I know what county the birth certificate is from. However, it certainly looks like Hanenek County in this image. I'd transcribe it as Hancock as that it what it is supposed to be. This image came from the microfilmed birth records of Hancock County, Illinois, on microfilm at the Family History Library-this image is from the birth certificate for Mimka J. Habben.
Any varying opinions?
4 comments:
This is #317 on the Genealogy Tip List: It's far more logical to attribute hard-to-read words to sloppy handwriting and the mechanics of older pens than to think all these clerical professionals didn't know how to spell. It may look like Hanenek but I have no doubt, nib pen in hand, the clerk wrote Hancock.
That's a really good comment and precisely true. I think that sometimes some are too tempted to read things literally. Handwriting was purported to be an art and the reading of it sometimes is as well. If you don't mind, I might use your comment as the gist for another tip, maybe #316?
LOL pick a tip number to fit the mood. I did.
Denise
Usually when it comes to things like that, I tend to look at how they formed their letters as a whole. This person's "c"s look like "e"s and their "n" looks like a "u" or a "v" to me in this small sample.
Also, sometimes when I write something quickly, occasionally it looks sorta odd, if that makes any sense. One or more letters might look strange, etc.
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