I've found these 'fancy swirls' appear very often after French signatures.
I've seen many of them and was trying to find out more about them just last week.
They are evidently called 'paraphs'.
From the dictionary:
paraph | ˈparaf |
noun
a flourish after a signature, originally as a precaution against forgery.
from French paraphe, from medieval Latin paraphus (contraction of paragraphus ‘short horizontal stroke’). Joger has written
'the first one may be : troisième et dernier role paraphe ( signed initial for habrial) or paraphe and fancy swirl', which suggests they think the 'paraphe' is the initial signed?
The dictionary says the 'fancy swirl' is called the paraph.
Added:
This is why I was looking into this!
This marriage from 1639 has at least 6 men using different paraphs.
Interestingly, the two women, Marie Darsy, the bride, top right, and Jeanne Hesdoul, second left, the groom's aunt, don't use one, but I think what's even more interesting is that both of them can actually sign their names.
At this date many people, especially women, 'make their mark', the same as you would find in British records.
SO interesting when you find original records.
