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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Trevellian on Wednesday 18 June 25 18:43 BST (UK)
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Hi all, me again sorry, I think I have cracked most of this will, but there are a few words where I'm stumped (I have put a question mark where this is the case) and would be very grateful if anyone could help decipher them - thank you!
Link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6FC9-3ZK?view=fullText&keywords=Sloggett%2Cwill%20and%20Testament%2Cand&lang=en&groupId=
The 20th Day of September 1705
In the name of God Amen I Dorothy Sloggett of the parish of Lanteglos by Camelford being sick of body but of good and perfect memory blessed be to god I do make and publish this my last will and testament in manor [manner] and form as following
first I begive? my soule [soul] into the hands of Christ Jesus my maker and Redeemer hoping by his merrits? to ? remission for all my sins and my body to Christian burial to the discretion of my executors hereafter menshond [mentioned]
Item I give to my son John Sloggett two shillings and six ? and a putor bason [pewter basin?]
Item I give to my son Edward Sloggett two shillings sixpence
Item I give to my son Hugh Sloggett two shillings and sixpence
Item I give to my son Justinian Sloggett two shillings & sixpence
Item I give to All my grandchildren that ar A life [alive] at my Demise one shilling to each of them
Item I give to Richard smyth my godson one shilling
Item I give to my Daughter grace sloggett a ? furnished from the chamber over the halls
Item I give to my Daughter Elizabeth sloggett a ? and the furnitor [furniture] belonging to the ?
Item I give and be…? All my goods given and bequest unto my Daughter grace sloggett and my Daughter Elizabeth sloggett and make and publish them grace & Elizabeth to be my hole [whole] and sole executors of this my last will and testament
signed sealed and published upon Duboll [double?] stamp paper According to A Late Act of parlament [parliament] in presents [presence] of us
William Porter
The sign of John Houder
The sign of Dorothy D Slogget
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first I beque my soule...
beque appears to be this writer's habitual way of writing bequeath.
...to Receve Remession...
...six penc and...
puter bason = pewter basin as you thought
Grace and Elizabeth both receive a bead [= a bed]
Note re Grace's bequest: ...in the Chamber over the halle
In the last item: ...beque All my goods not given and bequed...
There is a transcript on FamilySearch although it's not always accurate.
ADDED:
I'm not sure of the missing word from Elizabeth's bequest. It begins with Te and ends with ter.
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The missing word mentioned previously will be a form of the word tester; a canopy over a bed.
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Wow, thank you so much for your deciphering and knowledge! I never would have got that 'tester' bit especially - do you have a glossary or similar you refer to, or maybe you are just more creative with potential words. I don't know if you'll know anything about this either way, but the tester thing sounds a bit posh, and I had always thought this Sloggett family was quite poor. They certainly were by the 1800s, but maybe their forebears had been better off. Anyway, I'm rambling.
Also I am aware FamilySearch provides its own transcripts, but I have much more faith in people like yourself!
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...do you have a glossary or similar you refer to, or maybe you are just more creative with potential words...
In this case it was just a dim memory which swam into my head after I posted the addition to the first post.
However, an excellent reference for all archaic words and words used in dialects is here (includes links):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_English_Dialect_Dictionary
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I don't know if you'll know anything about this either way, but the tester thing sounds a bit posh, and I had always thought this Sloggett family was quite poor.
Having more time this morning I followed up an instinct regarding this recordset - there is a full inventory for Dorothy in the images following your will.
Her records run from image 377 to 380.
The total of the inventory is 22 pounds and 16 shillings, so she was comfortable for her place and time.
Can you please tell me where this Cornwall wills collection originates on the FS website?
ADDED:
The following will appears to be for a John Slogitte (various spellings are used) of Tintagel.
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That's brilliant to know, thank you! I got to it by using their new 'Full text search' feature which they state is an "Experimental" feature still being developed, but it led me to this will which I never would have found before!
