Can anyone help me with this word please?

[Alexander.]

I looked at this a couple days ago, and also read it as smythe. I read it as both Thomas Petchie and Henry Cumbers had the occupation 'smythe' - hence the lowercase 's' in both cases - while in the third (surname) case it is clearly an uppercase 'S'. I would agree that someone recorded as smith is more often than not a blacksmith.

[Alexander.]

Meant to add my full transcription:

Thomas Petchie the smythe was buryed the xix^th daye of Aprill anno supradicto [19th April, year aforesaid]

Henry Cumbers smythe was buryed the first daye of June anno supradicto

[Scrabble]

Many thanks to all of you for your input.

I agree it is interesting that both references to Petchie are as "the smythe" and the one to Cumbers is just "smythe" but I am not sure about the significance of that. Anyway I am transcribing them as occupation smythe. It is always interesting to know ancestors occupations, so many of mine are Ag Labs that I jump on anything else with excitement.

Sorry about the quality of the scans. I have not had the same trouble when I posted before, they came out smaller but better quality. I must have changed some setting somehow so will investigate that for future.

Scrabble