so far. :)
It's possible that the shorthand was a form that the young girl developed herself, maybe after seeing something written in shorthand. I did however think that some of the 'squiggles' looked similar to the examples of Pitman's and Gregg's shorthand shown in Wikipedia, I'll have a look again this afternoon.
It's intriguing that the lines before and after the shorthand are written longhand, was she keeping something secret?
When I used to chair meetings of up to twenty or so people and take the minutes at the same time I used a sort of speedwriting to record things as we went along and that included squiggles for certain words/phrases but as I was never consistent in these abbreviations I always had to type up the minutes that evening before I forgot the content of the meeting, i.e. who said what etc. I wouldn't have thought that was what the young lady was doing unless she wrote what she did during services, i.e. to record some passage from the bible that she liked or thought appropriate to something personal to her.
-
It does appear to be Pitman's, but I can't make any sense of it, even taking into account that it might be a "bible" quote in the King James version language.
-
Perhaps the first outline is X - short for Christ? .... the first ? in ? .. to give/go another the first ? was to know//
how to regulate? (though strictly speaking that outline should use an upward "r" stroke) his conduct so as not to sin against god.
Sorry, that's all I can see so far. It does seem to be Pitman though. There will be an expert along shortly, I hope.
-
Thank you artifis, shanghaipanda and tillypeg for your valuable comments.
I'll follow up your suggestions tillypeg, there may be something like that in one of the Bible references written down.
Interestingly, this young woman, Margaret Richardson, became a Biblewoman in Edinburgh, then a nurse, and later as Margaret Sievwright, was one of the prime movers in obtaining the vote for women in New Zealand in 1893.
Thanks again,
John
-
Perhaps the first outline is X - short for Christ? .... the first ? in ? .. to give/go another the first ? was to know//
how to regulate? (though strictly speaking that outline should use an upward "r" stroke) his conduct so as not to sin against god.
Sorry, that's all I can see so far. It does seem to be Pitman though. There will be an expert along shortly, I hope.
Hello tillypeg,
I Googled some of your words and found this site:
https://www.gracegems.org/27/Newcimbe%20guide_to_bible_study.htm
Some extracts:
"A Guide to Bible Study
Harvey Newcomb (1803-1863) was a Congregational minister in England. He edited several journals, including the "Christian Herald," and authored 178 volumes, including fourteen on church history and many books for children and young people. Among his most popular works are The Young Lady’s Guide, How to Be a Man, and How to Be a Lady. Though excerpted from The Young Lady’s Guide, this booklet is valuable for men, women, and saints of all ages.
And, as we obtain this knowledge, we should imitate the Psalmist, who said, "Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11). His object in hiding the Word in his heart was to know how to regulate his conduct so as not to sin against God. So must we hide the Word of God in our hearts, and for the same reason."
It is possible that young Margaret Richardson had a copy of "The Young Lady's Guide" and some of the Bible references nearby to the shorthand piece relate to studying the scriptures.
Thank you again for your help.
John
-
I might be able to read it but need to be on my other laptop as the graphics facilities are better. Will have a go tomorrow. Definitely Pitman.
Regards
GS
-
Perhaps the first outline is X - short for Christ? .... the first ? in ? .. to give/go another the first ? was to know//
how to regulate? (though strictly speaking that outline should use an upward "r" stroke) his conduct so as not to sin against god.
Sorry, that's all I can see so far. It does seem to be Pitman though. There will be an expert along shortly, I hope.
I am wondering if the 'regulate' is actually 'articulate' which would account for the downward 'r' and the 'u' vowel. I agree with the rest of your transcription Tillypeg; and I agree that the X is probably referring to Christ. The final couple of outlines look to me to be 'are below' so perhaps the passages listed would clarify the sentiments expressed here. The first one is "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me"
Regards
GS
-
Last outlines could be, as you suggest Greensleeves - "words are below". I think that is the short form for word? Doesn't that short form also appear in the middle of the first line?
-
Hello Greensleeves, and tillypeg, Thank you for your efforts in transcribing this difficult piece.
Here are the adjacent notes to the best of my ability:
Endleaf (ii)
Compare
John 4 - 8 Heb 12 - 26
Gen 21 - 9 Gal 4 - 29
1 Samuel 19 1 Sam 3 - 16 &
Acts 18 - 26 & Acts 12 - 22, 23
------ 14 - 15
John 19 - 27 Acts 8 - 9
Isaiah 7 - 2 2nd Ch 32 - 7 - 8
1 Kings 18 - 40
2 Ch. 20? - 19 2nd Ch. 19 - 2 - 4 - 11
Numbers?….15 &
1 Kings? 19 - 4 & Phil 1 - 24
Job 6 - 8 & L Lecture?
Jonah 4 - 8 1 Cor 10 - 12
John 13 - 17 It is the Devil's
masterpiece to make
us think well of ourselves.
Endleaf (iii)
John 7 - 24 Prob 15 - 1
Rev 3 - 20 ------ 18 - 24
Prob 19 - 17 Psalm 119 - 14
Deut 6 - 17 Acts 9 - 6
---- 32 - 46 1 Pet 3 - 15
Two lines of Shorthand yet to be decoded.
John 5 - 39 Acts 17 - 11
Matth 24 - 35 Acts? 4 - 12 Writing obscured by staining
1 Cor 15 - 55-56-57
Higgaion means medita
tion Psalm 9 - 16
The Queen of Heaven
Mentioned in Jeremaiah
7 - 18 & 44 - 17-18 was Astoreth (sic)
called by the Phoenic
ians Astarte "Queen of H."
John
-
Last outlines could be, as you suggest Greensleeves - "words are below". I think that is the short form for word? Doesn't that short form also appear in the middle of the first line?
I think you could well be right there, tillypeg. I agree that that outline is the shortform for 'word'.
-
Thank you Everybody, for your assistance.
The shorthand transcription confirms that Margaret Richardson was a diligent Bible student.
Best wishes,
John