Thomas Arkisden

Life

Arkisden was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge (B.A. 1629-30; M.A. 1633). While at the university he invented a shorthand alphabet, which has acquired a peculiar interest in consequence of its similarity to other early systems of stenography published somewhat later, especially to those of William Cartwright and his nephew, Jeremiah Rich, the latter of whom lays claim in his 'Art's Rarity' (1654) to absolute originality.

The alphabet is given in the 'Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society'.