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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: philipsearching on Friday 29 August 25 16:46 BST (UK)

Title: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: philipsearching on Friday 29 August 25 16:46 BST (UK)
The staining at the top of this will has made it too difficult for me to make out a few key words.  Please can anyone help fill in the gaps?

For the first four lines I have:
In the name of God Amen the (eighth?) day of March 1622 I Elizabeth Allen
(???????????) in the countie of (???????) Peterburrowe being sicke
of body but thanks be unto god in good and perfect (memory?) do make & ordaine this my
last will & testament in manner following ffirst (??????) bequeath my soule unto
Title: Re: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: horselydown86 on Friday 29 August 25 17:35 BST (UK)
The image is too small to maintain a readable resolution when zoomed to a readable size.

Zoom the target part of your image to a readable size and take a snip with the Snipping Tool (or similar).

For what it's worth, it appears the county is Northton and the main word before Peterborrough is a form of diocese.  However, with a decent image we can do much better.
Title: Re: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: Bookbox on Friday 29 August 25 17:40 BST (UK)
... of Spratton Widdowe ...
Title: Re: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: Bookbox on Friday 29 August 25 17:43 BST (UK)
ffirst I give & bequeath my soule ...
Title: Re: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: Bookbox on Friday 29 August 25 17:48 BST (UK)
Can't read the date at this resolution. Please follow HD's advice for a better quality image.
Title: Re: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: Bookbox on Friday 29 August 25 18:53 BST (UK)
Looking again now on a better screen, I think it's probably The Sixth daie ....
If it were the Eighth, there would be two descenders in the middle for the gh, but there's only one, so probably it's x.
Title: Re: Elizabeth ALLEN will 1622 - please help
Post by: philipsearching on Friday 29 August 25 20:58 BST (UK)
Thank you so much for your help.

The image I have was e-mailed to me in low resolution and this was the best I could do with it.

So, Elizabeth Lewis was a widow of Spratton in Northamptonshire in the diocese of Peterborough.  Sadly, she is not my ancestor, but I will transcribe the rest of the will and send it back to my contact.  Ah well, another lead fizzles out!

Regards
Philip