HOW TO DECIPHER AND STUDY OLD
DOCUMENTS.
THE KEY TO THE FAMILY DEED CHEST
HOW TO DECIPHER
AND
STUDY OLD DOCUMENTS
BEING A GUIDE TO THE READING OF
ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS
BY
E. E. THOYTS
(MRS. JOHN HAUTENVILLE COPE)
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY
C. TRICE MARTIN
ASSISTANT KEEPER OF H.M. RECORDS
SECOND EDITION
LONDON
ELLIOT STOCK, 62, PATERNOSTER ROW
1903
[v]
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
Just ten years ago this little volume made its first appearance.Although many books on similar subjects have been written in thattime, none have exactly given the same information, and this secondedition has been decided upon. Additions and corrections to bringthe book up to date have been made, but much still remains, and mustremain, imperfect in so small a work on so large a subject, and thepresent pages only profess to help beginners over some of the initialdifficulties they will meet with.
It has been urged that handwriting and its characteristics have nothingto do with old deeds, but careful study of every line and letter isuseful, especially with regard to private letters, or when any questionarises as to whether the manuscripts are genuine or forgeries. That iswhy the second chapter, on handwriting and descriptions of old ink,paper, and paper marks and seals, was written, for all such itemsare of great importance.
[vi]
A recent celebrated trial (the Shipway case, in which an old registerwas altered) shows that careful attention to minute details isnecessary. Parish registers have not, and are not, at the presentmoment protected against frauds of this kind, which are far less commonthan might be supposed.
Old deeds are now bought and sold; it is a trade quite as much asthat in old books. Some years ago, in Edinburgh, a number of cleverforgeries were sold as genuine, which if they had been so would havecleared up a historical question of great importance.
Many friends who helped me when I first wrote the book are, alas! dead;only their letters remain, and from these I have used extracts inrevising this edition.
Mr. Trice Martin has most kindly read it through and criticised it, ashe did ten years ago, and if mistakes still remain, I trust my readerswill be lenient. It must, however, be remembered that I am writing onlyabout the class of deeds which are usually met with in old houses, andnot attempting to describe every description of charter or deed.
EMMA ELIZABETH COPE.
130, Hyde Park Mansions, W.
September, 1903.
[vii]
AUTHOR’S PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
In