Click on the button under each letter to indicate an example in the text.
Although I have used z in the transcript for the abbreviation mark for the suffix -ibus, as in presentibus, it does not actually represent the letter z. It just looks like one. Letter forms are somewhat variable in this less than formal hand, e particularly curling at all angles and sometimes back to front.
Petition to Henry VI of 1441. (London, National Archives, E28/G8/18). All images by permission of the National Archives.

| overview | recto text | verso text | recto alphabet | verso alphabet |

| recto abbreviations | verso abbreviations | exercises |

| recto transcript | recto translation | verso transcript | verso translation |

Click on each of the above to walk your way through the text. The transcripts will appear in a separate window so that you can use them for reference at any time. These exercises are designed to guide you through the text, not test you, so you can cheat as much as you like.
Medieval Writing
Script sample for recto
Script sample for verso
Index of Exercises
Index of Scripts

If you are looking at this page without frames, there is more information about medieval writing to be found by going to the home page (framed) or the site map (no frames).
This site is created and maintained by Dr Dianne Tillotson, freelance researcher and compulsive multimedia and web author. Comments are welcome. Material on this web site is copyright, but some parts more so than others. Please check here for copyright status and usage before you start making free with it. This page last modified 25/5/2005.