Help identifying the style of cursive writing.

[djwinslow]

My nan used to write like this and I want to keep her style of writing alive in the family. Unfortunately I don't have enough of her writing to fully emulate her. Only been a couple of days and the second picture is what I can do already. Just hope someone can recognize her style.

[arcfide]

Very idiosyncratic hand! I wonder, do you know the region where she learned to write, and what her formal schooling was like? 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

13 hours ago, arcfide said:

Very idiosyncratic hand! I wonder, do you know the region where she learned to write, and what her formal schooling was like? 

Knowing this information will go a long way to identifying the style of handwriting in question. 

[djwinslow]

Unfortunately I can not say exactly to where she went to school. All I know is she escaped the war back then and came over. She lived in Downham near Bromley. So just on the outskirts of London. I thought the upper a and d are more distinctive than others 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Looks like she learned this to me:

http://www.fulltable.com/VTS/a/artman/wr.htm

 

apparently it’s called Vere Foster Civil Service Script

 

 

 

 

 

[amberleadavis]

1 hour ago, IThinkIHaveAProblem said:

Looks like she learned this to me:

http://www.fulltable.com/VTS/a/artman/wr.htm

 

apparently it’s called Vere Foster Civil Service Script

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, that's a great link. Thank you.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

1 hour ago, amberleadavis said:

 

Wow, that's a great link. Thank you.

You’re welcome  

[arcfide]

Knowing that she grew up in England helps a lot. I was suspecting that she might have learned one of the vertical "library" scripts, of which the Civil Service hand is one of the more famous. I think there were a few other upright styles that existed back then in popular circulation in England. Furthermore, English 20th century cursive scripts were much more influenced by the Roundhand tradition than were the Palmer-esque styles of Business penmanship in the U.S., coming from a Spencerian and Ornamental style. 

 

To fill out your work, I'd suggest starting with early 20th century English handwriting praxis. 

[djwinslow]

Unfortunately that style of writing has its similarities but it's not quite the style of hers. @ithinkihaveaproblem.

 

Thank you arcfide I will have a real look into that. If I can't find one though I'll combine hers with mine. Try to make a writing style that just for the family. 

[arcfide]

10 hours ago, djwinslow said:

Unfortunately that style of writing has its similarities but it's not quite the style of hers. @ithinkihaveaproblem.

 

Thank you arcfide I will have a real look into that. If I can't find one though I'll combine hers with mine. Try to make a writing style that just for the family. 

 

Also remember that while people learned a given style, and usually are influenced by that, it's been extremely common since forever for people to deviate from that style's canonical forms. So, usually, you *won't* see people with handwriting that looks just like the canonical copies. What you look for instead is certain telling features that indicate the foundation upon which an individual hand was built, and then see how the user's grip, hand, and especially age might have contributed to their own elements. You won't ever find an exact match, but you can figure out the themes that drove the deviations from whatever set of foundations you have, and that can help you "reconstruct" something more full from the limited sources that you have. It won't be quite accurate, but it should at least keep a consistent flavor. 

[willisoften]

The Civil Service Script was taught to me in the 70s - but I was also taught the hooked "r" which isn't in the copy books I see displayed here, also  I remember as my school career progressed different teachers applying new rules - t and f  2/3 the height of other letters , Q written as 2 or as O with a tail.  I doubt anyone  has ever learned a handwriting system in its pure book form.

[A Smug Dill]

5 hours ago, willisoften said:

I doubt anyone  has ever learned a handwriting system in its pure book form.

 

Learning (at the beginning), and adapting it for one's everyday use for the long haul, are two different things.  I'd think a lot of people learnt — perhaps under duress — handwriting systems (not limited to those in English) as prescribed by textbooks, but once strict supervision and assessment has been taken away from the equation, everyone will consciously or unconsciously make changes over months and years to their personal practices.

[willisoften]

Sorry I took so long to get back to but I'm a full time carer for a dementia victim.  

 

I was thinking of my own learning of the "Civil Service Script" - the prejudice of various teachers had its part to play.  As certainly things were changed by various teachers according to their own views on neatness, style or clarity. 

 

As far as I'm aware - There is no approved British government style of handwriting if there is such a thing I apologise but imagine there may be a specification somewhere - the admiralty or horse guards or even Indian Railways before independence, which probably emphasised clarity and lack of ornamentation, and ink colour.   Vere Foster's script is as far as I'm aware the one he developed as simplified for the colonies which then was sold to schools via his publishing company under the description  Civil Service Script .

A more accurate description might be "Suitable for ..." or Accepted by..."