Hi Tina, If you can read a couple of words you are started. Just keep trying and after a while you will surprise yourself. When you come across an unusually formed letter make a little pencil sketch of it to remind yourself. There will be no punctuation. The word after the someone's name will often be their occupation, eg James Bloggs Grocer William Smith Esquire There will be a lots of repeated words and phrases that you will recognise after a while, roughly something like these: This is the last will and testament of me ..... of ...... in the County of ..... I desire my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses to be fully paid out of my personal estate my executors and trustees my executors and executrix my heirs and their executors administrators and assigns my dear wife my beloved wife my good friend my respected friend my children I give devise and bequeath assign absolutely dwelling house freehold leasehold or copyhold messuages or tenements buildings courts yards gardens lands hereditaments and appurtenances thereto belonging and appertaining situate and being in the High Street in the town of ... rents issues and profits accruing therefrom subject to the payment of the rent and to the observance and performance of the covenants and agreements reserved or contained in the lease Upon trust to permit and suffer my said dear wife ... to use and enjoy my plate linen china household effects and household stores during the term of her natural life tenants in common and not as joint tenants heretofor herewith herein before mentioned therein therefrom hereinafter endowed wheretofor whereby whatsoever the aforesaid the said nevertheless all and singular each and severally share and share alike You will suddenly find that you have learned a new written language and it is very satisfying. Having transcribed it you then have to work out what it means. Best of luck. Peter. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tina Connell" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 1:37 PM Subject: Help reading a will please? Advice as to who to ask for help reading it. > Hi, > I was wondering if anybody might be skilled in reading handwriting from the late 1700's and early 1800's at all? Only I recently purchased 2 family wills and was thrilled to be able to print them out after downloading them to my computer but after having looked at the pages, aside from a couple of words I am completely unable to make out the handwriting unfortunately and would love to be able to learn more about what they say but I just can't seem to make out the script. I wonder if anyone might please be able to suggest an expert that I could possibly have look at them for me possibly via e-mail. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou very much. Kind regards, Tina Connell > > ______________________________