There can be no doubt but that some men used both a mark and their longhand
signature, especially when a man came to learn how to write AFTER he had
signed earlier documents with an X.  It was also not uncommon for those who
could not write to use their initials, as did your TD, those letters also
having been learned before, if ever, the man learned to write his full name.
Many signet rings bore the initials of the man, those being used to press
into wax as the "seal".  By so doing, and often in association with Xs and
or signatures.

All that said, be double sure there were not two men of that name, even with
wives of the same name.  Elizabeth was a VERY common name, and was given to
many, many baby girls in honor of the great Elizabeth I of England.

Paul



-----Original Message-----
From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Pat Grogan
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2007 3:06 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VA-ROOTS] Signing documents


In early American times did men always use the same signature from document
to document? I have found several deed records where Thomas Dooley and wife
Elizabeth bought or sold land. Some of these documents are signed with his X
while others are signed with the initials T. D. I suppose there could be two
men
named Thomas Dooley and each of them had a wife named Elizabeth but I have
found no other records that would indicate there were two different men.

Pat



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