Secretary hand
Encyclopedia
Secretary hand is a style of European handwriting
developed in the early sixteenth century that remained common in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for writing English
, German
, Welsh
and Gaelic
.
Predominating before the dominance of Italic script
, it arose out of the need for a hand more legible and universally recognizable than the book hand
of the High Middle Ages
, in order to cope with the increase in long-distance business and personal correspondence, in cities, chanceries
and courts
. The hand thus used by secretaries
was developed from cursive business hands and was in common use throughout the British Isles through the seventeenth century. In spite of its loops and flourishes it was widely used by scrivener
s and others whose daily employment comprised hours of writing. By 1618 the writing-master Martin Billingsley distinguished three forms of secretary hand, as well as "mixed" hands that employed some Roman letterforms, and the specialised hands, the "court hand" used only in the courts of the King's Bench
and Common Pleas and the archaic hands used for engrossing pipe rolls
and other documents.
At the time of Henry VII
, many writers began to use the "Italian" style instead, a cursive script developed from the Humanist minuscule
or "Roman" hand which was easier to read but also easier to forge. English ladies were often taught an "Italian hand", suitable for the occasional writing that they were expected to do. Grace Ioppolo notes that the convention in writing the texts of drama
s was to write act and scene settings, character's names and stage-directions in italic, and the dialogue in secretary hand. Our modern use of italic font stem from these distinctions.
Aside from palaeographers themselves, genealogists, social historians and scholars of Early Modern literature
become accustomed to reading secretary hand.
William Henry Ireland
used the secretary hand to forge many Shakespeare documents.
Two brief pamphlets provide introductory orientation: Lionel M. Munby, Secretary Hand: a beginner's introduction (British Association for Local History), 1984, and Alf Ison, A Secretary Hand ABC Book, 1990.
Hand (handwriting)
A Hand, in calligraphy and palaeography refers to one of several historical varieties of formal, impersonal, generic and exemplary writing styles...
developed in the early sixteenth century that remained common in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for writing English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and Gaelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
.
Predominating before the dominance of Italic script
Italic script
Italic script, also known as chancery cursive, is a semi-cursive, slightly sloped style of handwriting and calligraphy that was developed during the Renaissance in Italy...
, it arose out of the need for a hand more legible and universally recognizable than the book hand
Book hand
A book hand was any of several stylized handwriting scripts used during medieval times. It was intended for legibility and often used in transcribing official documents...
of the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
, in order to cope with the increase in long-distance business and personal correspondence, in cities, chanceries
Chancery
Chancery may refer to:* Chancery , the building that houses a diplomatic mission, such as an embassy* Chancery , a medieval writing office* Chancery , in Ceredigion, Wales...
and courts
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
. The hand thus used by secretaries
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
was developed from cursive business hands and was in common use throughout the British Isles through the seventeenth century. In spite of its loops and flourishes it was widely used by scrivener
Scrivener
A scrivener was traditionally a person who could read and write. This usually indicated secretarial and administrative duties such as dictation and keeping business, judicial, and history records for kings, nobles, temples, and cities...
s and others whose daily employment comprised hours of writing. By 1618 the writing-master Martin Billingsley distinguished three forms of secretary hand, as well as "mixed" hands that employed some Roman letterforms, and the specialised hands, the "court hand" used only in the courts of the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
and Common Pleas and the archaic hands used for engrossing pipe rolls
Pipe Rolls
The Pipe rolls, sometimes called the Great rolls, are a collection of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, or Treasury. The earliest date from the 12th century, and the series extends, mostly complete, from then until 1833. They form the oldest continuous series of records kept by...
and other documents.
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, many writers began to use the "Italian" style instead, a cursive script developed from the Humanist minuscule
Humanist minuscule
Humanist minuscule is a handwriting or style of script that was invented in secular circles in Italy, at the beginning of the fifteenth century. "Few periods in Western history have produced writing of such great beauty", observes the art historian Millard Meiss...
or "Roman" hand which was easier to read but also easier to forge. English ladies were often taught an "Italian hand", suitable for the occasional writing that they were expected to do. Grace Ioppolo notes that the convention in writing the texts of drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
s was to write act and scene settings, character's names and stage-directions in italic, and the dialogue in secretary hand. Our modern use of italic font stem from these distinctions.
Aside from palaeographers themselves, genealogists, social historians and scholars of Early Modern literature
Early Modern literature
The history of literature of the Early Modern period . Early Modern literature succeeds Medieval literature, and in Europe in particular Renaissance literature....
become accustomed to reading secretary hand.
William Henry Ireland
William Henry Ireland
William Henry Ireland was an English forger of would-be Shakespearean documents and plays. He is less well-known as a poet, writer of gothic novels and histories...
used the secretary hand to forge many Shakespeare documents.
Two brief pamphlets provide introductory orientation: Lionel M. Munby, Secretary Hand: a beginner's introduction (British Association for Local History), 1984, and Alf Ison, A Secretary Hand ABC Book, 1990.
External links
- Secretary hand at catholic-history.org.uk
- Fonts at crazydiamond.co.uk