Bruce wrote: << Campbell did not say Borough English was restricted to the Middle Ages or restricted to the counties Gene mentioned (from Wikipedia?). Neither did I: "Those 'certain' manors where Borough English was the custom in the Middle Ages were primarily in Suffolk, Surrey, Middlesex, and Sussex. By the seventeenth century, some (if not many) of them had adopted primogeniture, as apparently had _all_ Wiltshire manors" (see, for example, Rosamond Jane Faith, "Peasant Families and Inheritance Customs in Medieval England," _Agricultural History Review_ 14[1966]:77-95, at 81-84, 94-95, online at _http://www.bahs.org.uk/14n2a1.pdf_ (http://www.bahs.org.uk/14n2a1.pdf) ; "Borough English," in _Classic Encyclopedia_ [based on the 11th ed. of the Encyclopaedia Britannica], online at _http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Borough_English_ (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Borough_English) ). << My reading of the 1621 Manor Survey does not indicate primogeniture was the rule. I will have another, more detailed look. Richard Carpenter is still a prime suspect for elder brother of William(2). >> As previously indicated, there are additional reasons to doubt this: "William2 is named along with his father in the record of their Westcourt copyhold's inception, on 1 June 1608, when William1 was about 33 years old (and his namesake son was about 3). Why, at that age, would the father have thought that William2 would be his last son? . . . [G]iven the naming traditions of the time, the son receiving his father's forename was far more likely to be the eldest than the youngest. In that the Carpenters' copyhold was granted to an entirely different family a few months before William1, William2, and the latter's family emigrated, it's quite possible that William2 was his father's _only_ son (by that time, at least)." Gene Z. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com

Good points all. Suspect you are right. BC > > Bruce wrote: > > << Campbell did not say Borough English was restricted to the Middle Ages > or > restricted to the counties Gene mentioned (from Wikipedia?). > > Neither did I: "Those 'certain' manors where Borough English was the > custom > in the Middle Ages were primarily in Suffolk, Surrey, Middlesex, and > Sussex. > By the seventeenth century, some (if not many) of them had adopted > primogeniture, as apparently had _all_ Wiltshire manors" (see, for > example, Rosamond > Jane Faith, "Peasant Families and Inheritance Customs in Medieval > England," > _Agricultural History Review_ 14[1966]:77-95, at 81-84, 94-95, online at > _http://www.bahs.org.uk/14n2a1.pdf_ (http://www.bahs.org.uk/14n2a1.pdf) ; > "Borough > English," in _Classic Encyclopedia_ [based on the 11th ed. of the > Encyclopaedia Britannica], online at > _http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Borough_English_ > (http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Borough_English) ). > > << My reading of the 1621 Manor Survey does not indicate primogeniture > was > the rule. I will have another, more detailed look. Richard Carpenter is > still > a prime suspect for elder brother of William(2). >> > > As previously indicated, there are additional reasons to doubt this: > "William2 is named along with his father in the record of their Westcourt > copyhold's > inception, on 1 June 1608, when William1 was about 33 years old (and his > namesake son was about 3). Why, at that age, would the father have > thought that > William2 would be his last son? . . . [G]iven the naming traditions of > the > time, the son receiving his father's forename was far more likely to be > the > eldest than the youngest. In that the Carpenters' copyhold was granted > to an > entirely different family a few months before William1, William2, and the > latter's family emigrated, it's quite possible that William2 was his > father's > _only_ son (by that time, at least)." > > Gene Z. > > > > > > > > > > ************************************** See what's new at > http://www.aol.com > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CARPENTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >