1. Home
  2. Parenting & Family
  3. Genealogy
photo of Kimberly Powell
Kimberly's Genealogy Blog

By Kimberly Powell, About.com Guide to Genealogy since 2000

Reading & Understanding Old Documents

Sunday August 23, 2009

Is it a C or a G? An F or an S? What did they mean by calling my ancestor a pettifogger? What month is Fructidor?

Reading and understanding old documents often presents a challenge for genealogists of all skill levels. Like most things, it requires patience and a lot of practice. But with the right tools and a little practice, you'll soon be reading and understanding old documents like the pros! Once you feel you understand the basics, the best way to really learn the craft is to practice, practice, practice.  These online document and handwriting examples and tutorials should help you get started.

Comments

September 7, 2009 at 5:16 am
(1) Robert Brown says:

Thank you for your kind guidelines. You are absolutely right. Without any proper guidelines it’s tough to read palaeography. Specially those languages which are written other than English language.

Leave a Comment

Line and paragraph breaks are automatic. Some HTML allowed: <a href="" title="">, <b>, <i>, <strike>

Explore Genealogy
About.com Special Features

Stay connected and entertained with reviews on tips on the latest HDTVs, cellphones and more. More >

Reclaim the morning and your sanity with these easy recipes, tips, and timesaving ideas. More >

  1. Home
  2. Parenting & Family
  3. Genealogy

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.