Hand: Hand 2 (4v–6r), BL Cotton Galba A.xiv

Name: Hand 2 (4v–6r)
Manuscript: BL Cotton Galba A.xiv
Script: Unspecified
Scribe: Unspecified
Date: Saec. xi1
Place: Leominster
Catalogue Number: Scragg 485

Stokes, English Vernacular Script, ca 990–ca 1035, Vol. 2 (PhD Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006)

This script is fairly regular and slightly forward-leaning, and the bodies of letters are quite tall compared to their narrow width and to the short ascenders and descenders. Ascenders have small wedges, the descenders taper somewhat, and minims have small wedges or approach-strokes and turn right at the bottom for feet. Caroline a was used, the back of which is thick and the head very small. A similar structure was used for æ, the tongue of which is horizontal and very high, and a low æ+t ligature is also found. The hook of c is short and the lower curve long, and a similar form was used for e, the hook and tongue of which are like those of æ. The back of d is relatively short and is usually angled at about 45° but can be as little as 10° or as much as 60°. The tongue of f is flat, as is the top of g. The mid-section of g is a fairly open curve but can be narrower and therefore seem more vertically extended. The shoulders of h, m, n, and r are all rounded and the strokes slightly swollen; that of r can turn back in to the left, and h is close to Caroline. Long s is normal, although low s is also found (seax, 5v12). The back of long s is thick from cue-height down, but the second stroke reaching up from cue-height is much thinner. Only þ is found. Bilinear x was used, and the upper branches are hooked down at the tips. Straight-limbed dotted y is found throughout, both branches hooked left and the tail hooked right. The top of 7 is hooked up on the left and curves up very slightly before turning downwards.