Four Things The Signatures Of Our Ancestors Can Teach Us

Level of Education

Observing the signatures of our ancestors at the time of their marriage allows us to know whether our ancestors received an education or not, during their childhood. Some ancestors did not know how to sign or simply make a mark. It can be inferred from this that they never received any education and could not read or write.

Sometimes our ancestors knew how to sign but their signatures were very awkward. For example, they would sign with letters drawn with difficulty, letters that were reversed, or letters that were very difficult to recognize.

In such cases, it can be inferred that our ancestors probably did not receive an education and that they only knew how to sign their names, perhaps using a model. Their signature shows that even if they had learned to write their names, they did not write fluently.

Social status and occupation

The signatures of our ancestors can tell us about their profession or their social status. In this case we think for instance of beautiful and sometimes even very elaborate signatures. These signatures were generally the sign of a high social status or an important job in the family tree.

In some cases, the signature of an ancestor can inform us about the profession he or she practiced. I have, for example, an ancestor who was a "cart driver." The spelling of the word as it was in the certificate suggested that he could have been a chart writer. But this ancestor did not know how to sign. So it was most likely a cart driver rather than a chart writer.

Observing the evolution of our ancestor's signature during his lifetime can also inform us about his work. Sometimes we fall on an ancestor who did not know how to sign at the time of his/her marriage and who gradually begins to learn how to sign at the birth of his children. This may be a sign that they have learned to sign or write as part of their work.

Even a lack of evolution of a signature can give us clues. It is probable that an ancestor whose signature did not evolve at all during his life did not write on a daily basis (and therefore not in the course of his work).

Position in the family or in the village

It may be interesting to compare the signatures of the different members of a sibling group in order to learn more about education in this family.

The eldest brother Peter signed a beautiful signature that suggests a good education in the family, but the younger one John had a very clumsy signature that shows he did not have the chance to go to school.

Finally, it may be interesting to compare the signature of our ancestor with those of his age who lived in the same village. If we realize, for example, that very few of these people knew how to sign, it would probably be because there was certainly little educational opportunity in said village.

Health status

If one studies the evolution of the signature of an ancestor during his life, one can sometimes see a degradation of the signature: letters that were well formed at the beginning become very trembling towards the end of his life. It is therefore very probable that this trembling signature is related to his state of health which deteriorated during this period.

Sometimes an ancestor suddenly ceases to sign. We can assume that these are for health reasons even if we can never be totally sure. However, in certain cases, the reason for this absence of signature can be mentioned in the certificate: for example, for a person who has lost sight and cannot sign.