Learning to Read the Cross Writing in the Richardson Family Letters

Cross writing is visually dense, and it is usually attempted only by skilled writers with a readable style who are trying to save paper and the cost of postage. In these examples from the late 19th century, most of the examples are written by the women of the Richardson family and their female correspondents.

Notes on typing:
1. When transcribing a dash, use two hyphens with a space on either side. For example: "The carriage ride -- though long -- was pleasurable."
2. Ignore underlining.


Click on the links below to practice your transcription. Please send us feedback about these at david@americanpaleography.org

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  1. Cross Writing Exercise 1, words beginning with the letter "a"
  2. Cross Writing Exercise 2, words beginning with the letters "b" through "f"
  3. Cross Writing Exercise 3, words beginning with the letters "g" and "h"
  4. Cross Writing Exercise 4, words beginning with the letter "i"
  5. Cross Writing Exercise 5, words beginning with the letters "j" through "m"
  6. Cross Writing Exercise 6, words beginning with the letters "n" through "p"
  7. Cross Writing Exercise 7, words beginning with the letters "s" and "t"
  8. Cross Writing Exercise 8, words beginning with the letters "u" through "y"