Issue 112 – November 2015
SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED by Stephen Guy, West Derby Society THE invention of typewriters and copying machines heralded the end of hand-written documents which had recorded legal and other transactions since the beginnings of civilisation. The way forward was paved by the invention of printing in the 15th century. Books and other material could now be produced relatively quickly and cheaply. Early attempts to make machines to replicate and speed up the production of documents achieved limited success. Previously everything had to be hand-written by clerks and scribes, many of them members of the clergy. Books used by the wealthy were enhanced by beautiful coloured illustrations. Few people could read and many books and legal documents were written in Latin. Printing enabled knowledge and information to be more accessible.
However, there were difficulties with documents dealing with specific cases such as land and property deeds or court judgments. Some routine official and legal papers were printed and the finer details filled in by hand. Typewriters revolutionised the legal and commercial worlds from the late 19th century. Typists replaced armies of clerks who painstakingly wrote everything out in beautiful copperplate writing. The pen-pushers were generally paid by the inch and many could write quickly. Often they spent their working hours repeating the same words and phrases again and again. Visitors to West Derby’s Grade II*-listed Tudor courthouse can see muniments cupboards in a small room. Muniments are title deeds and other documentary evidence relating to land titles. The room has three separate locks because, although not valuable, the
Book your Christmas ads NOW! SEE PAGE 4
muniments were important records needing protection. They were signed, sealed and delivered proof of transactions. Hand-written records were made at the court until its last sitting in August 1910. Most of its muniments are now at Liverpool Record Office where they are available to researchers. The West Derby Society was recently given a cache of around 50 documents from about 1850 to the early 1900s (pictured). Many are written on parchment and some bear the
INSIDE THIS MONTH
signature of the deputy steward of West Derby Court. Many of the deeds refer to Mercer Place, the Georgian hamlet off Deysbrook Lane. This historic enclave of cottages and small holdings was flattened and replaced by modern housing in the 1960s. No trace remains apart from the deeds which include handdrawn maps and plans. I Join the West Derby Society at its next meeting 7.30 pm on Wednesday 18 November at Lowlands, 13 Haymans Green, Liverpool L12 7JG.
DON'T MISS NEXT MONTH'S THEATRE COMPETITION 2 FAMILY TICKETS UP FOR GRABS TO CINDERELLA PANTO AT THE EPSTEIN THEATRE