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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: tamarakel on Sunday 30 August 20 17:37 BST (UK)

Title: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: tamarakel on Sunday 30 August 20 17:37 BST (UK)
Is this a form of shorthand?
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: Girl Guide on Monday 31 August 20 08:40 BST (UK)
It does look rather like shorthand doesn't it.  On the third line up from the bottom on the end, there is what looks like 1 Kg = one kilogram.

What is this from and what year does it relate to?
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: tamarakel on Monday 31 August 20 10:25 BST (UK)
I am helping decipher and transcribe documents for family search so I don't know what date it's from, possibly 15th/16th century I'm assuming.
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: Girl Guide on Monday 31 August 20 10:37 BST (UK)
Oh I see, not helpful of Family Search not to say what exactly you are transcribing.  I don't quite know how they expect transcribers to decipher something like that. 

It's quite clearly some kind of either code or shorthand.  I would be contacting Family Search and asking them how they expect you to transcribe something that isn't obviously English, French or whatever.

To me there is nothing recognisable to even make a stab at what is there other than that 1 Kg that I thought might be one kilogram.

I don't envy the transcriber's lot, must be very difficult at times  ::)
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: djm297 on Monday 31 August 20 12:36 BST (UK)
http://cryptiana.web.fc2.com/code/elizabeth.htm

 Ciphers during the reign of Elizabeth 1.... might be useful....it looks very similar!

djm297
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: josey on Monday 31 August 20 12:41 BST (UK)
What document set is it & age period & what language have you volunteered to transcribe?

Looks like old eastern European to me....lots of consonants.
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: tamarakel on Tuesday 01 September 20 16:56 BST (UK)
Oh I see, not helpful of Family Search not to say what exactly you are transcribing.  I don't quite know how they expect transcribers to decipher something like that. 

It's quite clearly some kind of either code or shorthand.  I would be contacting Family Search and asking them how they expect you to transcribe something that isn't obviously English, French or whatever.

To me there is nothing recognisable to even make a stab at what is there other than that 1 Kg that I thought might be one kilogram.

I don't envy the transcriber's lot, must be very difficult at times  ::)
Hi Girl Guide,

Yes I've never seen anything like this, very interesting though!
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: tamarakel on Tuesday 01 September 20 16:56 BST (UK)
http://cryptiana.web.fc2.com/code/elizabeth.htm

 Ciphers during the reign of Elizabeth 1.... might be useful....it looks very similar!

djm297

I believe you are completely right, how interesting! Thank you so much for this info!
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: tamarakel on Tuesday 01 September 20 16:58 BST (UK)
What document set is it & age period & what language have you volunteered to transcribe?

Looks like old eastern European to me....lots of consonants.

the document is from Holborne and dates between early 1500's-1900's, I don't have a specific daate and the language is english. I believe as another member stated that it is some type of cypher.
Title: Re: Can anyone tell me what this is, maybe shorthand?
Post by: youngtug on Tuesday 01 September 20 17:05 BST (UK)
Samuel Pepys wrote his diary in code;
 https://crewsproject.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/30th-june-1661.jpg?w=1080