For centuries the only writing instrument available in Europe and the Americas was the quill pen, fashioned from a goose feather. Despite its simplicity, it was possible to produce excellent calligraphy that is a pleasure to read, as this document illustrates. At that time there was no carbon paper so extra copies had to be made by hand. Youths who wished to enter the government service had to practise writing for years until they had mastered the required fine, clear hand. It was, however, not as easy to write with a quill as with a modern pencil or ball point pen. They had to be sharpened frequently with a pen knife. Schooling did not begin until children developed sufficient dexterity to use a quill, usually at about age twelve. In poorer families a twelve-year old was needed to help with work on the farm or in the workshop, hence only the richer families could afford to send their children to school, and the vast majority of the people remained illiterate.
Courtesy: The Author and the Public Archives of Canada
