This document is written in secretary hand.

In this document you should watch out for:

• Flourishes on the ascenders and descenders

• Very long 's's and 'f's

• Elaborate 'w's, even in the middle of words.

• The 'h's are quite loose when joined to a following letter, but not so much that they become illegible.

• Remember that in secretary hand the lowercase 'c' looks exactly like a modern day 'r'.

• Text in the margin should be transcribed as if text in the main body. For example, transcribe the margin text adjacent to line 1, and then continue to transcribe the remainder of line 1.

• Abbreviations

The document contains a few common abbreviations with which you should be familiar, such as 'm' with a line above it, showing that a letter has been omitted, and the symbol which is used at the end of a word to replace the plural or genitive and best expanded as 'es'.

Don't be put off by unfamiliar spellings, transcribe the letters which are there, and say the word aloud if need be. Don't forget that you have the Glossary and Alphabet to help you.