Courses & Tutorials
All of the courses listed here are FREE. They are arranged alphabetically by language.
English
English Handwriting Online 1500-1700 (Cambridge University)
This course is designed for flexibility in an attempt to serve the needs of beginners and more experienced researchers alike. There are a number of ways in which you might approach the materials presented here, depending on whether you require information from the ground up or merely a convenient reference/practice resource.
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
English Script Tutorial (Brigham Young University)
"This tutorial is designed to introduce you to the various hands used between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries in much of the English-speaking world. It also provides you with tools to interpret manuscripts from that period."
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Palaeography Tutorial (National Archives - UK)
Ten documents arranged from easiest to hardest. Each document is supplemented by historical background information, a glossary, notes on the paleography, a sample alphabet taken from the document, and a full transcript. Some website features require Adobe Flash Player, which is no longer supported. However, each tutorial is also available in PDF format:
Document 1: A letter dated 16 March 1554 from Elizabeth I, as princess, to her sister Queen Mary I
Document 2: The registered probate copy of the will of Thomas Pike, a shipwright, dated 15 February 1722/1723
Document 3: Examination of James Machary, 29 December 1588
Document 5: A letter sent to Lawrence Earl of Rochester, Lord High Treasurer of England, dated 23 October 1686
Document 7: Part of the manorial survey for Manor of Beere and Penally in Pembrokeshire, dated August 1618
Document 8: Hearth tax return for Besselsleigh, Berkshire, dated 1664
Document 9: Check list of items sent with Thomas Jennynges to boarding school, 1585
Document 10: An Act of Parliament for amending and widening the road from Falmouth to Marazion, Cornwall, 1760
French
French Script Tutorial (Brigham Young University)
An overview of language and handwriting developments, the influence of the Latin language, and individual letter and number forms.
En français: Introduction aux tutoriels du script français
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
German
German Paleography Seminar (FamilySearch, 2020)
This nine-part digital video series will teach you to recognize important genealogical terms and common German names written in Kurrent, a style of German writing that grew out of late medieval cursive script and was used into the early 20th century. Follow along with a printable handwriting practice worksheet that models how to form each capital and lowercase letter.
Presenter: Charlotte Champenois, AG® (International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists)
Experience level: Beginner to intermediate
Length: 5 hours
German Script Tutorial (Brigham Young University)
An overview of techniques and tools, alphabet letters and numbers, basic handwriting techniques and common document types encountered, and interactive resources. The best feature of this tutorial is Animated Letters, which shows how each character is formed from first to last pen stroke.
Auf Deutsch: Einleitung
Experience level: Beginner to advanced
Old German Script with Fritz Juengling (FamilySearch)
This class is designed to give family history researchers who read little or no German a basic working knowledge of old German script.
Experience level: Beginner
Latin
Latin Palaeography (National Archives - UK)
This online tutorial covers Latin-language handwriting styles in use between 1086 and 1500. It is intended for people already familiar with the Latin language. An extensive glossary of terms helps situate your transcription learning in a professional context.
Experience level: Intermediate to advanced