Last week we were a bit amazed to discover the Ackworth girls had been learning shorthand as early as 1844, just 3 years after it was introduced by Joseph Pitman. So I thought you would like to see Margaret Griffith's sampler of 1834. This is the only sampler to my knowledge with a shorthand extract. I am told that when it came up for auction at Kerry Taylor it caused no little consternation amongst bidders since it was thought the date was too early for it to be accompanying a shorthand extract of two biblical verses. (The biblical verses are John 6 verse 27 and 2nd Corinthians verse 10.) But is this Pitman or some other notation?
Hi Jacqueline,
ReplyDeleteAre there any plans to to reproduce the chart for stitchers? I absolutely love the border and that peacock!
Hello Jacqueline
ReplyDeleteProbably not Isaac Pitman's notation system, his "Stenograhic sound-hand" wasn't published till 1837.
Teaching and learning phonetics was enthusiastically followed in the 19th century as I discovered when searching for the links between Ackworth and shorthand last week. Today I found a long list of shorthand systems to choose from at, The Shorthand Place: http://www.t-script.co.uk/chronological.php
(texting/twitter not such a new thing after all!)
Mgret