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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: heliboy on Monday 10 April 17 23:16 BST (UK)
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I wonder if anyone can help me.
I have been trying to track down one of my ancestors and finally discovered he appears to have ended up in S Africa - returning there a few years after serving in the Boer War.
I have found his death notice - but know nothing more than he arrived in 1906 and died of malaria 7 years later. He is listed as having no spouse or children (his illegitimate son not making the list!)
I know nothing more of what he did after emigrating - the signature block in question has been signed by his employer - if the missing word is his occupation it may fill in the final piece of the puzzle as to what he ended up doing.
I make the signature "James Macdonell"
And "Employer of decd (deceased)"
The mystery word has a full stop after it as does the name and relationship above suggesting it is a separate piece of information.
It looks like "Lawbody?" - but that doesn't mean anything to me
Any ideas? ???
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Hi Heliboy and welcome to RootsChat...are you able to post a snip of the part that you can't decipher.
Added: I see it has appeared now. Looks like Sawbody?
Carol
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"Sawbody employer of deceased"
but should the first word be two words? = "Saw body"..... (signed by) "employer of dec'd" (deceased)
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Looks like "Lawful" to me
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...meant so say "lawfully".
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Rena and treetotal - looks like you are both correct and it is a dead end :-\
It is undoubtedly "saw body" ie identified the corpse. After your suggestion I searched adjoining documents which contained the qualifier 'surviving spouse - saw deceased after death and 2 days prior'
Thanks for putting me our of my misery - I have spent quite a bit of time trying to work out what line of business Mr Macdonell had been in!
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There I was, barking up the wrong tree :'( good to see you've got an answer
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As my gg-grandfather was a carpenter/wainwright the 'saw' was looking hopeful and the only reference to a John MacDonell I can find in South Africa in any period overlapped perfectly and was a constable the 'law' was looking good too...
Unfortunately I can't find any real info so will probably have to speculate as to whether gg-granda S -
an Englishman brought up in the north of Scotland - ended up working for a copper in the Transvaal
Thanks to all for your help
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By the Macdonell spelling he was possibly from the Lochaber area & probably a Catholic?
Skoosh.
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As amateur family historians we know that different accents/dialects can be misunderstood.
We don't know the original nationality of the witness and your man could well have worked in the timber business. The only occupation I know i that industry is a "sawyer"who saws timber and a "pollarder" who cuts young shoots from living trees.
What if the witness was an American who called everyone "buddy" (friend/pal) and answered that the dea man was a"sawyer, buddy" and not "sawbody".
This idea came to me when I saw this online advert:-
"The Saw Buddy, A Power Tool Invention That Helps Sharpen Saws".