Punctuation

Before 1870, you're likely to find little if any punctuation. If it was there, it was often used as a decoration. Expect to see little of it and don't make any assumptions because it is or isn't there.

Capital letters

Unlike today, capital letters were often used mid-sentence to emphasise any word felt important.

Abbreviations

There were three types of abbreviations in common use.

  1. Superior letters, for example Willm = William ; Richrd = Richard ; wth = with ; wch = which ; yr = year
    Titles were also abbreviated: Mr = Master ; Mrs = Mistress - these are common titles today but meant something in olden days - a person of importance.
  2. Contractions - letters missed from the centre of a word, usually marked with ~ or ' to indicate the contraction.
    = parish
    = Margaret
    = Johannes (Latin for John)
    = daughter
  3. Suspensions - where the end of the word was missed off. The word may be marked with a ., :, ' or ~.
= widow
= buried
= Philip
= filius (Latin for 'son of')
= filia (Latin for 'daughter of')

 

Genlinks Home page

This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text. This is the content2 area text.

Genlinks Genealogy Help

Punctuation and Abbreviations

Subsection Links

Surnames used in examples