1889 diary p 33 met in a shop

[Deskman]

Writer met a man in a shop, who was he?

"met XX XXXXX in shop"

Two versions below

Thanks for any help.

[Karen McDonald]

This s a good one, Deskman! 
With it being a name, we are going to have to guess and hope. Unless the name crops up somewhere else...

I was thinking William (abbreviated to Wm) for the first word, but it could be an "r" on the end, so possibly simply "Mr".

As for the surname: I immediately thought "Sh" at the beginning. Obvious. But now I am not so sure.
Seeing as he rarely crosses a "t", it could be "Strxxxx".
If it were an "h", it is certainly more elaborate then the "h" in "shop".

It certainly looks like a "p" in there.
Having said that, the rounded bit is actually a little high, when you compare it to the "p" in shop.
It could be a "k"...

What looks at first glance to be an "a" could also be an "o" - it wouldn't be the first time that he has joined an "o" from the bottom. (Back to the left-handed theory... )

The end of it is bugging me. I am waving my hand around in the air, trying to follow the pen stroke. It is a weird connection. The last stroke of the "p/k" forms a sort of "E" which is open at the top, but whose base is joined to whatever the last bit is. 

If we look at the "e" in "met" at the beginning of the line - which is his "standard" lc "e", then it could be a sloppily written "e(x)".

However, the last squiggle could also be an "e" - he often writes "e" in this way at the end of a word.
Having said that, his "r" on the end of a word often looks like that, too. 

Add to all this his penchant for leaving letters out, almost anything is possible... 
But we terriers do not give up. 

So...

My suggestions:

Wm or Mr

In order of personal preference: 

Stroker
Straker
Stropes
Stroper
Straper
Strapes
Shaker 

Let's see what the others come up with! 

Karen

[Wiggy]

My first quick impression is Dr Shaker.        Not sure though.  (Not much writing to compare letter formation with.)

Wiggy

[Gadget]

I'm voting for Dr Shaker 

[Deskman]

Thanks Karen McDonald, That's really given me a boost.

I now think I have found the identity of the man in the shop.

Do you want me to 1. share the name or 2. share the name and my workings or 3. keep stumm to allow others to have go?

Here is what I had prior knowledge of
The writer's employer is Tubbs, an architect with office on Forbury, Reading.  The diary entry is "At Ludlow met XX XXXXX in shop, & told him I knew his people. Seems jolly fellow said he hoped I & Tubbs would be able to look him up sometime."

Hang on Wiggy, has come in with the name Dr Shaker that I now think is so close to as written and close to what I have mind.

Dr Shackel

Dr Shackel is a Ludlow doctor. His father is a surveyor with office on Forbury, Reading.

with Kelly's Directory of Berkshire 1887 and census records we have our man.

and now Gadget has  Shaker too

Thanks all,

Deskman

[ShaunJ]

If you'd told us where the shop was I think we might have identified Dr Shackel as a likely candidate. There were no medical doctors by the name of Shaker.

George Arthur Shackel moved from Forbury to Ludlow circa 1888.

[Deskman]

Hi ShaunJ,

Yes, I had Ludlow in the text but no knowledge of the man's title or name other than the writing in the images that I had failed to understand.

I really was not expecting this forum's section to look up identify the person, I was hoping the writing could be deciphered. Having had several names suggested I followed them up in a Reading centred directory.

It is lovely when people have expressed an interest in the identity behind names and J V Easton is a spectacular result

Deskman

[Karen McDonald]

Shakel looks good! I would have preferred Shaker, though! 
Can't see why I didn't see "Dr" this morning...

Karen

[Gadget]

I somehow thought that the Dr had a shop, not met in a shop 

Think I prefer Shaker furniture to Shakel