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Deciphering Old Handwriting

Program Type:

History & Genealogy

Age Group:

Adults
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Event Details

Deciphering Old Handwriting

While we might wish all our ancestors’ records were typed in a standard format and perfectly legible, that simply isn’t the case. Many of the records family historians turn to are handwritten and may be faded, use archaic terminology, unfamiliar abbreviations, or are just plain illegible. This online lecture will provide practical strategies for approaching handwritten documents, understanding and deciphering hard-to-read handwriting from different time periods, so that you can make the most of these important resources in your family history research.

Join us virtually through Zoom on Wednesday, November 19th at 7pm to learn how to decipher old handwriting with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of American Ancestors!

Registration is required for this event. Please register below. 

A link to the virtual event and a handout will be provided on the day of the event through email. A recording of the event will be distributed to all registrants following the event. 

 

David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist

David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist has been on the staff of American Ancestors/NEHGS since 1993 and is an internationally recognized speaker on the topics of genealogy and history. He has authored many articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, Rhode Island Roots, Mayflower Descendant, and American Ancestors magazine; and is the author of eleven books including A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries and Vital Records of Stoughton, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1850. David is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, Mass., and a life member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati and the General Society of the War of 1812. David also serves as the tribal genealogist for the Massachusett Tribe at Punkapoag in Massachusetts. His areas of expertise include New England and Atlantic Canadian records of the 17th through 21st century; American and international military records; DNA research; and Native American and African American genealogical research in New England.