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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Charlie Bucket on Friday 28 April 23 07:39 BST (UK)

Title: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Charlie Bucket on Friday 28 April 23 07:39 BST (UK)
Hello.

The word "fath'd" in the attached article actually starts with an "s".
Can anyone work out what the word actually is?

Many thanks, Charlie
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: mckha489 on Friday 28 April 23 07:54 BST (UK)
what about.  “well fash(ione)’d house”
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: AlanBoyd on Friday 28 April 23 08:05 BST (UK)
Possibly ‘sashed’?

OED adj. first defn. “Provided or constructed with a sash or sash windows.”
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Charlie Bucket on Friday 28 April 23 08:41 BST (UK)
I hadn't considered that the f in hay-loft in the advertisement looks very similar to the s in house.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Davedrave on Friday 28 April 23 09:11 BST (UK)
I think that the suggestion that it is well-fashioned probably makes more sense than that it is well-provided with windows, in view of the fact that the window tax was in force at this time. Large numbers of windows probably wouldn’t have been a great selling point.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: JenB on Friday 28 April 23 09:12 BST (UK)
Like Alan I think the word is 'sash'd' (there are clearly two 'long' s's in the word)'

The OED has an example from Celia Fiennes diary describing a house: ' It is sashed up to the top with low windows to sit in.'

I think that the suggestion that it is well-fashioned makes more sense than that it is well-provided with windows in view of the fact that the window tax was in force at this time. Large numbers of windows probably wouldn’t have been a great selling point.

The problem with that is that the first letter of the word is 's' not 'f'. The cross bar is only on the left side of the word, not going right across it if it would if it were an 'f'.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: AlanBoyd on Friday 28 April 23 09:20 BST (UK)
For the wealthy, windows could have been a selling point or even a status symbol.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: mckha489 on Friday 28 April 23 09:21 BST (UK)
I will concede Sashed.
I have just found “ Fashion”. On the same page and is spelled clearly with an “F”
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: JenB on Friday 28 April 23 09:27 BST (UK)
Looking at other newspapers, there are quite a few examples of houses for sale or let being advertised as 'well sashed'.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Davedrave on Friday 28 April 23 09:36 BST (UK)
For the wealthy, windows could have been a selling point or even a status symbol.

Yes, that’s a good point.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Charlie Bucket on Friday 28 April 23 09:53 BST (UK)
Also in the advertisement the apostrophe is used in place of 'e" in accustom'd and liv'd.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Dulaigh on Friday 28 April 23 11:01 BST (UK)
sited ...saited. ?
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: hanes teulu on Friday 28 April 23 11:12 BST (UK)
Possibly ‘sashed’?

OED adj. first defn. “Provided or constructed with a sash or sash windows.”

I go with "sash'd" - the "f" is an example of the long "s".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_s
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: hanes teulu on Friday 28 April 23 11:40 BST (UK)
Newcastle Courant, 23 Feb 1750
"To be LETT
A Commodious modern-built fashf'd HOUSE ..."
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: hanes teulu on Friday 28 April 23 11:52 BST (UK)
Bit of mix and match!

"The apertures, particularly well-fafhed windows, give chearfulnefs and delight to every houfe; ..."
Edward Tatham's "Oxonia Explicata", pub 1773
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: KGarrad on Friday 28 April 23 12:51 BST (UK)

"The apertures, particularly well-ſaſhed windows, give chearfulneſs and delight to every houſe; ..."
Edward Tatham's "Oxonia Explicata", pub 1773

Corrected for you! :D
There is no cross-piece on the long-s.
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: hanes teulu on Friday 28 April 23 13:19 BST (UK)
I was aware there is no cross piece in the pure long "s" - plenty of threads on this site about the subject.
The printed originals I was transcribing show "f" eg fafhed. However, for emphasis I converted the "f" to "f" italic - I wasn't attempting to reproduce the long "s". Will highlight in bold f next time!!

regards

   
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: AlanBoyd on Friday 28 April 23 13:53 BST (UK)
Found in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne vol. 6 p113 in a paper THE ADVERTISEMENT COLUMNS OF OLD NEWCASTLE NEWSPAPERS by William Weaver Thomlinson, read 29/11/1893
Quote
From the Newcastle Journal of June 14th, 1751, we learn that 'The Whaggs,' near Whickham, was 'a new-built house of hewn stone, well-sash’d,' an expression often used in the advertisements of this period, 'wherein Mrs. Barras lately dwelt,'
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: joger on Saturday 29 April 23 09:13 BST (UK)
Sash windows were fashionable at certain periods of times as explained in the links given above. So it was a selling point.
The first link (in french) also explains that sash windows are more efficient as to ventilation and bad climatic conditions .

https://oknoplast.fr/blog/les-fenetres-dans-le-monde-en-quoi-sont-elles-differents-et-pourquoi-partie-1/

https://sashwindows.london/news/short-history-sash-windows

https://www.webtoonxyz.net/the-enduring-popularity-of-sash-windows-in-the-uk/
Title: Re: What is a "well fath'd house"? 7 August 1731 Newcastle Courant
Post by: Charlie Bucket on Saturday 29 April 23 20:36 BST (UK)
I really appreciate all the replies. Thanks very much.

Charlie