Family History

A Tool to Read Old Manuscripts
By John Tvedtnes

A problem facing Latter-day Saints who want to research their family history is that handwriting has changed over the years.  It is difficult for most of us to read manuscripts (even in our native tongues) written by our ancestors or by parish priests recording vital information on christenings, marriages, and funerals.  The U.S. National Archives has set up a web site for on-line instruction in reading English handwriting from 1500 to 1800. The url is:

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/palaeography/