Can you read shorthand? Help with house deeds from 1919

[Wigeon]

Can anyone read this shorthand on some of our house deeds from 1919 please?

It looks like Teeline shorthand to me, which didn’t come in until the late 60s. I’ll look when I get a minute, I’m about to go out.

I've done Pitman's shorhand, and it looks like that to me, but it's always very hard to read anyone else's shorthand especially on paper that isn't lined. I'll give it a go and let you know if I can make anything out.

Amazing, thank you both!

It looks like pitman - it wouldn't be pitman 2000 as that was much later.

Can you show us more? I used to be good at shorthand.

Reminds me of teeline. I studied it about 10 years ago although apparently none of it has stuck in my head.

It’s teeline. Everyone’s shorthand is different so it’s very difficult to read other people’s, especially without context, but some of the words look like..

’A new house.. a new step up here. Unreadable….
generally see a… unreadable… WSU railway… 26 cups and saucers… unreadable.. 5 August 1907…

I’ve been doing shorthand for 20 years and there’s no way anyone could make head nor tail of mine. I’ve developed my own outlines to fit with the words
I write most often.

Doesn't look like the Pitman I learnt. I believe teeline was developed later 1960s, in which case, that writing was added to the deeds at a later stage.

Oh wow, so it’s someone’s personal notes! Thank you! I’d assumed it was notes from a solicitor, because sone of the earlier deeds have pencil annotations which often seem to be noting down what should change on the previous deed to create the next one.

Could “WSU railway” be “WJU railway”? That would make more sense given the location.

If it was written in 1907, it can't be Teeline, as that wasn't developed until the 60s.

Well, it is written on deeds from 1919, so all we can tell is that it wasn’t written before then, but it could have been written at any point between then and 2022, when we bought the house!

Yes it could definitely be WJU railway!

My best guess would be that it’s someone who’s making notes about some of the history of the house

Bump for any other shorthand experts!

Agree it looks like teeline. Sorry, but so hard to make out without lines to determine h's from p's etc. Also, when you're learning and using shorthand, almost everything starts 'Dear Sir (or whatever), I am writing to let you know ... blah, blah' and the rest will be relevant to whatever business is being conducted, so there's context, making it a smoother read. I only ever write things in shorthand if I don't want anyone else to read them😃