Manuscript by Robert Henderson entitled ‘Tachy graphy; or Short-writing...’

Seventeenth century manuscript notebook with faux-title page:

"Tachy graphy, or Shortwriting. Being most Easie, Exact, Speedie, and Lineal. To which is Added Symbolical Characters, and Choice Sentences. Newly Corrected, and Enlarged by Robert Henderson, Philomath."

The main text is made up of both prose and tables of symbols, in a 17th-century hand. 34 unnumbered leaves are devoted to this work, finishing with a short excerpt of the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments.

Notebook is a fully bound octavo format, with evidence of several previous owners:

The front board reads 'William Haliday his book at Leith key. 1730'

The front flyleaf reads 'William Sanderson. Book. Musslburgh. 1812'

The remainder of the volume after the Tachy graphy concludes is taken up by numerous pen trials and doodles. These include sums, several different lists of names, many signatures by 'James Whitelaw' and 'James Sanderson', watercolour paintings of plants, pencil drawings of lions, and some mixed media drawings of soldiers and horses.

Whilst the first section of this volume is in a fine hand and for a functional purpose, the second section is clearly the work of children at play.

From the General Assembly Library.