Shorthand?

[Yvonne Donnellon]

Hi

This was a postcard my great uncle Bernard sent during World War 1 (we think!). I'm guessing this short hand, can anyone read this?

Thanks in advance.

[HeatherLynne]

Hi Yvonne
It is indeed shorthand and looks quite like the Pitman New Era form I learnt in the 1970s.  However I'm struggling to read it even though the writing looks quite clear    I wonder whether it could be a French version as from the longhand I can read St Hyacinthe and Comte Rouville which are in Canada. 
I read the address as M. Arthur Germaine (M. as in Monsieur rather than Mr. as in mister, which points towards French perhaps), College St Hilaire, Comte Rouville, P.2.   From Googling it seems this College in Quebec still exists and the webpages relating to it are in French, so perhaps it is French shorthand.

Can you read the last few words in longhand?  "Ecole Saline Ecole commerical xxxxxxxxx P.2."

Sorry I can't help any further, but there's sure to be someone along soon who can
Heather

[Bookbox]

Can you read the last few words in longhand?  "Ecole Saline Ecole commerical xxxxxxxxx P.2."

Ecole Salime
Ecole Commercial St Hyacinthe P.Q. (= Province of Quebec)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Hyacinthe

[HeatherLynne]

Can you read the last few words in longhand?  "Ecole Saline Ecole commerical xxxxxxxxx P.2."

Ecole Salime
Ecole Commercial St Hyacinthe P.Q. (= Province of Quebec)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Hyacinthe

Ah yes that makes sense!  I'd forgotten that capital Qs looked like 2s 

[Yvonne Donnellon]

Arh, french short hand! Just my luck! 

This man was incredible, he lost his mum as a very little boy, was sent to Kirkdale Industrial school and left Liverpool in 1899 at 11 years old as one of the British Homechildren. He sailed on the Gallia with the Liverpool Catholic Children's Protective and Rescue Home, arriving in Quebec.

He was placed with a farmer who nearly beat him to death, the nuns had to take him back and raised and educated in the convent. He learnt 12 languages, and now it appears, shorthand too!

[Karen McDonald]

He certainly does sound interesting!

Just in case nobody offers a transcription/translation, maybe you could take a look here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duployan_shorthand

It would be a lot of work, and you might still need a tranlsation from French to English, but... 

Best regards,
Karen

[shanreagh]

Or you could ask on the Canada Board. You might find someone there who can translate shorthand plus is a French Canadian speaker.   

[J.J.]

Yvonne, I am reviving this thread to ask if you have found someone to decipher & translate this for you. You never know if somebody knows somebody who can help!

[Yvonne Donnellon]

Yvonne, I am reviving this thread to ask if you have found someone to decipher & translate this for you. You never know if somebody knows somebody who can help!

That's very kind of you, thanks. I haven't managed to find help with this, so would be very grateful for any help from french speaking short hand experts!