When did we stop putting the next word at the bottom of the page?

[marmaduke]

When did the practice die out of putting the first word of the next page underneath the last of the previous page, in order, it would seem, to facilitate speedier reading without pausing when turning over?

[Kit]

It's called a catchword, and it originally appeared in mediaeval manuscripts to help bookbinders to ensure that pages were in the right order and none had fallen out during the process of binding. Later it was to help printers' assistants (who were often illiterate) to make up books in the correct order by word shape recognition. The only information I have found so far regarding when it died out is from http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/don/dt/dt0611.html - apparently it was discontinued in the 19th century.

[Pinotage]

I think the word processor caused its demise. When typing it was easy to do this, but word processors have formatted page sizes and automatically start new pages when the one you are writing on fill.

.

I remember seeing what you describe on typewritten pages 20 years ago, but I cannot recall when I last saw a typewriter being used. Wordprocessing computers replaced typewriters in typing pools long before PCs came along. And when they did, executives wrote their own letters and typing pools vanished.