Featured Problem Reading This.

It's written....

I'm pretty sure it hasn't been retraced or anything.

It is tough one and I appreciate your efforts

 

I agree about "cecilia" "july" and "1856."

That's as far as I've gotten. But I am getting more comfortable with this absolutely ridiculous handwriting.

Don't know if this will help anyone else, but the more eyes the better. I'm not 100% convinced that this matches up completely with the piece @sabre123 found, but it's close.

 

Using sabre's bookmark as guide, would say 'if(?)' is an ampersand.

 

Oh yes, it's the exact same mark used in the "for your health & prosperity" line.

I currently agree that the first letter of the surname is "R"... but this is a puzzle that I have to keep returning to -- if I just sit and stare at it, it turns into a total blur.

 

I agree that is Cecelia and July and 1856 not 1850 as I first thought.

I'm looking forward (hopefully) to the rest being revealed and thank you so much all of you for your input

 

(I think I may have it... still doing a bit of research.)

 

Oh great

 

Okay, the problem isn't making a workable name (I made many), but making a workable name with a person found in history. That was a lot tougher.

But this is where I landed: Cecilia Raynes



And sure enough, there is one, and just one, "Cecilia Raynes" that I believe fits the bill.

(Please keep in mind, this is all quick/dirty research -- skimming the very topmost layer of available information... mistakes are expected)

Cecilia Raynes (never married)
Born 3rd quarter of 1844 Clutton, Somerset
Baptised Chilcompton, Somerset
Died October 1902, Clutton, Somerset

Daughter of William Vagg Raynes ("farmer of 40 acres") and Mary Grist

Siblings include
Mary Grace 1829-1908
George A Raynes 1835
John W Raynes 1838
Thomas L Raynes 1840
Ambrose Raynes 1848 (also born 3rd quarter, making a July birthday possible)

In the 1901 census (a year before her death), Cecilia, Mary, John, and Ambrose were all living with their mother -- probably the home where they were all raised, occupation farming.

 

So if Cecilia was the embroiderer, she was only 11/12 at the time. I see it as July 4th. Still trying to noodle out whether or not the rhyme differs from the one on the book mark. If not thorn, what other word to go with morn?

 

Wow that's fantastic....

WOW that's fantastic

 

I suspect Cecilia wrote out her motto lightly in pencil, then followed that, so the script would be her own schoolgirl hand.

 

Reexamining, my eyes can see it as 'From a Thorn'.

 

In my final working version, I had "from (scribble) thorn," but I can see "a"... sometimes.

Her lower case "a" was an odd bit of work throughout, so it's entirely possible.

 

I suspect that Cecilia wanted to make it very fancy and came up with her own guidebook for swashes and descenders.

Fortunately, she was surprisingly consistent with her flourishes.

 

She wouldn't need to invent. Style of the time was more decorative than we're used to. Be glad she didn't use:



Hers is more copperplate:



Her lone 'a' has a backslant. Maybe Cecilia was a leftie being made to write with her right hand.

 

Sorry, but her crazy lower case "y" is crazy.

But consistently crazy.

And the bowl of her lower case "a" is consistently broken in a way that makes no sense (unless one is trying to mimic needlework, maybe... which I think she may have been doing).

I'm not seeing the back slant, but I'm not sure which "a" you're looking at...

 

You might be right about that, I'm a leftie and that happened to me.

 

The one in 'From a Thorn'. I'm seeing it as starting with no introductory stroke but a swishy tail.

 

I see that as her standard-ish uppercase "A". I've pulled one up from the next line to compare side-by-side (and then highlighted how I read her "strokes").




I'm also a left-hander, but my math teacher mom went to battle with multiple elementary teachers to ensure that: 1) I was allowed to be left-handed, and 2) that I had the paper turned the correct way for a left-hander (which eliminates the backwards slant).

I can't believe there are STILL incidents of teachers mucking that up, but there are.

 

I had my hand smacked and the pen/pencil put into my right hand constantly...
I'm very dominantly left handed and proud of it