Transcript

of

Shorthand in the Registers of Allhallows

Devon & Cornwall Notes and Queries vol. VI, (January 1910 to October 1911), illus. p. 17.

by

H. Tapley-Soper

Prepared by Michael Steer

One of the lost churches of Exeter, Allhallows Goldsmith Street dated back to before 1191. The tower was added in 1546, under the patronage of the Courtenay family, paid for by the sale of the cross and a chalice, that had been sold to William Smyth, goldsmith, for the purpose of building the tower. After the Civil War the pro-royalist All Hallows was ordered to be sold, by order of Parliament in 1658, for use as a burial ground or a school. Fortunately, an influential puritan and physician, Dr Robert Vilvaine purchased it for £50 to preserve it for the local people. By the late eighteenth century the church had fallen into disuse, and between 1807 and 1822, services were held in St Stephens. Demolition of the church commenced in March 1906. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

10. SHORTHAND IN THE REGISTERS OF ALLHALLOWS, GOLDSMITH STREET, EXETER. — In transcribing the Registers of the Births, Deaths and Marriages of the Parish of All-hallows, Goldsmith Street, Exeter, I came across several entries which have, in addition to the usual details, remarks or additional information in the form of what appears to be a species of Shorthand or cipher writing. It only occurs in the year 1683, it is all in the same hand and is found in Births, Deaths and Marriages. One word, shown at the end of the Grace Tozer entry (Fig. 1), is repeated in several entries. The other illustrations are Fig. 2 from the Marriages, Fig. 3 from the Burials, and Fig. 4 from the Baptisms.

Mr. Edward Pocknell, the donor of the extensive collection of Shorthand books now in the Exeter Public Library, who is familiar with all the known systems of English phonetic writing, has examined these entries, but has failed to identify the system. Can any reader of D. & C. N. & Q. suggest a solution.

                                 H Tapley-Soper