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text
Thank you for spotting that about the following will too! Definitely still in the right area as well. That new full text search feature inspired me to pursue this new line of enquiry, as I have traced this Sloggett line with pretty much certainty back to Justinian Sloggett and had the Dorothy here down as his mother, but had no records to prove it. Hence this will has been a major discovery in pushing the line back further!
Evidently Dorothy died 1706 and her husband Edward had predeceased her in 1701, but seemingly left no will. Perhaps that's all the more reason why she made one, especially with how many children they had still alive.
I will have a look at that John Slogitte now, as I am trying to look at as many Sloggett wills from that time/place to try and establish relationships between people, as otherwise going that far back there are just lots of names and you don't know who's connected to who! Thank you again :)
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I got to it by using their new 'Full text search' feature which they state is an "Experimental" feature still being developed, but it led me to this will which I never would have found before!
Thanks Trevellian for the tip - it has uncovered a rich trove of documents for my Cornish ancestors, too.
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I'm so pleased! I think it can unlock so much for so many.
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The Cornwall OPC site has an index to Cornish Wills.
https://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/extra-searches/wills-index/
If the will is available of Familysearch they give the film number and image range to help you find it.
The master index for the FS Cornish wills is at
https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog/329778
David
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Having more time this morning I followed up an instinct regarding this recordset - there is a full inventory for Dorothy in the images following your will.
Her records run from image 377 to 380.
The total of the inventory is 22 pounds and 16 shillings, so she was comfortable for her place and time.
Could I check a few words on the inventory please? I promise it will be "case closed" so to speak after this, thank you! Again anything I'm unsure of has been identified with a question mark.
"A true and perfect inventory of all the goods of Dorothy Sloggett of the Parish of Lanteglos within the County of Cornwall ? ? soon ? and Appraised? by us whose names ar (are) here subscribed that is to say Thomas Sloggett and William Porter the 12th of April 1706
Item her house ? and wearing apparel
Item one Cowe (cow) and one Heifer
Item four Ewes and Lambs
Item one Pigge (pig)
Item two Bras(s) pots & one iron pot
Item two litoll (little) bras(s) pans & 2 skellits (skillets)
Item 9 Litoll putor Dishes (little pewter dishes)
Item one Dust bead (bed?)
Item a Chest & 2 ?
Item one Litoll (little) ? & 2 ?
Item A Cobord (cupboard) one Tabel (table) and 2 Litoll side Tabell (2 little side tables)
Item one Grey ? one putor Candell stick (pewter candlestick)
Item all her Debts owing to her att (at) the Time of her Death ? ?
Item other things not sin (seen?) not proved(?)
Sume Totall (sum total) 22-06-00"
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Having more time this morning I followed up an instinct regarding this recordset - there is a full inventory for Dorothy in the images following your will.
Her records run from image 377 to 380.
The total of the inventory is 22 pounds and 16 shillings, so she was comfortable for her place and time.
Could I check a few words on the inventory please? I promise it will be "case closed" so to speak after this, thank you! Again anything I'm unsure of has been identified with a question mark.
Inventory link: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6FC9-MBP?view=fullText&keywords=Sloggett%2Cwill%20and%20Testament%2Cand&lang=en&groupId=
"A true and perfect inventory of all the goods of Dorothy Sloggett of the Parish of Lanteglos within the County of Cornwall ? ? soon ? and Appraised? by us whose names ar (are) here subscribed that is to say Thomas Sloggett and William Porter the 12th of April 1706
Item her house ? and wearing apparel
Item one Cowe (cow) and one Heifer
Item four Ewes and Lambs
Item one Pigge (pig)
Item two Bras(s) pots & one iron pot
Item two litoll (little) bras(s) pans & 2 skellits (skillets)
Item 9 Litoll putor Dishes (little pewter dishes)
Item one Dust bead (bed?)
Item a Chest & 2 ?
Item one Litoll (little) ? & 2 ?
