Just tell yourself they’re being Elizabethan. Rather fluid and weird spelling is in evidence in e.g. the letters of William Herle, passing intelligence back to Elizabeth’s court.
A Tudor remark that Katy passed on after the Kentwell open day (something like): Unfortunate the man who can only spell his name one way. Bob. Bobb. Bobbe (not pronounced Bobby, thank you). Qkbob (silent Q and k).
“Bob, short for Kate”?
I was googling (to save typing) the expression breakdown ghote spells fish.
And found (ignoring the Americanism):
How to spell “potato”
If GH can stand for P as in Hiccough
If OUGH can stand for O as in Dough
If PHTH can stand for T as in Phthisis
If EIGH can stand for A as in Neighbor
If TTE can stand for T as in Gazette
If EAU can stand for O as in Plateau
Then the right way to spell POTATO should be:
GHOUGHPHTHEIGHTTEEAU
Similarly
ghote = fish
gh = f in laugh
o = i in women
t = sh in nation
e is silent
Baub, Bahb, Bawb, Bhob… and if you have the british accent which silences any R after a vowel… Barb.