IF YOU CAN'T READ IT, TRY THIS

This is one way to improve your skill at reading old handwriting. It was posted by  Genealogy Tip of the Day. When It’s Difficult To Read Posted: 23 Sep 2019 08:07 PM PDT I’m transcribing a will from Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the mid-18th century. The handwriting is difficult to read. One way is to try and force yourself to figure out every word in order and struggle with them without reading the entire document. That’s a mistake–particularly when something is a challenge. Instead try and get as much of it as you can by doing a “relatively quick sweep.” Don’t read too quickly, but get the words you can and move on. Put brackets in those places you can’t immediately read and go forward. Sometimes reading more will help you read earlier parts of the document either because the handwriting is better or the same phrase is repeated to where it “clicks.” Then go back. Try reading it out loud. To build your skills, start with more recent documents and transcribe those. Read transcriptions of other documents. Become familiar with legal terminology and the way things are phrased. Transcription skills are not developed overnight.