Eighteenth-Century English Shorthand Systems
Like the seventeenth century, the eighteenth century saw a proliferation of shorthand systems, many of which were designed with an eye towards correcting the previous systems’ inefficiencies. Some, like Gurney, were straightforward revisions of seventeenth-century systems. Others were more radical departures like Aulay Macaulay’s 1747 system using hooks, loops, and circles to represent vowels, whose more fluid style resembled nineteenth-century systems far more than the more disjointed seventeenth-century ones.
Gurney
One of the most common eighteenth century systems was one published by Thomas Gurney in 1750 called Brachygraphy. The system was actually a revision of William Mason’s popular system first published in 1682 and later heavily revised. Thomas Gurney’s descendants, many of whom worked as parliamentary shorthand reporters, kept the system alive long after Gurney's death. As a result, the system continued to be used well into the nineteenth century, including by Charles Dickens who called it "the devil's handwriting."1 Mason and Gurney developed their systems with speed in mind, and while they resembled earlier systems in many ways, their characters tended to be more efficient to write.
Byrom
The poet John Byrom developed his shorthand system while a student at Cambridge in the 1710s after becoming disgusted by the awkwardness of earlier systems. Byrom designed his system to be simple, legible, and aesthetically pleasing—its beauty and lack of “arbitrary characters” for common words were among its most important selling points. The system was particularly popular at Cambridge University and among Methodists (he was friends with Charles Wesley, who was in turn an enthusiastic proponent of the system). Though Byrom preferred to teach the system to others personally, often for a fee, the system was published as a Universal English Short-hand (1767) after Byrom’s death. The system uses dots to indicate vowels, with the position of the dot relative to the symbol showing which vowel is meant. Its symbols were also designed to be more uniform in height compared to earlier systems, making it more “regularly and beautifully confined.”2
Taylor
Multiple shorthand teachers created their own variations on Byrom’s system. The most popular of these was Samuel Taylor’s, published in 1786, which became one of the most widely used shorthand varieties until the rise of Pitman and Gregg, especially in the United States. Like Byrom, Taylor saw “arbitrary characters” as "burthensome to the memory, difficult to be retained, and having a tendency to render the writing unintelligible," and so relied entirely on phonetic symbols.3 Though he adapted a few symbols from Byrom’s alphabet, Taylor shorthand was even simpler. Unlike Byrom, it uses no vowel markings except for dots at the beginning or end for words starting or finishing with a vowel sound. Taylor also increased the simplicity of many strokes, making his characters easier and his system faster.
Transcription Examples
The following examples show Eighteenth-century shorthand systems as used in various documents, accompanied by transliterations and longhand transcriptions. Where particular vowels are indicated by position or by dots, they are written in parentheses. Longhand words are written in italics.
Gurney
Transliteration | Transcription |
| m(y) l-s [and] g-n-t-l-m-n [the] j-s-t k-n-s-r-n w i h f-l-t n m(y) o-n b-r-s-t o-n [the] s(u)d-n d-th l(a)t k-ing m(i) r(y)l g-r-f(a)th-r m-k-s m(e) [not] d(o)t b u-m-s-t(a)l h-[been] d-p-l(y) a-f(ct)d w s(o) s-ver | My Lords and Gentlemen, The just concern, which I have felt in my own breast on the sudden death of the late King, my royal grandfather, makes me not doubt, but you all have been deeply affected with so severe |
| (a)l(o)s [the] p-r-s-n-t k-r-t-t(ck)l [and] d-f(ck)l-t j-n(ct)r(a)s m-d th-s l(o)s [the] m-r s-n-s-ible(a)s w-s [the] g-r-t s-p-r-t v s-s-t-m b(y) w a-l(o)n [the] l-b-r-t-s u-r(o)p [and the] w(a)t [and] (i)n-f-l-n-s th-s k-ing-d—m-s k-n-b p-r-s-r-v-d [and] g(a)v l-f t m-s-r-s | a loss. The present critical and difficult juncture has made this loss the more sensible, as he was the great spirit of that system, by which alone the liberties of Europe and the weight and influence of these kingdoms can be preserved; and gave life to measures |
