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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Melpaget on Sunday 03 June 18 22:38 BST (UK)

Title: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Melpaget on Sunday 03 June 18 22:38 BST (UK)
Hi everyone I've got an old jewellery box and am unable to decipher the words written on the bottom of it ??? I have enclosed 2 pics one original and one edited please help someone.I've just found out top line is a song They are 2 songs written on the bottom.
First song is  “O yeel May the keel row” now need bottom song

Just can’t work out second line
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Viktoria on Sunday 03 June 18 23:25 BST (UK)
 God may the Heel
--in the Helecopt------which of course is all utter rubbish so it can`t be   that.

Any idea who owned it or any circumstances?
What a fascinating mystery.
Hope someone with better eyesight than me can make it out.
I`m very curious now. Viktoria.
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: mckha489 on Sunday 03 June 18 23:46 BST (UK)
.........Vale of Eden

Added

Maybe Mile of Eden, it looks like a dot over an i
And  Word on the second line might be “their”
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Bookbox on Monday 04 June 18 00:17 BST (UK)
My first thought was that the top line might be from the song O weel may the Keel Row.

It looks like a musical box, needing a key to wind it up?

ADDED - I see you added to your post while I was thinking about it  :)
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Bookbox on Monday 04 June 18 00:21 BST (UK)
Twas within a Mile of Edinburgh
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Melpaget on Monday 04 June 18 00:26 BST (UK)
That's it thank you Bookbox and yes does need a key
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Treetotal on Monday 04 June 18 10:27 BST (UK)
Could the first line be....Yet may the Keel now.....
Carol
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Gadget on Monday 04 June 18 11:09 BST (UK)
Bookbox mentions Edinburgh. There was an earlier version of The Keel Row refering to The Canongate in Edinburgh-

Quote
Versions of the song appear in both England and Scotland, with Scottish versions referring to the Canongate rather than Sandgate, the earliest printing was in the 1770s in Edinburgh in A Collection of Favourite Scots Tunes, edited by Charles Maclean, though the tune was also found in several late eighteenth-century English manuscript collections

https://wikivividly.com/wiki/Keel_Row

Gadget
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Trish1908 on Wednesday 06 June 18 19:36 BST (UK)
Is this an old cylinder music box that might perhaps have those two tunes on it:
"Oh weel may the keel row" and "Twas within a mile of Edinburgh"

Do you have the key and does it work - if so I would find an app that recognised tunes (I'm reliably informed there is such a thing!) and see if thats the case.

Intrigued  :o
Trish
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: AJ100 on Thursday 07 June 18 15:13 BST (UK)
Far preferred Viktoria's reply about God and the helicopter.

Melpaget, is this a box with a revolving cylinder with pins that strike a comb?

AJ
Title: Re: Old handwriting on a jewellery box
Post by: Flattybasher9 on Thursday 07 June 18 16:13 BST (UK)
http://www.rampantscotland.com/songs/blsongs_keelrow.htm

http://www.rampantscotland.com/songs/blsongs_town.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV5JbDJXwyM

Malky