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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Wayne N on Wednesday 12 November 25 08:22 GMT (UK)
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Here is my attempt at the transcription of Alys Northwood's 1494 Will (first page only) from Thanet, Kent. I think the names are correct. The name Cecilia Colner is said to be the daughter, according the Alys's husband's Will, although I haven't attempted the transcription of his Will yet.
I'm having trouble with a few of the words and some monetary values that are highlighted in the image below. Also if anything else is incorrect then any suggestions are very much appreciated.
Thanks, Wayne
In the name of God A(men) vehit XXI daye of Octobr(e) the ye(a)re of the resurreccion of our Lord Jhesu(s) C(h)rist M CCCCLlXXXXIIIJ, I Alys Northwood the wedowe of Richard Northwood late of the p(ar)isshe of Seint Pete(r) in the Isle of Thanett of (w)hole & p(er)fecte mynde thus makyng my testament & last wille.
First I beque(a)the my soule to almyghty god and to owr Lady Seynt Mary & to all the holy company of hevyn, my body to be buryed in the churche yard ther(e).
Also I beque(a)th to the high aulter iij d. to e(a)che lyght in the said churche which I am suste..? of iij d.
It(e)m to the said church warde(ns) .. s? iiij d.
It(e)m I beque(a)th to ev(er)y order of frea(r)s? in the Cite of Canterbury iij s? iiij d.
It(e)m to the ordyr of frea(r)ys? in the towne of Sandwiche iij s? iiij d.
Also to e(a)che of my godchildren iij d
It(e)m I beque(a)th to John Northwo(o)d my sonn one payer of she(e)ts & blanket, two pewte(r) plates, one panne & stopyn.
It(e)m I beque(a)the to e(a)che of the children of the said John Northwood one be(a)ryng she(e)pe.
It(e)m I beque(a)the to Colett Northwo(o)d my secunde gown
Also I beque(a)th to Cecili(a) Colner my best gowne, best ho(o)d & a kertill, one clo(a)ke, two payers [of] she(e)ts, my best cov(er)lett, one undercloth, one blankett, one craniser?, one harnes(s) gyrdell, one payer be(a)ds of awmber, two pewte(r) dysshes & four be(a)ryng she(e)pe
Also I beque(a)th to Symon Northwood one bras(s) potte, one basyn, one bo(a)rdclothe, one she(e)te, two pewte(r) dysshes, two silve(r) spo(o)nys & a materas.
It(e)m I beque(a)th to the childr(en) of the said Symon a be(a)ryng she(e)pe.
It(e)m I beque(a)th to Denys Edward one blewe gowne.
It(e)m to Cristyne Northwo(o)d one kyrtell of bla(c)k & a petyco(a)te.
It(e)m I beque(a)th to Marg(ar)ett Howlett my best petyco(a)te & a hoode.
It(e)m I beque(a)th to Margarett Northwood my fe(a)therbed & one cov(er)lett.
It(e)m I beque(a)th to e(a)che of the childr(en) of Richard Northwood one be(a)ryng she(e)pe, the residues of all my stuff of hall chambre and ….?
It(e)m I beque(a)th to Richard Northwo(o)d and the Richard shall paye ther(e)for X s. to my executo(r)s the residue ...ch? of all my goodes & cat(t)ells after my dece(a)s(e)
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In the name of God so behit
the incarnation of our Lord
high auter (altar)
which I am suster of (she’s a member of parish guilds)
freris (friars)
traunser(?)
kechyn
residue truly(?) of all
The money amounts are 3s 4d (40 pence or 1/4 mark), or 6s 8d (80 pence or 1/2 mark)
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Thank you kindly Vance :)
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That one word could be a variant of traunsom, with the meaning of bed curtain.
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary?utf8=✓&search_field=hnf&q=traunsom
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That one word could be a variant of traunsom, with the meaning of bed curtain.
That first letter had me confused with a capital C, which is instead a T.
I’m still familiarising myself with some of this early script and phrasing.
Thank you again Vance, this is great
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I'm inclined to think the last word in the clip might be dettis = debts.
Presumably the following page has answered the question.
I also think it is truly in the same line.
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I was interested in the bit the beginning, "In the name of God so behit". So be it looks like a translation of Amen. i don't think I've ever seen that in a will.
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I'm inclined to think the last word in the clip might be dettis = debts.
Presumably the following page has answered the question.
I also think it is truly in the same line.
I hadn't looked at the second page till now.
Thank you, horselydown86 :), debts would be correct (instead of decease). Thank you for confirming truly.
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I was interested in the bit the beginning, "In the name of God so behit". So be it looks like a translation of Amen. i don't think I've ever seen that in a will.
A portion of the Wills from Thanet, Kent, were recorded as "Regd. copy wills..." in the catalogue entries of FamilySearch.
When looking through the records at their research centre, some of these 'copy' Wills were in Latin and others in English on the same pages and presumably rewritten, since the pages looked in good condition. In contrast to another set of wills from the same parish and period, written by a different hand and were in very poor condition.
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I was interested in the bit the beginning, "In the name of God so behit". So be it looks like a translation of Amen. i don't think I've ever seen that in a will.
I don't think it is a translation of Amen. I think it was a phrase that was used. Ie 'In the name of God, so be it.'
'So be it' means 'Let it be so, I accept it as it is.'
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I was interested in the bit the beginning, "In the name of God so behit". So be it looks like a translation of Amen. i don't think I've ever seen that in a will.
I don't think it is a translation of Amen. I think it was a phrase that was used. Ie 'In the name of God, so be it.'
'So be it' means 'Let it be so, I accept it as it is.'
Surely 'Amen' actually means 'So be it'?
Or have a misread this shanreach?
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[/quote]
Surely 'Amen' actually means 'So be it'?
Or have a misread this shanreach?
[/quote]
That's what Amen means. Almost all wills at that time began "In the name of God Amen" or "In dei nomine Amen." I don't think I've seen one that replaced Amen with so be it.
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An explanation of 'so be it' and 'Amen'
https://www.catholic.com/qa/what-exactly-does-amen-mean
With a bit of digging, here is 'So be hit' used in a couple of transcriptions of early Wills.
https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Fifty_Earliest_English_Wills_in_the/hlUJAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=In+the+name+of+God+so+behit&pg=PA73&printsec=frontcover
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/EEWills/1:55?rgn=div1;view=fulltext#:~:text=In%20the%20name%20of%20the,seat%20of%20the%20Earls%20of
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I was interested in the bit the beginning, "In the name of God so behit". So be it looks like a translation of Amen. i don't think I've ever seen that in a will.
I don't think it is a translation of Amen. I think it was a phrase that was used. Ie 'In the name of God, so be it.'
'So be it' means 'Let it be so, I accept it as it is.'
Surely 'Amen' actually means 'So be it'?
Or have a misread this shanreach?
Well after an Anglican boarding school education etc this is not my translation of Amen. The quote I used did not use Amen as a synonym only the quoted 'Let it be so, I accept it as it is.'
My meaning of this is that the writer or signer accepted that everything is the will, majesty or mystery of God or from God's benefice, including the ability to live, to die, to have children or friends and to have items to leave or even to reassure that he did not seek to look behind anything that what he saw he accepted as an expression of God's will.
Shanreagh:
https://www.townlands.ie/londonderry/keenaght/tamlaght-finlagan/fruithill/shanreagh/