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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: unlikely_librarian on Sunday 24 November 24 21:08 GMT (UK)
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In my tree there is a young child, age two, who was tragically "killed by a cart" in Worcestershire, England, in 1839. I'm quoting the cause of death from his baptism record, but the death certificate appears to give a bit more detail. It reads "By a cart that accidentally *** over him". I cannot make out the missing word and am wondering if it may be archaic and no longer in use. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know!
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"passing" I think. Passing over him. The sentence is a bit awkward with the extra "that" but still... The long S is a letter we don't use now, but that's a fairly typical "ss" for the time.
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Agree the word is "passing" using a long s followed by a short s. That style of writing disappeared during the 19th cent.
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Thank you — I thought it looked like 'passing' but the long S threw me off. Didn't know about that style of writing. Every day is a school day!
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Sometimes you may be able to find a newspaper item about the accident or inquest. Happy to have a look if you would like to give more details.
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Thank you @maddys52, that's very generous of you. The child's name was James Westwood and his parents were Mary and James, a fruitier/dairy farmer. They lived in an area of Netherton, Dudley, known as Mousesweet Brook.
James died on 6 June 1939 when he was two years old and his burial record is here: https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a490375f493fd09240f7da5 (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a490375f493fd09240f7da5).
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I'm not sure it's "that".
The last letter does not match the "t" at the end of "cart", and there is an extra downward if it's a "t" at the start.
Wheel or horse would make sense but I can't get close to making them fit the letters.
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Thank you @maddys52, that's very generous of you. The child's name was James Westwood and his parents were Mary and James, a fruitier/dairy farmer. They lived in an area of Netherton, Dudley, known as Mousesweet Brook.
James died on 6 June 1939 when he was two years old and his burial record is here: https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a490375f493fd09240f7da5 (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5a490375f493fd09240f7da5).
I've had a look in various newspapers, but unfortunately couldn't find anything about his death.
Of possible interest - there is an article about the sanitary condition of Dudley in 1871 which mentions Mousesweet Brook.
" ... A place called the Mousesweet Brook, a name which is a perversion of "mouth sweet", so proverbially sweet was its water, is now nothing but an open sewer, the contents of which are far too foul to the sense of smell ever to be tested by the sense of taste ..."
Monday, Sept. 18, 1871
Publication: The Standard (London)
I also wonder about "that" - I'm not convinced that is what is written. The first letter could be "W" followed by "he" with part of the up stroke for the "e" very faint. Then another "e" and the last letter "l". So "Wheel". :-\
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I agree with Maddy and tellx about the fourth word.
If the name in the next column is William, then the W is quite peculiar and does match the initial on the fourth word.
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I think this is on the right track... the first letter of that word looks like a W if you look at it in context (I've attached the full certificate in case that helps). "Wheel" seems to be the most obvious word, although I'm not sure the letters match.
@Maddy Thanks for the info on Mousesweet – it certainly doesn't sound as idyllic as the name suggests!
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As much as I don't like grammatically-wise I think it reads '.....what accidentally passing over him" meaning a cart 'what passed over him.
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"By a Cart Wheel accidentally passing over him" makes more sense.
Compare "Wheel" letters:
W in William
e in accidentally and over , especially the second e in wheel
l in accidentally
Tony
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Interesting thread, people's handwriting causes us loads of problems. I did notice that every double e in all the other words are quite clearly written though, and not in the case of the wheel/what word.
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The final letter is not similar to other examples of t.
It is as if the writer realised he has to fit in a long word to follow Wheel on that line, so he cramps up the letters a bit. In "High Street", both the horizontal strokes of the ee are also quite faint, even where there is plenty of space.
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The final letter is not similar to other examples of t.
It is as if the writer realised he has to fit in a long word to follow Wheel on that line, so he cramps up the letters a bit. In "High Street", both the horizontal strokes of the ee are also quite faint, even where there is plenty of space.
Exactly.
I have (very inexpertly) filled in the missing bits of the two 'e' s which I hope makes it clear that the word is 'wheel'.
The fact that the loop on the second 'e' was touching the final 'l' also complicated things.
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Very well done Jenb. I think you may have it.
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Very well done Jenb. I think you may have it.
Others had it much earlier in the thread, I was just trying to clarify it for the doubters ;D
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Excellent work everyone! I think we solved it. Special recognition to JenB and her editing skills :)
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Special recognition to JenB and her editing skills :)
Believe me, that owed far more to luck than judgement on my part :-X
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Thanks Jen, I tried to something similar but my photoshop skills aren't up to it. :)