The Use of Signatures to Determine the Level of Literacy

By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, demand for literacy remained sluggish. Who needed to read to mend a fence, work a loom, tell the weather? The rich alrall culture had a long tradition of jokes, stories, proverbs, customs and ceremonies. Writing allowed a much more complex interaction with neighbours and society. To maintain written records of family businesses or farming activities could help ordinary people become richer. Being unable to read and write could be mitigated by access to people who could on your behalf.