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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Lucykin on Saturday 27 September 14 14:04 BST (UK)
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Can anyone decipher this word for me, please? It is under a date of birth that is clearly written in the margin of a christening record of 1861. The person being baptised (in Yorkshire) was born in Ireland, maybe Killarney, but I can't find any place on the map that looks like this word. Or perhaps it is a Latin phrase? Any suggestions as to what it says would be most welcome.
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Tralee?
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I had been convinced it began with an E. Having looked again at the map, Tralee would make sense. Thank you, that was quick! I'm still not entirely sure though - I think I'll wait a bit, in case there are any other suggestions, before I mark this query 'completed'.
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It ends in (**alee) but not sure I see a T or an R in it? Can you show us a bit more to compare letters?
Carol
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I'm attaching a word (Elizabeth) taken from the baptism certificate which is the same clergyman's handwriting - the E is distinctive.
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This is another word (The) written by the same clergyman but in a letter he wrote about 25 years later - the T is very clear. That's why I'm not sure that Tralee is the 'mystery' word.
Any thoughts anyone?
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Do any other entries on the page have a similar notation under the baptism date? Eralee is a girl's Christian name, maybe an alternative Christian name, name of mother, or even maiden name for a person baptised in adulthood? Clutching at straws!!
Philip
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I read it as Ezalee ???
Yes, I realise the z in this example is different from the same clergy's hand in Elizabeth. I continue to write my capitalised E as though they are an inverted 3. Sometimes my z is the long version, ie with a tail below the line, other times it is the short version, all within the line ! I have been transcribing long hand for a number of decades, and I have seen many examples of the same hand taking either option for their 'z' even within the same paragraph.
Cheers, JM
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JM could be on to something ! Ezalee is also a known Christian name as well !
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I with KGarrad, I think it's Tralee.
Particularly as its under the date of birth and the child wasn't born in the place of baptism.
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The lower part of the first letter is a heavy downstroke of the pen, which it would not be if it were an E. I think it is Tralee.
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The lower part of the first letter is a heavy downstroke of the pen, which it would not be if it were an E. I think it is Tralee.
Actually, when I write my captalised E, (the inverted 3) my heavy downstroke is on the lower part of that letter, and I have seen many other similar E with the heavy downstroke on that lower part of that letter. :)
Cheers, JM
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Do any other entries on the page have a similar notation under the baptism date?
Philip
No, it's the only entry like this.
Like JM, I read it as Ezalee. I wondered if Ezalee might have been a shortened form of Elizabeth Letitia (Letitia also being in the name). But I've never heard of that and, so far as I'm aware, her name wasn't shortened.
I take Sinann's point about the word being under the date of birth to indicate a place different from the baptism place.
There is a sister who was also baptised by the same clergyman (their father) and that sister has the name Denny in her name. Interestingly, I see that Tralee was the home of the Denny family, so maybe the two sisters had a family connection with Tralee. I'm beginning to think Tralee may indeed be the answer.
The nagging doubt in my mind is whether the mystery word really does start with a T!
Thank you, everyone, for your help. :)