Round hand

Round hand (also roundhand) is a type of handwriting and calligraphy originating in England in the 1660s primarily by the writing masters John Ayres and William Banson.

Characterised by an open flowing hand (style) and subtle contrast of thick and thin strokes deriving from metal pointed nibs in which the flexibility of the metal allows the left and right halves of the point to spread apart under light pressure and then spring back together, the popularity of round hand grew rapidly, becoming codified as a standard, through the publication of printed writing manuals.

[1] By the mid-17th century, French officials were flooded with documents written in various hands (styles) at varied levels of skills and artistry.

[1] France's Controller-General of Finances took proposals from French writing masters of the time, the most influential being Louis Barbedor [fr], who had published his Les Ecritures financière et italienne-bastarde dans leur naturel, circa 1650.

In the 1680s, John Ayres and William Banson popularized their versions of rhonde after further refining and developing it into what had become known as English round hand style.