One of our most popular guests on the Sunday radio programme was John Jameson-Davis, the Gruesome Graphologist. He’s an expert on handwriting and if you’ve ever wondered what yours reveals about you, read on…you could even have the chance to get yours analysed by haviug a look at his website. Thanks John!
I was born and bred in Bournemouth and in my early days nursed on the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch hospital. Later I trained in horticulture and became a professional gardener. Then, twenty years ago I decided to become a handwriting expert!
I had been fascinated by the subject of graphology for most of my life but had never actually studied it. I was immediately hooked and before I knew it I was editing The International Graphologist, a magazine published at the time for graphologists. Because I am endlessly nosey, always wanting to know what makes people tick and especially why some people do terrible things, I branched out into the forensic side of handwriting analysis: looking at dodgy signatures and book-keeping entries. I also relish studying the personalities of serial killers through their handwritings! The more twisted and damaged individuals have extraordinary handwriting!
I now have two strings to my bow: assessing handwriting to determine personality and also to determine authenticity. Most of my work consists of studying signatures on various documents which have been questioned or challenged by somebody.
I’ve been living in Wiltshire with my dog Puck since 2002.
Signs of Manipulation in handwriting
A few years ago a young man asked me to analyse his wife’s handwriting (with her permission). He was wondering why they were having problems.
I can only give a taste here because when I analyse handwriting to determine the personality of the writer I look at and measure dozens of components and structures. Here I am picking out the predominant personality traits – those that jump out at me. These traits need to be evaluated together to help build up a portrait of the writer.
The speed of the writing is slow and plodding, showing that she is calculating and very careful. I immediately saw that the handwriting showed strong indications of a manipulative personality. Whenever you see consistently ‘contaminated’ circles, you know that the writer is cunning and secretive. Just look at her letters o and a and the d of ‘mad’ – most of them show strange interweaving of strokes. The letters aren’t formed in a direct way. She weaves in and out of people’s lives, calculating her every move based on their responses. She is a chameleon, always ready to appear amenable but actually plotting the next move to fulfil her own desires by using people.
The peculiar and awkwardly formed lead-in strokes to her letters m and the P indicate a ‘playing for time’ – she is not straightforward in her dealings with other people. There appear to be generosity strokes too – see how the ends of most of her letters curl up towards the right like a hand reaching out to give. However, closer inspection reveals the blunt endings to most of these strokes, indicating that she is more generous to herself than others and she actually stops short of giving to others – she is full of promises instead, promises she does not fulfil.
She is very insecure and ‘needy’. The spaces between her letters are generally too narrow and some letters actually touch one another – look at the o-n in don’t and the y-s of always. She is ambivalent, though, with regard to her reaching out to others as some of the letters are spaced wider and one word is broken up: al ways.
The heights of the mid zone letters – all the short letters like a, e, o, s, u, v, w, y – are large showing a need to be noticed, recognised, appreciated. Many celebrities and performers have large mid zones like this.
Her emotions are held tightly in – the upright slant of the letters reveals this. More emotionally responsive, warm people, like Mike Powell, have right-slanting handwriting!
I told the young man that his wife was not honest and trustworthy, that she wrapped people around her little finger and would stop at nothing to fulfil her selfish needs. The words, I Love You were really addressed to herself as she so desperately needs to be loved. It is unlikely, though, that she can ever get enough love, hence the manipulative ways in which she tries to earn it.
He later discovered that she had been ‘sleeping around’ and they split up.
Lovely to read your biography John. It is so interesting to read how you interpret handwriting and can delve into the personalities of the writers, especially the murderers.
My handwriting has changed over the years, from neat to scrawl. I must do better!
I loved reading your article John., it is so interesting.
My late sister, and late father’s written words , were very much like mine.
I find this fascinating as there are large age difference between us . Does this occur regularly , with people you come across, or is it unusual ?
Thank you for posting.
Hi Mike congrats on the website.. Great content.. Well done
Many thanks Huw – good of you to take the time to post from God’s own country 🙂
Lovely to read about your article John.
My handwriting changes. Sometimes it is larger. Seems to be affected by my mood.
My grand daughters writing requires your input, in order for her parents some way to find why she has shown in her writing much large letters clearly written, but stuck to one another..
She is th the sister of highly talented high quality children, brothers and sisters.
If you reside in the Bournemouth area, I would come round either for a brief over view, for which I will pay, or a in depth letter.
Thank you
A.V.P.
Thanks for this and visiting our site – your request has been sent directly to the “Gruesome Graphologist”