Henry Neville's Italic Handwriting
Topic: Henry Neville's Italic Handwriting
1. Verified Sourced Facts
- The packet preserves a large image set of handwriting examples drawn from multiple dates and document types.
- The image index identifies example groups connected to source filenames such as
SP 12/270,SP 78/44,SP 78/43,PRO 30/50/2/52-53, Windebank examples, Julius Caesar examples, and Tower-letter comparisons. - As preserved, the packet functions best as a comparative image bank rather than as a fully cited archival handwriting dossier.
2. Ken Feinstein Twitter and Blog Information
- A Ken Feinstein blog post dated
20 Jun. 2023states:
“Neville mostly wrote using secretary hand.”
- The same post states:
“he signed his name in italic, wrote Latin in italic, and sometimes wrote placenames and people's names in italic.”
- The same post states that Neville’s handwriting varied with:
“Document formality”
- The same post also lists:
“Language”
- The same post also lists:
“Purpose”
- The same post also lists:
“Time period”
- The same post states that the examples span:
“approximately 1591 to 1612”
- The same post identifies examples including:
“February 1599 letter to Thomas Windebank”
- The same post also lists:
“1600 letter to Robert Cecil”
- The same post also lists:
“1591 document”
- The same post also lists:
“Letters to Julius Caesar”
- The same post also lists:
“July 1602 letter from the Tower of London”
- The same post also lists:
“1605 letter to Thomas Windebank”
- The same post concludes:
“Despite significant variation within and between documents, these documents were written by the same person.”
- The same post further states:
“This supports broader research claims about Neville's literary connections and his role as an annotator of classical texts.”
3. Quoted Source Text
Ken Feinstein blog post, 20 Jun. 2023
- “Neville mostly wrote using secretary hand.”
- “he signed his name in italic, wrote Latin in italic, and sometimes wrote placenames and people's names in italic.”
- “Document formality”
- “Language”
- “Purpose”
- “Time period”
- “approximately 1591 to 1612”
- “February 1599 letter to Thomas Windebank”
- “1600 letter to Robert Cecil”
- “1591 document”
- “Letters to Julius Caesar”
- “July 1602 letter from the Tower of London”
- “1605 letter to Thomas Windebank”
- “Despite significant variation within and between documents, these documents were written by the same person.”
4. Citations
- Feinstein, Ken. “Examples of Henry Neville's Italic Handwriting.” kenfeinstein.blogspot.com, 20 Jun. 2023, https://kenfeinstein.blogspot.com/2023/06/examples-of-henry-nevilles-italic.html. Local preservation: blog_neville_italic_handwriting_2023-06-20.md.
- northumberland_manuscript.md, related packet for handwriting comparison work.
- alibech_rustico_and_boccaccios_decameron.md, related packet because the blog includes Alibech examples among the handwriting witnesses.
- audley_end_tacitus_and_henry_neville.md, related packet for annotated-book handwriting comparison.
5. Image Index
Images 1-2:PRO SP 12/270 f.68, as preserved in the source filenames.Images 3-4:PRO SP 78/44 f.186/f.186d, as preserved in the source filenames.Image 5:Boulogneexample, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Images 6-7:Alibech / Rusticoexample, as labeled in the preserved source filenames.Images 8-9:CP 79/31/1a, as preserved in the source filenames.Images 10-11:Julius Caesarexample, as labeled in the preserved source filenames.Images 13-14:dedimus potestatem/ Tower-letter comparison, as labeled in the preserved source filenames.Image 15:Windebankexample, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Images 23, 28-29:SP 78/43examples, as preserved in the source filenames.Image 30:July letter, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Image 32:Cecilexample, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Image 34:confessionexample, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Image 37:Lowerexample, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Image 39:Winwood letter / Chelseaexample, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Image 40:Pawlet italic 1606, as labeled in the preserved source filename.Images 42-43:PRO 30/50/2/52-53, as preserved in the source filenames.
6. Evidence Images











































7. Notes on Access
- This packet is a Ken Feinstein blog/image packet and should be used as a preserved handwriting-evidence set.
- The packet’s main value is the assembled comparative baseline across multiple documents and dates.
- The image index above is inferred from the preserved blog export’s source filenames; it is useful for orientation, but it is not yet a full archival citation layer for every document represented in the packet.
- The underlying baseline letters still need to be cited document by document if this packet is to function as a full independently verifiable handwriting reference.
- The handwriting-identification conclusions in this packet therefore remain at the Ken Feinstein analysis layer unless and until each baseline document is cited directly.