Finding out about our ancestors from their signatures

[PurpleOwl333]

Hi all,

If there's anyone here with an interest in Graphology I'd love to hear what you think about my great-grandfather's signature and what it says about his personality.

Thanks! 
Laura

ps Just found this site about handwriting analysis which looks really interesting http://www.handwriting-graphology.com/handwriting-analysis-chart/

[andrewalston]

Unfortunately "Graphology" is a pseudo-science and has no basis in fact.

You can tell a few obvious things, such as writing with the left hand, which was actively discouraged until the second half of the 20th century.

The other main thing you can normally work out is whether the person was accustomed to writing, though beware, because I know that a borrowed pen can make my signature look weird. 

Remember that a person's writing will have a great similarity to that of the person who taught them.

AND remember that you won't see anyone's signature on any GRO certificate.

[MagicMirror]

AND remember that you won't see anyone's signature on any GRO certificate.

I was very surprised when I sent for my own marriage certificate to see that it did in fact show the original signatures. (registry office wedding in 1988)

[Gadget]

That usually only happens if you get a copy from the original Records office rather than the GRO.
I was lucky enough to get some of my Montgomeryshire ancestors certificates with their signatures. It was  over 10 years ago so might not be so now.

Agree with Andrew re pseudo- science.  How can you tell left handed writing, Andrew - I'm left handed but no one would know from my writing.

Gadget

[MagicMirror]

It was definitely the GRO.

I'd be interested in how you can tell if someone is left handed too. I have an ancestor born in the late 1770s whose signature slopes sharply upwards as if he's 'hooking'. It looks very left handed to me, but I'm no expert.

[Familysearch]

AND remember that you won't see anyone's signature on any GRO certificate.

I was very surprised when I sent for my own marriage certificate to see that it did in fact show the original signatures. (registry office wedding in 1988)

I have been using Ancestry to update my tree - or even find additional proof of the events I already have.  Some of this is in the form of copies of the registers - which I presume is what the individuals concerned signed.

FS

[andrewalston]

MOST left-handers tend to slope the uprights in their writing top-left to bottom-right. The usual right-handers' slope is the other way.

Unfortunately, signatures tend to be quite short, so this may not be obvious.

Until quite recently, a child attempting to use a writing implement with their left hand would have received physical punishment. I wonder if the same was true in the arabic world, where the writing goes right-to-left?

[Gadget]

MOST left-handers tend to slope the uprights in their writing top-left to bottom-right. The usual right-handers' slope is the other way.

I don't. I either do straight or slope top right to bottom left.

It's how one holds the pen and arranges the paper 

[Brie]

I'm left-handed and when at school although I was allowed to use my left hand (unlike my mother) I had to make my writing slope exactly the same as right-handers. I expect I wasn't the only one - I went to 4 different primary schools and all had the same attitude.

Brie