Court hand
Encyclopedia
Court hand was a style of handwriting used in medieval English law courts. Originally used by the official courts, it later came into use by professionals such as lawyers and clerks. "It is noticeably upright and packed together with exaggeratedly long ascenders and descenders, the latter often and the former occasionally brought round in sweeping crescent shaped curves.
By the middle of the 17th century the writing had become so stylized that it was primarily being used for formal documentation." Notoriously illegible, it was banned in 1731. Even in the nineteenth century, however, an ability to read court hand was considered useful for anyone who had to deal with old court records.
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By the middle of the 17th century the writing had become so stylized that it was primarily being used for formal documentation." Notoriously illegible, it was banned in 1731. Even in the nineteenth century, however, an ability to read court hand was considered useful for anyone who had to deal with old court records.
Cultural influence
Court hand was referred to in T. H. White's 1938 novel The Sword in the StoneThe Sword in the Stone
The Sword in the Stone is a novel by T. H. White, published in 1939, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once and Future King. A fantasy of the boyhood of King Arthur, it is a sui generis work which combines elements of legend, history, fantasy and comedy...
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External links
Sources
- Andrew Wright and Charles Trice Martin, Court-Hand Restored or, The Student's Assistant in Reading Old Deeds, Charters, Records, Etc., Reeves & Turner, 9th ed., 1879.
- Charles Johnson and Hilary Jenkinson, English Court Hand A.D. 1066 to 1500: Illustrated Chiefly from the Public Records, Clarendon Press, 1915.