The following is a book review written by Bobbi King:
Mastering Spanish Handwriting and Documents: 1520–1820
by George R. Ryskamp, Peggy Ryskamp, H. Leandro Soria.
Genealogical Publishing Co., 2023. 307 pages
George and Peggy Ryskamp, and H. Leandro Soria have compiled an impressive resource for anyone encountering the challenges of deciphering and interpreting the complexity of Spanish handwriting. Within each chapter are the specific documents studied in a step-by-step manner that help develop the student’s skills in methodology and expand the expertise needed to take on the intricacies of deciphering Spanish script.
The chapter “Handwriting and the Spanish Language” gives a brief overview of the history of the Spanish language, describes specific letterforms, and describes the differences in syntax (the arrangement of words in a sentence) between the language style found in old Spanish documents and today’s modern Spanish language.
Two chapters, “Marriage in Facie Ecclesiae” and “Marriage Dispensations and Contracts,” offer numerous examples of marriage documents. The pivotal events of marriage provide the diversity of documents and hands-on practice that enhance expertise in sharpening interpretive abilities while providing insight into the historical context of Spanish customs associated with the establishment of families, both within and outside the marital state.
The chapter “Economics and Society: Types of Notarial Records” reviews examples of notarial records governing financial and economic transactions.
In “Dying the Good Death, as Seen in Parish Records,” and “Dying the Good Death, as Seen in Notarial Records,” are reviewed details of the testaments, parish records, and related documents that reveal the nuances of the Spanish concept of “dying well.”
The chapter “The Quest for Salvation: Baptisms, Confirmations and the Eucharist” emphasizes the predominant role of the Catholic Church in the daily lives of Spanish citizens. Religious sacraments and rites created the institutional records of names, places, family identifications, and notes that unravel family relationships within the handwritten parish records of the Church.
“Mastering Spanish Handwriting,” with its practical guidance and comprehensive content, will be an indispensable resource for anyone who must master the art of deciphering Spanish script.
“Mastering Spanish Handwriting” is available from the Genealogical Publishing Co. and from Amazon.