Pursuant To...

[Jackdaw33]

...my answer to this crossword clue http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Quizzes-and-Puzzles/Crosswords/Question1484419.html
it suddenly struck me, when and why did the practice of shortening men's forenames in writing die out (Wm, Geo, Chas, Thos, &c). Also, why was it only men's names and not women's? Thanks to those who love to delve into the back and beyond of the extremely arcane.

[mazie]

Perhaps it was to reduce the cost of sign writing Jackdaw. I only ever saw the abbreviations on shop or business names when I was young. Women were very rarely incorporated into company names(perhaps)

[Peter Pedant]

Hi Jack

? typing - which would be around 1875 - 1900 ?

Mt grandmother always called my grandfather 'Chass'
altho Chaz as in Chaz and Dave is more popular

Persisted in painted signs until the fifties and presumably that was sign painters being paid by the letter

In longhand I routinely use - wh, yr. cd - oh and god you ll love this
c e and s with a bar on top ( macron ) for with, and and without

Gelz names - well you could have traders as a "feme sole"
but suppose yr lady wife was Lucrezia and you were Jack then she has to be Mrs Jack Jackdaw

Mrs Lucrezia Jackdaw is only applicable to a widow .... hence no short names as they took their hubby's

[Jackdaw33]

Interesting. I am well aware that a upon marriage a woman adopts her husband's style and title, which is why the wives of Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward are HRH but the husband of Princess Anne is not. The signwriting notion is intriguing, but I have seen old documents where people have signed their names in the shortened form. Surely it can't have been to save on ink?☺

[Cloverjo]

I never knew it was common practice. I've only seen an example of Wm Morrison on signs at the entrances to his supermarkets.

[Mamyalynne]

I often wondered if it was to differentiate names with the same initls?

Thomas from Theodore - Thos/Theo.
George from Gilbert - Geo/Gil.

Just a thought.

[Jackdaw33]

Might have a point there, Mamya, though I'm not too sure...

[Buenchico]

I suspect that the practice was used with men's names, rather than women's, partly because it would have been used mainly for business correspondence and there simply weren't that many women in business.

Further, 'Wm', 'Geo', etc, often seemed to be used when the name wasn't preceded by the title 'Mr'. So, for example, a letter could be addressed to 'Mr W. Smith' or, more politely, to 'Wm. Smith, Esq.' There was no similar convention for writing to women.

[Buenchico]

Just an observation:
Isn't 'pursuant to' nearly as archaic as the shortening of men's forenames? Most people just write 'Re' nowadays!

[shaneystar2]

This is interesting and gives some reasons why names were shortened .
Women's names were also shortened .
http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2015/01/names.html

[Jackdaw33]

I still use Esq. when writing to people when I wish to sound as though I am still dwelling in my own anal sphincter.

[brainiac]

Great link, Shaney - worthy of Buenchico!

[Buenchico]

I used to use 'Esq' when sending correspondence back in the 1980s. (I held dozens of committee posts and often sent hundreds of letters in a week). I don't seem to find the need for it nowadays!

[Mamyalynne]

The 'economy of space' may explain why some of the signatures on the American Declaration of Independence (and no doubt other important documents) were written with the aforementioned abbreviations.

James Smith signs...

'Jas. Smith'

[Buenchico]

>>> Great link, Shaney - worthy of Buenchico

We Suffolk people have to let those odd folk up there in Norfolk get a slice of the cake occasionally, otherwise they start hurling mangelworzels at us over the fence on the county border ;-)

[Jackdaw33]

Chico, re your post at 22.32. I was born in the 15th century and I still live there.

[stuey]

To whom it may concern: The shortening of Christian names was also prevalent on the dials and movements in clock making. This was to "neaten" up the appearance, and also lessen the chances of a mistake, as the more characters to be engraved meant the more chances to make an irreversible and costly mistake.
Your Humble Servant, Stuey.

[Jackdaw33]

Should that not simply be Stu. ?

[stuey]

OK, if you insist. Your Humble Servant, Simply Stu.":)

[Jackdaw33]

You just don't get it, do you, Stuey. It should be:

I remain, Sir, your humble and obedient servant.

Write it out 100 times before supper.

[stuey]

Indeedly I shall, Sire. Anyway, that picture of you: Are you dropping gold rings into a container so as to raise the water-level within it?