Intriguing unreadable line

[majm]

I’m not on board with “been”. The last letter in particular looks like a superscript abbreviation. I think it could be “He has hitherto Recd.[received] a frequent visitor”, i.e., someone who visited him in prison.

Steve

Yes,  that's what I see too, meaning that the writer noted that one person frequently visited him in prison.

JM

[dusty2]

I've had another look and agree that the word "been" is badly written, but the context is that this boy was released on licence (a sort of parole) to work at a colliery and called in at the school several times during that time. The snippet I posted was preceded by "Several boys who went home for their holiday [a week at Christmas] inform me that Adams was doing well and that he talks of calling in on me." And then it says, I now think, "He has hitherto been a frequent visitor."

So, I think "been" is correct, but I am grateful for the alternative suggestion, as it is all too easy to predict what is coming rather than is what is actually there.

[sbny357]

In the context, “been” does seem to make more sense.