Books

Forrest, M. (2019). Reading Early Handwriting 1500-1700 (3rd ed.). British Association for Local History.

This practical guide is illustrated with facsimiles and transcripts of more than twenty types of documents that paleographers are most likely to encounter in their research. The volume includes explanations of numbers, currency types, and measurements, as well as transcribing tips. This resource is suitable for beginners just getting their bearings in early modern scripts and for those with more experience looking to refine their skills.

Experience level: Beginner to advanced

James, K. (2020). English Paleography and Manuscript Culture 1500-1800. Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

An easy-to-follow introduction to reading and understanding early modern English manuscripts, this book provides a detailed technical introduction to English handwriting styles from "secretary hand" through "copperplate." Case studies place a variety of document types in social, cultural, and historical contexts. Users may practice reading and transcription with the exercises provided. This book is appropriate for paleographers with at least some experience reading older English-language styles of writing.

Experience level: Intermediate to advanced

Jarvis, C. (2022). Teach Yourself Palaeography: A Guide for Genealogists and Local Historians. History Press.

This book covers all the skills paleographers need to read English documents from any time period. Graded exercises are arranged in reverse chronological order, starting with more familiar modern handwriting and ending with the "court hand" of the medieval period. A comprehensive reference section features examples of various letter forms, symbols, and abbreviations. This volume is ideal for readers new to early modern script.

Experience level: Beginner to intermediate

Sperry, K. (2008). Reading Early American Handwriting. Genealogical Publishing.

This book teaches users how to read and understand handwriting for genealogical research. It explains reading techniques and includes nearly 100 images of early American handwritten records, which are presented with the author's transcription on a facing page. It also includes information about numbers and roman numerals, Julian Calendar and Gregorian Calendar dates, and sample alphabets and letter forms; a glossary of terms found in and used to describe wills, deeds, and church records; and abbreviations, contractions, and other standard terminology found in early American records. This book is an important reference work for every stage of the transcription process.

Experience level: All

Minert, R. P. (2013). Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German Latin and French in Historical Manuscripts (2nd ed., revised and expanded). GRT Publications. 

This book presents 17th-20th century styles of German, Latin, and French writing in the context of predominantly German-language records. Individual letter forms, various scripts, abbreviations, and words commonly encountered in genealogical records are examined at length. Examples range from probate records to church documents. This book is written with intermediate to advanced paleographers in mind.

Experience level: Intermediate to advanced

Kopittke, E. & Kopittke, R. (2018). German Words for Family Historians. Unlock the Past. 

This four-page reference guide printed on glossy card stock may look insignificant, but it contains several hundred German words alongside their English equivalents. Vocabulary is categorized into "Relationships," "Occupations, Religious and Church terms," "Jurisdictions or political terms," "Months and days," and "Assorted words" for easy reference. The quick guide also features samples of old German handwriting and is a must-have for any serious researcher's work station.

Experience level: All

Minert, R. P. (2013). Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German Latin and French in Historical Manuscripts (2nd ed., revised and expanded). GRT Publications. 

This book presents 17th-20th century styles of German, Latin, and French writing in the context of predominantly German-language records. Individual letter forms, various scripts, abbreviations, and words commonly encountered in genealogical records are examined at length. Examples range from probate records to church documents. This book is written with intermediate to advanced paleographers in mind.

Experience level: Intermediate to advanced

Schober, K. (2020). The Magic of German Church Records: Finding the Key to Your Ancestor's Past. Katherine Schober. 

This practical guide gives readers the skills to extract (i.e., identify and transcribe) pertinent information from German church records without needing to understand every word. Real examples from German church records show users how to apply extraction skills to various record types and formats.

Experience level: Intermediate to advanced

Coulson, F. T., & Babcock R. G. (2021). The Oxford Handbook of Latin Palaeography. Oxford University Press.

This recent monograph treats paleography not as an isolated discipline but as a field of study related to codicology, the history of the medieval book, and cultural contexts in which manuscripts were written. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of Latin script developments from Antiquity to the Renaissance. This book is suitable for anyone wanting to learn about Latin paleography as a field of study.

Experience level: All

Minert, R. P. (2013). Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents: Analyzing German Latin and French in Historical Manuscripts (2nd ed., revised and expanded). GRT Publications. 

This book presents 17th-20th century styles of German, Latin, and French writing in the context of predominantly German-language records. Individual letter forms, various scripts, abbreviations, and words commonly encountered in genealogical records are examined at length. Examples range from probate records to church documents. This book is written with intermediate to advanced paleographers in mind.

Experience level: Intermediate to advanced