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| The signature of my 5th x Great Grandfather David Wait |
These signatures of my ancestors tell a story. They reflect the circumstances in which they lived and the world around them. A fleeting glimpse into their lives. This is an article about the handwriting of three of them.
Family history can consist of hundreds of names, dates and, addresses. Occasionally I have managed to discover an old photograph of a client's ancestor. But, usually the only look we get of their lives is something more personnel - their signature. Often, this is the only 'physical' thing they have left us, yet it can hold clues to the times they were living in and their personality.
But below, is the far more narrow and restricted writing of Jane Wait (b.1820). Jane was my 3rd x Great Grand Aunt and married John Evans Melson at Christ Church, Newgate, London on 27th March 1842.
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| Jane Wait's signature |
John was an engineer and his father was a butcher. Jane's father was my 4th x Great Grandfather, John Wait (1796 -1817), a poor carpenter from Shoreditch. At the time of her marriage, Jane's mother was suffering from rheumatic fever and her father had applied to the church for poor relief. Jane's handwriting looks very tentative, compared to her husband's. Perhaps she was nervous about signing the register in front of the congregation on her big day? Perhaps her name was all she could write? But, at least she did write her name.
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| The mark of Matilda Bisker (1818-1858) |
When Matilda Bisker (1818-1858) married Jane's brother, my 3rd x Great Grand Uncle, William Valentine Wait (1822-1887) at Hackney Parish Church on 18th August 1844, she just left her mark. Was she illiterate?
There has been a great deal of debate about our ancestors just ‘marking’ documents with an X. Many argue now, that when our ancestors, did this, it may not be a straight forward indication that they couldn't read and write. Perhaps the clerk had assumed that Matilda was illiterate, so wrote her name on the register and told her to leave her mark. Matilda may have even been able to read, but too embarrassed to show her weak handwriting alongside her husband’s.
A few years after those marriages were described, a national survey revealed that 37% of men and 48% of women could not sign the marriage register*. At that time, education was not compulsory. Children were simply taught the skills they required for work. Boys learned about the use of tools and agriculture, girls how to run a household. Often, the only way working-class people could learn to read was by reciting the Bible ' by rote', perhaps at Sunday School.
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| A bride signs the register |
From the mid-nineteenth century onwards, signatures were required on various kinds of official documents. Far more than previous generations. But, reform happened slowly and it wouldn't be until the 1870s -1880s that education became compulsory.
Today, the ability to read and write is accepted as normal. Being illiterate is regarded as shameful. But, during the time of many of our ancestors, literacy was considered a luxury. With this in mind, the physical marks they left behind can tell us a great deal about their lives and background.
If you would like to learn more about the lives of your ancestors, contact me at tonywait@hotmail.com.
* Tracing Your Ancestors Through Letters And Personal Writings by Ruth A Symes
