Genealogy Discussion Group-Handwriting and Script

Is it a F or is in an S?  When reading old handwritten records it can be difficult to differentiate between letters. Family history is all about finding and reading documents such as wills, letters, court papers and church records.  As you work your way back from recent certificates to older documents, the writing can be tricky to decipher as the words and their meanings– and even the shapes of the letters themselves have changed over time.  In addition, there were no standard spelling rules before 1755 in England or before 1828 in the United States.  Understanding these ancient scrawls can often be the key to comprehending your ancestors’ lives.