[WRITING vbl. sb. 13 + MASTER sb.1 10.]
1. A teacher of or instructor in writing, penmanship or calligraphy. Also transf.
1582. Mulcaster, Elementarie, I. (1925), 62. The hole ortografie, which concerneth the right writing of our tung, will … help the writing master.
1646. in Roberts, Soc. Hist. Eng. (1856), 407. Given to the writing mr., 2s 6d.
1678. Danson, in Marvell, Def. John Howe, 126. With a Writing-Master’s directing his Scholars hand.
1710. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 12 Nov. That is a common caution that writing-masters give their scholars.
1754. G. Bickham (title), The English Monarchical Writing-Master. A new county copy-book.
1812. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life (1870), I. vi. 182. ‘Patience is a virtue,’ was my writing-master’s favourite copy.
1862. Mrs. H. Wood, Mrs. Hallib. Troub., II. xi. In the college school. There certainly was a writing-master.
2. The yellow-hammer, Emberiza citrinella.
1875. C. C. Davies, Rambles, xxxii. 231. Yellowhammers or ‘writing masters,’ as the country lads sometimes call them, from the scribblings on the egg shells.
