RootsChat.Com
Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: lostintimeandpace on Friday 05 September 14 19:34 BST (UK)
-
this is from Peebles Presbytery from 1628.
Spoilers
General story is Thomas Brunton allows his horse into the kirk yard, minister of Traquair and his wife confront him and ask him why, he replies that he is angry the minister refused him the right to bury his father in the churchyard, he then threatens the minister with his whinger (dagger). Mininsters wife slightly unhappy, they all go home.
Would that be a general synposis of events?
-
Please, is there any way of increasing the size of the text - my o/h is a calligrapher and ok with scots, so would like to have a read but, with macural degeneration, needs the thing to be larger?
Derby Girl
Sorry, I've already worked out how to do it!! Apologies!
-
hi,
the maximum size I can post on the forum is 500kb, and the one on there presently is 442kb.
I'll try cutting it into bits, and posting, but you would need to reattach them to make one document.
(and I just saw this bit -
"Sorry, I've already worked out how to do it!! Apologies!" )
I need to learn to read the whole reply before answering!
-
The whilk (= which) day compeired Thomas Bruntoun in Corshope as he was s[ummone]d be Mr James Scot his minister at ye desire of the presbyterie be (= by) l[ette]rs under ye hand of ye clerke and being accusit of ye wrang done be him to ye minister of Traqu[ai]r and examined anent ye severall points of his complaint whairof ye chiefest were these viz that upone ane sabbathe day in ye moneth of Julie last the said Thomas Bruntoun being at ye kirk of Traquair for ye tyme did put his horse in ye kirkyaird of ye said kirk contrarie to ye actes of ye kirke and being soberlie admonished and requeasted be ye said minister to remove his said horse he not onlie refused bot calling him deboshed knaive answered that he wold not and he be hanged and minting (= putting his hand) to his whinger said "I trow ye must have ye thing ye suld have had lang syne for hindering my father to be buried within the kirk" wt[h] many other grievous words in ye audience of syndrie people and when Agnes Murray spouse to ye said minister heiring ye tumult and being affraide of farther skaith (= harm) to be done to her husband coming lykwayis to intreate ye said Thomas scho (= she) received the [ ] lyke contumelious words calling her whore &c The said Thomas culd not deny any of ye premises bot onlie he excused himself be (= by) drunkines whilk (= which) rather did aggravate the offence itself being also ane other odious sin. The presbyterie becaus of ye absence of ye moderator and other brethren continewis his [ ] to be given to him the 13 day of Merche next to [ ]ing him to compeir ye said day for yat (= that) effect.
-
The whilk...
My grateful thanks for this. The Corshope area is new to me, I originally I thought it was Carlops!, which is why I should never try to do this sort of thing myself (I also only got about a dozen or so words anyways!)
The results of his misdemeanour can be found here, although nowadays he would probably got a few years in jail.
A lesson to be learnt about drinking and being in charge of a horse I suppose.
The reason why his father was not allowed to be buried in the kirkyard is another whole story that may never be found I suspect.
-
If you look at what Thomas Brunton says to the minister, his father was not actually refused burial in the kirkyard, but in the kirk itself. At this period there were lots of arguments over burial inside kirks. It had been allowed in the past, but it was felt that the upheaval caused by digging up the floor, especially as more permanent seating was starting to appear, was not acceptable. There was also, in some quarters, a feeling that burial inside was too close to pre-Reformation practices.
-
"buried within the kirk"
the words were written right infront of me. I hold myself to shame sometimes.
Many thanks for your time and patience on this.