RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Deskman on Wednesday 31 January 18 20:05 GMT (UK)
-
Dear Friends, Here is some text that I have long struggled with. I have made some guesses, other words are just xxs
The writer has been given access to, and permission to use, the library of a large country house while the owner is away.
"Had a good look thro library yesterday afternoon about 2000 vols many of stamp of books “without which etc” standard histories biographies bound reviews law etc some old editions of Spencer, Dryden, Pope, The Spectator, Ben Johnson some new novels Dickens Thackeray Ouida etc no old novels Fielding Smollet etc. Borrowed 4 vols of Domestic some for art works architecture of Middle ages….on landscape painting. 1 vol of Swift Gulliver - interesting in its way as a story tho coarse miss most of cleaverness I believe thro not appreciating satire, the contests between big endians & small endians high & low heels tight rope dancing +"
Any ideas much appreciated.
-
I think your missing author after 'Dickens Thackeray' will be Ouida.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouida
Could the word prior to 'law' be 'various'? (not hopeful!)
Could the word after "Swift Gulliver' be 'merely'? Surely 'rel' at the end, and starts with an 'm'.
If you look at the word 'architecture' in the line above, he does that long swoop up from the letter before to then form the 'r'. And sometimes his 'e's are just straight lines down.
-
Could the word prior to 'law' be 'various'?
Or maybe ... bound reviews law etc. ?
-
I think you're right Bookbox.
Getting more of an eye for the formation of his letters now.
That word starts with an 'r', then a distinctive 'e', then 'v, i,e' squashed 'w' and 's.
-
What lovely replies.
Ouida is an author I have entirely missed. Now I will have to put that right.
The word before laws starts with r so I am delighted to go with 'reviews'.
'merely' seems inappropriate. Could it be 'masterly'?
Huge thanks goldie 61 and Bookbox.
-
I think the word after Gulliver has to be an adjective, describing the story. Could be masterly, though I can't see the t. Or it could end -ing, like painting, dancing etc, but not sure ...
-
Or perhaps interesting ? Looks like the beginning of Indians below ?
-
You've got it Bookbox - interesting. He has done his uncrossed t and his omitting of the 'in' of 'ing' things.
Thanks again.
I'll amend the first message now
-
Probably ... thro not appreciating ...
Next word looks like Sater. Wonder if it's meant to be Satire ? Seems to fit the sense.
-
Oh Bookbox that is great.
You have lead me to 'thro not appreciating satire'
Thank you.
-
I think they are 'Endians' and not 'Indians'.
According to my dictionary -
Endian - : a reference to Swift's Gulliver's Travels, in which the Lilliputians were divided into two camps, those who ate their eggs by opening the ‘big’ end and those who ate them by opening the ‘little’ end.
-
Finally ... I think it's cleavernis = cleverness ?
Yes, goldie, you're right, they're Endians, sorry!
-
Cleaverness is clever. Thank you Bookbox
That page of text looks so much better now.
I think we can close this with huge thanks to Bookbox and goldie61.
-
Horrible hand! You've done amazingly well with it :)
-
Thanks Bookbox. It has been a lonely task but I'm much perked up by the folks here.