Old Books & Handwriting help

[EmPers]

Hello everyone.

I recently discovered an old copy of 4 of shakespeares plays. The title page has at the bottom:

London.
Charles Knight & Co.
1843


Would this year be the date the book was published, or is this just the founding year of the publishers?

Also the book has two names written in it, one of whom I am sure is my relative (hence the book being in the family). One name clearly says John ? Clarke Birmingham. I can't tell what the ? is, although I think someone with more experience of reading old writing would be able to, as it is distinct, although faint.

The other is much harder: H J H..... is all I can get? Any help?

[PaulineJ]

H J Harris.

and I think the middle initial is an S.

Pauline

[Swampduck]

Hi Empers

At first glance it looks like H. J. Harris (with a fancy flourish on the "s")

Can't make out the other name yet.  

[PrueM]

I think the guesses have been right so far.  The first name is J. H. Harris.  The second seems to be John S. Clark or possibly Clarke, and then Birmingham.

As for the date, that would probably be the publication date, but could be something else.  I have many late 19th century books with no date at all, so it seems there was no standard, or at least if there was one that publishers didn't always follow it.

[Carmela]

Hi EmPers,
1843 is the publication date of the book. What you have is one volume of a set which consisted of 11 volumes, including all the plays, plus the poems and a biography of Shakespeare.

Cheers,
Carmela (book collector/seller)

[Man of Kent]

This is handy when trying to decypher old text.


http://homepages.rootsweb.com/%7Eoel/

[ChrisPage]

Thanks for the above link. I have been struggling with an Irish Will written in the 1840s and this has helped me.

Christine

[Paul E]

Might need my spec's changing, but I read it as HJ Henry's....

 

Paul

[MaryA]

  for Paul
I reckon  H.J. Harris but think the middle initial of the other name could be a fancy L.

Mary