Conuence? Shining?

[Paul Caswell]

Now you point it out Jennifer it does look like Skillet, and a skillet would be appropriate here. I missed the vary faint high upstroke of the 't'. Thanks for that.

Paul

[JenB]

One small crock ? (best I can do)

Jennifer

[Paul Caswell]

Hi Jennifer,

I thought of 'crock' but here's a 'c' from the same image. It doesn't look much like it, or does it?

[Paul Caswell]

And back to the 'shining'.

Much as I want to, I really cant see any 'L's in here. Any other ideas?

[JenB]

I thought of 'crock' but here's a 'c' from the same image. It doesn't look much like it, or does it?

No, I can't see much similarity. At the moment I can't make anything else out of it.

[silvery]

How absolutely lovely , to see what people had in those years.  And to leave a will for them gives an idea of how people lived, and really how precious they were when you weren't on the wealthy side, leaving sums of cash etc. 

[JenB]

Much as I want to, I really cant see any 'L's in here. Any other ideas?

I can only see 'shining' - did it have some other meaning to that which we use today?

[VivP]

Paul,

I don't think this is a legal will, mainly because there's no preamble, and also because there is the Admon (inventory). But that doesn't mean it's any less precious! These are examples of how fairly ordinary people - but the cream of the ordinary people, because they had access to people who could write - of how they lived, what they found essential for life. Interesting that there are no mason's tools in the Admon.

BTW, Paul, you can find the christening of the 'troublesome son' (we all have them - nothing changes!) at the Corfe Castle section of the Dorset online parish clerk records at

http://www.opcdorset.com/CorfeCastleFiles/CorfeCastleBaptisms1700-1739.htm

John, christened 28th Oct 1702, and
George, 23rd Jun 1706,
 and
Mary, 18th Mar 1715

Very big gap between christenings of George and Mary ...

Also, at

http://www.opcdorset.com/CorfeCastleFiles/CorfeCastleBurials1668-1744.htm

there's a burial recorded for a John Stockley.

For the Admons I've seen, Simon had a lot of goods, and a four-room house - that's big for those days! Does it say who did the inventory of goods?  No need for an address - in those days, everyone would have known where Simon and Mary lived. Small village.

It's very frustrating not to be able to work out those words - 'crock' and 'skillett'. The words need to be taken in the context of the writing style of whoever wrote the list. And as for 'shining' - seems to me to be the work of someone concentrating so hard on writing that he doesn't realise he's made a mistake, simple as that. It definitely means shilling!

I hope you realise how lucky you are, to have such wonderful pieces of paper from over 250 years ago!

[silvery]

I should think the will is quite legal, although not drafted by a lawyer.  Ones like it today are alsol legal.
And also 'Bety' is having to take out letters of administration, even though she can't afford it.

Great information though VivP, and I do agree that the social history background, and the ownership of it is something to be rather envious about.