Court-Hand

In old English praetice. The peculiar hand in which the reeords of courts were written from the earliest period down to the reign of George il. Its characteristics were great strength, compact ness, and undeviating uniformity; and its use undoubtedly gave to the ancient record its acknowledged superiority over the modern, in the important quality of durability. The writing of this hand, with its peculiar abbreviations and contractions, constituted, while it was in use, an art of no little importance, being an indispensable part of the profession of “clerkship,” as it was called. Two sizes of it were employed, a large anda small hand; the former, called “great court hand,” being used for initial words or clauses, the placita of records, etc.

Burrill.