| k-n-d-s-v t th-s m-p-r-t-n-t n-d-s | conducive to these important ends. |
Byrom
Transliteration | Transcription |
| (i) k-m h-r f-r-m k-b-r-g l(a)-s-t f-r-d(a) 3 clk w-th | I came here from Cambridge last Friday 3 o'clock with |
| m-r Lucas w(e) s(e)-t (o)t 11 d k-t(u) w(a)-r th n-t | Mr Lucas. We set out 11 and came to Ware that night. |
| m(i) h-r-s t(i)r-d w-m(e) d t-(i)r-d m(e) s-f-l(i), w(e) l(a) (a)t t | My horse tired with me and tired me severely. We lay at the |
| k-r-n w-r t m-n-s d-t-r h-s j-s-t d-d (i) w-s s(i)k-k | Crown where the man's daughter has just died. I was sick |
| b (i)t w-r (o)f g, w(e) h b-g-n-r-s t(o) s-p-r b (i) h | but it were of God. We had beginners to supper, but I had |
| n(o) s-t-m-k w(e) t-l-k-d f m-r-l f-r-t(u). (i) s-p-k t-m(i) | no stomach. We talked of moral fortitude. I spoke to my |
| l-n-d-l-d f-r (a)n-t-r h-r-s w h(e) g-t m(e) n-x-t m-r-n-ing | landlord for another horse which he got me next morning. |
Byrom
Transliteration | Transcription |
| m(i) l, | My Lord, |
| s-m-t-m (a)g(o) (i) w-s (i)n-f-r-m-d th r l h(a) r-s-f-d s-m l-g(a)tion g | Some time ago I was informed that your Lordship had received some allegation against |
| m b(i) (o)n ch-r-g-ing m(i) w-th k-m-t-ing r (o)f-r-ing t(o) k-m-t l-d-ness w(i)r. (i) h l-s(o) b-n l-t-l(i) | me by one [blank] charging me with committing or offering to commit lewdness with her. I have also been lately |
| (i)n-f-r-m-d th r l h-s b-n p-l-s-d t(o) s(a) (i)f (i) s-l-m d-k-l-r-d m(i) n-s-n-s (u) sh b s-s-d. | informed that your Lordship has been pleased to say, if I solemnly declared my innocence, you should be satisfied. |
Taylor
Transliteration | Transcription |
| th-r s n s-t- f l-f s. .n-x-ious s t f . m-n w d-s n-t | There is no state of life so anxious as that of a man who does not |
| l-f .c-r-d-ing t. th d-c-t-s f s .n r-s-n .t w-k s-m .d t. y w-n . .s-r. | live according to the dictates of his own reason. It will seem odd to you, when I assure |
| y t m l-f f r-t-r-m f-r-s-t f l b-r-t m t. c-r-t b-t th-s w-l b | you that my love of retirement first of all brought me to court; but this will be |
| n r-d-l w-n . .c-n-t y t . p-l-s-t m-s-l-f h-r w . d-s-n f g-t-ing s. | no riddle, when I acquaint you that I placed myself here with a design of getting so |
| m-ch m-n. s m-t n-b-l m t. o-r-ch-s . .n-s-m r-t-r-t n th c-n-t-r. | much money as might enable me to purchase a handsome retreat in the country. |
1. "Conversational Shorthand: The 'Devil's Handwriting,'" Decoding Dickens: The Shorthand Mysteries, The Dickens Code, accessed 21 February 2025.
2. John Byrom, The Universal English Short-Hand (Manchester: Joseph Harrop, 1767), p. ii, Google Books (https://www.google.com/books/, accessed 21 February 2025).
3. Samuel Taylor, An Essay Intended to Establish a Standard for an Universal System of Stenography, or Short Hand Writing (London: 1786), p. 15, Google Books (https://www.google.com/books/, accessed 21 February 2025).
- "This curious Art": J. Cole, "This Curious Art," in James Weston, A New Short-Hand Grammar (London: 1749), digital image, Google Books (https://www.google.com/books/, accessed 21 February 2025). This image is in the public domain.
- Gurney example: "Plate 8: His Majestys first Speech to both Houses of Parliament," in Thomas Gurney, A System of Shorthand, seventeenth edition (London: Butterworths, 1869), digital image, Google Books (https://www.google.com/books/, accessed 21 February 2025). This image is in the public domain.
- Byrom example 1: Byrom shorthand 1730, digital image, Wikipedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/: accessed 21 February 2025). This image is in the public domain.
- Byrom example 2: John Wesley's shorthand writing, 1744, digital image, Wikipedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/: accessed 21 February 2025). This image is in the public domain.
- Taylor example: "The 3d Letter in the 27th no. of the Spectator," in Samuel Taylor, An Essay Intended to Establish a Standard for an Universal System of Stenography, or Short Hand Writing (London: 1786), digital image, Google Books (https://www.google.com/books/, accessed 21 February 2025). This image is in the public domain.