HISTORY BY HAND

original historic handwritten manuscripts, documents and letters

a division of Jonathan Sheppard Books

      Books     Coming Soon    Order Form    Ordering Instruction    Terms and Conditions
Home     Personal Name Index    Place Index    Topic Index    Date Index

Welcome to "History by Hand", the documents and manuscripts division of Jonathan Sheppard Books.  Here you'll find an interesting selection of truly one-of-a-kind items, mostly handwritten, and each containing unique genealogical or historical information for the researcher and collector.

Why original manuscripts and handwritten documents?

It's one thing to read an abstract of an ancestor's land transaction in a printed book, but it's quite another to have his original deed to read, with his original signature and handwritten notations recorded nowhere else.

It's one thing to read an abstract of an ancestor's estate settlement transcribed from a court record, but it's quite another to read a worn letter written a century and a half ago from one of his sons to another, describing that estate settlement firsthand and also adding a few lines about the death of his "presious and lovly" daughter.

It's one thing to research family history from printed transcripts and microfilm, but it's still quite another to actually hold history in your hand and touch the actual document or letter your ancestor signed more than a century ago.

These original manuscripts and documents are the real thing  -  the real "history by hand"!

In the weeks and months to come, we'll be cataloguing many more items from our current inventory.  Each one tells a special story.  Some documents put a new twist or shed new light on historical events and their participants. Many others explain the "why" of family history, adding reasons to the "who, what where and when" you may already know.  Whenever possible, we've added some background information about the documents and the people to whom they relate.  Plus, we've indexed each of the items listed here by name, place, subject and date so that you can easily locate what you want to find. You can either search or browse - whatever strikes your fancy - and discover "History By Hand" for yourself.

In addition to the manuscripts, letters and documents that you find here, we've also catalogued some books that we think you may find interesting.  The books we've selected are either about manuscripts or handwritten documents, or are published versions of the kinds of items you'll find catalogued here - personal letters, manuscripts and accounts not originally intended for publication. 

Plan on visiting us regularly; we'll be adding new items frequently, just as soon as they're catalogued.

Books    Coming Soon     Order Form    Ordering Instructions    Terms and Conditions
Home     Personal Name Index    Place Index    Topic Index    Date Index

Visit Jonathan Sheppard Books for our complete selection of out-of-print books and historic map reprints.

Website last updated: 11/24/07