To Whom It May Concern,
I'm currently writing a book with a section that deals with period correspondence from various workers of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company to its various clients and suppliers.
I've come across a factory letter and at the signature line is a either a Word or Name or Phrase that I don't know the meaning of. Or that I can not make out / read the spelling of.
I'm not sure what to make of it and was wondering if anyone on this forum could be of help?
These factory letters are written in the Spencerian Era and for the most part are easy to read / decipher if one knows how to read & write in cursive. Which apparently now a days is a more rarer skill to have. Which is why a portion of my book will have these letters "transcribed" from cursive to print. Mainly for the ease of the modern day reader to comprehend said letters.
Here is the word on the signature line in question, as denoted by the red arrow. The rest of the signature reads, "Yours very Truly Nelson King Superintendent". With Superintendent written in shorthand.
1873May28th-Signature.jpg
I'm uncertain if this is some sort of Old English or Latin phrase at the end of the signature. Or even more possibly another person's name.
The reason I believe it maybe a person's name as I have seen on other factory documents a person's last name included written smaller after a signature line.
Here is an example with the name "Veader" afterwards. I assume that this was similar to Cc: (Carbon Copying) someone, much like in a letter or email written today.
1873October22nd-LetterWRACo-Signature.jpg
The signature reads, "Very Respectfully O.F. Winchester President Winchester Repeating Arms Co." "Veader."
Veader refers to Daniel H. Veader with Winchester Repeating Arms Company, and he was the company accountant from 1869 - 1906 and company director from 1890-1916. He was hired by "Governor" Winchester early on in the company's forming. Veader and Oliver F. Winchester were somewhat on friendly terms with one another until his death.
One reason I thought this may be a Latin phrase is due to the fact that I've come across various Latin Abbreviations used in other letters in the past. If took me a minute to figure out that "Ult" is the abbreviations for the Latin word Ultimo, which means "in or of the month before the present one." With the abbreviation "ult" was often used in formal correspondence. Other minor things I've come across is former ways of spelling words, like "jist" being "just", etc.
Any help on this specific matter would be most appreciated.
Most Sincerely,
Brady Henderson
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