Richard: It sounds like you will have many to translate. Here is how I did it. Go to an LDS Family History Center in or near Nazareth. [Consult your phone book or th Family Search web site.]They will have a booklet for a couple of dollars with the alphabets in Handschrift (Gothic Script) and in regular script, plus German genealogy terminology translated. You can learn to do it yourself. Practice writing the names you are searching for in Handschrift so you will recognize your names when you see them. It is more labor, but you can do it, and what you learn will serve you for further research. The Moravians also have books and magazines where some of the documents are already translated. Best wishes, Winifred ----- Original Message ----- From: Richard Heckman To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 9:16 PM Subject: [LegacyUG] German Handschrift Translation
Dear LUGgies, First, my apologies that this is not a Legacy-type question. Again, my sincere apologies for breaking etiquette, but I'm at my wits end. Hope some of you can give me some ideas. My earliest known family members have their history (births, baptisms, marriages, deaths, etc.) recorded in the Moravian Church registers (from Nazareth, Pennsylvania). I can access these registers at the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. My problem: All the documents aren't just simply written in German. No-o-o, my ancestors had to document their history in 18th century German Handschrift! If you've never seen "handschrift" (literally, hand writing) it looks like the scratches left by a dozen roosters in combat! Can someone make suggestions as to how I can get that nasty "handschrift" transcribed and translated? The Archives is reluctant to make suggestions, since they use these sources to transcribe and translate many of their documents. Thanks much for your suggestions! Richard Heckman Nazareth, Pennsylvania Lord, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference. Legacy User Group guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ For online technical support, please visit http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp Legacy User Group guidelines can be found at: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Etiquette.asp To find past messages, please go to our searchable archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ For online technical support, please visit http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/Help.asp To unsubscribe please visit: http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com/LegacyLists.asp
