Varieties of English in writing : the written word as linguistic evidence Linguistic evaluation of earlier texts Raymond Hickey Non standard language in earlier English Claudia Claridge & Merja Kytö Assessing non standard writing in lexicography Philip Durkin Northern English in writing Katie Wales Southern English in writing Gunnel Melchers The distinctiveness of Scots: Perceptions and reality J. Derrick McClure Irish English in early modern drama: The birth of a linguistic stereotype Raymond Hickey [H]ushed and lulled full chimes for pushed and pulled: Writing Ulster English Kevin McCafferty Dialect literature and English in the USA: Standardization and national linguistic identity Lisa Cohen Minnick Written sources for Canadian English: Phonetic reconstruction and the low back vowel merger Stefan Dollinger Earlier Caribbean English and creole in writing Bettina Migge & Susanne Mühleisen Earliest St Helenian English in writing: evidence from the St Helena consultations (1682 1723) Daniel Schreier & Laura Wright An abundant harvest to the philologer: Jeremiah Goldswain Thomas Shone and nineteenth century South African English Lucia Siebers A peculiar language: Linguistic evidence for early Australian English Kate Burridge Describing and complaining :Written evidence of early New Zealand English pronunciation Elizabeth Gordon