Sir Isaac Pitman - Part 2 (Shorthand Part 15)

Alfred, Isaac, and Ernest in 1889

Concurrent with the spread of Phonography, Isaac engaged himself with another cause. A cause he considered more important. A cause to which he devoted most of the Phonography profits: Spelling Reform.

In 1842, Isaac asked himself “should not the phonographic alphabet, so successful for writing, be employed in printing the English language?” From this time Isaac regarded Phonography mainly as an introduction to Spelling Reform.  Isaac was joined in 1843 by Mr. Alexander John Ellis (1814—1890), a distinguished scholar and phonetician. By the end of 1843, they had developed the first phonotypic alphabet.

They started printing material in phonotypic print. However, they continued to improve the alphabet until 1847. This alphabet became known as the "1847 Alphabet," and Pitman and Ellis announced in the Phonographic Journal the “Absolute Completion of the Phonotypic Alphabet." Mr. Ellis retired briefly from active participation in spelling reform in 1850 due to poor health. When he returned about a year later, Mr. Ellis did not reunite with Isaac Pitman. From 1843 to 1850, Mr. Ellis’ arguments in favor of spelling reform are considered the most convincing and are noted for their scholarship.

The early 1850's were very active for spelling reform. The construction of the phonetic printing alphabet was the subject of countless experiments. Isaac frequently stated spelling reform was for the simplification of reading that "the education of the poor" might be "rendered not only possible but easy." Isaac's plea in associated with Britain’s 1870 Education Act that provided education for all.

Mr. Ellis produced a spelling reform scheme called "Glossic" in 1871 that was "intended to be used concurrently with the existing English orthography in order to remedy some of its defects, without changing its form or detracting from its value." Glossic changed the direction of spelling reform, and from this point on many spelling reformers focused on changes using the existing Roman alphabet.

Spelling Reform never succeeded due to the following reasons:

1. The Spelling Reform advocates all agreed that English orthography needed to be reformed, but there were many proposed solutions. For example, there were fifty spelling reform schemes under consideration by the English Spelling Reform Association in 1880.
2. Opposition from those who didn’t want change—educators, including universities, and publishers of books and periodicals.
3. There is no official government body whose function it is to change English spelling. Appeals to the Government and a high profile meeting with the Lord President of the Council, Charles Gordon-Lennox (Duke of Richmond and Gordon), and Viscount Sandon in 1878 yielded NOTHING.

(Note: In the USA, The American National Education Association adopted twelve simplified spellings in 1898 of which two are still in use: "program" and "thru.")

In 1886, Isaac brought his two sons, Alfred and Ernest who had assisted him for some years, into the business and changed the name of the firm to “Isaac Pitman & Sons.” In 1890, the Government added shorthand to the Education Code, and now Phonography was extensively taught in elementary schools.

On May 21, 1894, Isaac received the following letter from the Prime Minister, the Earl of Rosebery:

“It is which great pleasure that I make the intimation to you that the Queen has been pleased to confer on you the honour of Knighthood. I have recommended this distinction on the ground of your great services to Stenography, and the immerse utility of that art. It was always a cherished hope of mine to obtain a recognition of these, which it is a sensible satisfaction to have realized.”

Before this time the honor of knighthood had been sparing bestowed for accomplishments in literature, science, or art. Isaac Pitman was knighted on July 18, 1894, at Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria.

Isaac retired shortly thereafter and conferred on his sons all the interests of his phonographic text and other works. His last public appearance was in June 1896, and by September he was confined to his house due to increasing weakness and ill health . Isaac Pitman died in Bath on January 22, 1897. Isaac’s remains were cremated, per his request, and placed in a bronze urn.


Resources

1. Dictionary of National Biography. 2nd Edition. Vol 22, pg 1138-40
2. A Biographical Sketch of Sir Isaac Pitman (1904)
3. The Life of Sir Isaac Pitman (1908)