Item A Cobord (cupboard) one Tabel (table) and 2 Litoll side Tabell (2 little side tables)
Item one Grey ? one putor Candell stick (pewter candlestick)
Item all her Debts owing to her att (at) the Time of her Death ? ?
Item other things not sin (seen?) not proved(?)
Sume Totall (sum total) 22-06-00"
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Here are most of the issues. A couple of uncertainties remain.
***********************************************************************
...Cornwall Latle decesd seen taken and
Apprised by us whose nams ar here...
Latle = Lately
Item her Porse [Gerell?/herell?] and wearing...
Item A Chest & 2 bockes [probably = books]
Item one Litell Kone & 2 [farkins = firkins?]
In the next item: ...one Tabel bord...
Item one bras Kitell one puter...
In the next item: ...Time of her death despret & others
Not sure of this one. despret may be desperate?
Lastly: ...not sin not prised [ie appraised]
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Here are most of the issues. A couple of uncertainties remain.
***********************************************************************
...Cornwall Latle decesd seen taken and
Apprised by us whose nams ar here...
Latle = Lately
Item her Porse [Gerell?/herell?] and wearing...
Item A Chest & 2 bockes [probably = books]
Item one Litell Kone & 2 [farkins = firkins?]
In the next item: ...one Tabel bord...
Item one bras Kitell one puter...
In the next item: ...Time of her death despret & others
Not sure of this one. despret may be desperate?
Lastly: ...not sin not prised [ie appraised]
Thank you for your prompt response. It definitely is "Porse" and not house, I was mistakenly guided by what would make sense instead of what was on the page...
The same as you I read the line further down (11th in the list) as "bras(s) Kitell", but then what on earth is a Kitell?! Google says a Kittel is a type of Jewish, male clothing, so that's definitely not right for whatever this word is ??? All I can think of is kettle, but did they even use that word for their equivalent of a modern one back then?
Still, that is nearly all of it solved nonetheless, thanks again!
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'kitell' will be kettle. :)
From the V & A website. Circa 1700
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'kitell' will be kettle. :)
From the V & A website. Circa 1700
Thank you for finding that! I don't suppose you have any ideas about the "Gerell"/"Herell" at the start of the list by any chance?
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As it's with her Purse and apparel. possibly a variant spelling of 'Girdle' with a missing 'd'?
A girdle would have been a belt of some sort at this stage. Possibly with keys or other tools hanging from it.
This is a nice site about 'purses'.
https://thepragmaticcostumer.wordpress.com/tag/girdle/
It mentions hanging them on your girdle too.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/198822
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446716
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As it's with her Purse and apparel. possibly a variant spelling of 'Girdle' with a missing 'd'?
I think there's a very good chance that goldie has solved this. I took another look after reading her suggestion.
I'm now satisfied it is written Gerell. The same capital appears in God in the will and the hands are almost certainly the same person.
Medieval girdle purses turn out to be a thing in the fashion world.
https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1583028381/medieval-girdle-purse-a-replica-of-a
https://www.dobraczech.cz/p/high-medieval-girdle-purse-from-dutch-city-of-hoorn-light-brown/
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Thank you both for your research!! I never would have worked that out on my own, and such a detail really helps bring her to life a bit
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In the next item: ...Time of her death despret & others
Not sure of this one. despret may be desperate?
Though it is a bit of a stretch as there aren't enough letters, is there any chance 'despret' says 'dependents' ('& others)'. Would make sense in the context maybe?
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In the next item: ...Time of her death despret & others
Not sure of this one. despret may be desperate?
Though it is a bit of a stretch as there aren't enough letters, is there any chance 'despret' says 'dependents' ('& others)'. Would make sense in the context maybe?
I have seen the word 'desperate', or 'despearate', used to describe debts.
It looks like this is this writer's spelling of that.
Meaning 'in despair', that is, those debts which were unlikely to be paid.
So 'bad' debts '& others'.
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Ah interesting - it must be that then! However much you try and make it say something else the word definitely begins des not dep, and especially with your explanation, 'despret' makes complete sense. I am very grateful as always :)