Destitute

Thanks for the nice comments on my thistle head the other day. I was pleased with how it came out so thank you for liking it!

This is a ghost sign in North Bank Street, the barely discernable letters on the top part read "Society for the Sick Destitute". This was a society set up in 1785 to help people who were unable to work through sickness and no other way of feeding themself or their family. As of 2007 the society still existed and mostly benefits elderly people. Help involves visits and financial assistance. It may well still exist but the minutes of the meeting I found from 2007 mentioned that the society is small and consideration may be given in the future to dissolving it and redistributing the funds to the Salvation Army.

The sign underneath advertises a printer, publisher and shorthand writer. A google search brings up Abernethy and Walker at this address, publisher and printer 1846-1848 though they were publishing and printing long before this. That sign must have been there all this time. No wonder it is faded.

Is shorthand still used these days?