Dear all, Thanks to some very helpful members of this list I have recently been able to track down the inquest papers for the death of my relative David Plews, in Castle Bolton, 1868. However, I'm having a real hard time deciphering the handwriting of the coroner, so if any of you fancy a puzzle, then I'd be most grateful if you could have a look at the scans I've made of the inquest, and get back to me with what you can make out: http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest.html http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest2.html (most of the difficult handwriting is on this page) Various people mentioned in the inquest papers include: Robert Hutchinson John Shields Francis Thompson John Fawcett John Storey Richard Bell Henry Mason William Russell Tho. Storey John Plews John Tomlin Hannah Fawcett Many thanks in advance, Zoe

Hi Zoe, I love a puzzle and having just spent days looking at films of parish registers, my eye is in a bit, but this is a challenge, isn't it? I haven't got time to do much now, but can get further than you with the first paragraph: "On Thursday last some time in the afternoon was the last time I saw deceased alive. He was at my house/home? about half an hour. He had ....about his trial which was to come off on Friday. He had been summoned before the magistrate by his wife Mary Plews for an assault. He seemed to be somewhat...about her?? and the trial. He left us....He said.....Yesterday morning my mother came and called me out saying "I believe our David has hanged himself." I went ...John Tomlin....and we found him hanging from a ladder in the Castle. He was quite dead. He had his clothes on but one shoe was only....on. John Plews. I can read a fair bit of the rest and will send my attempts at that later, when I get more time. Jan South Australia -----Original Message----- From: eng-north-yorks-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:eng-north-yorks-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Zoe Toft Sent: Saturday, 26 January 2008 5:33 AM To: ENG-NORTH-YORKS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [ENG-NORTH-YORKS] Help with handwriting from the 1860s Dear all, Thanks to some very helpful members of this list I have recently been able to track down the inquest papers for the death of my relative David Plews, in Castle Bolton, 1868. However, I'm having a real hard time deciphering the handwriting of the coroner, so if any of you fancy a puzzle, then I'd be most grateful if you could have a look at the scans I've made of the inquest, and get back to me with what you can make out: http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest.html http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest2.html (most of the difficult handwriting is on this page) Various people mentioned in the inquest papers include: Robert Hutchinson John Shields Francis Thompson John Fawcett John Storey Richard Bell Henry Mason William Russell Tho. Storey John Plews John Tomlin Hannah Fawcett Many thanks in advance, Zoe ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-NORTH-YORKS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Next instalment: John Tomlin of C.B. Yesterday morning about 8 o'clock Mary Plews came to my house and ....to the window. She said that she wanted her son John and.....that she thought the old man had hanged himself.....I put my clothes on...when I got there....but I cut him down. He was quite dead.(Here I have no idea yet!).....He had his clothes on but he....(Then there is another totally puzzling bit.) Then "One shoe was down off? the foot but the other was on." Sorry, this bit was hard and I have to leave it for a while. When the rest of the list wakes up as evening falls here, others may have better ideas than me, and be able to fill in gaps. Good luck! Jan -----Original Message----- From: eng-north-yorks-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:eng-north-yorks-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Zoe Toft Sent: Saturday, 26 January 2008 5:33 AM To: ENG-NORTH-YORKS-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [ENG-NORTH-YORKS] Help with handwriting from the 1860s Dear all, Thanks to some very helpful members of this list I have recently been able to track down the inquest papers for the death of my relative David Plews, in Castle Bolton, 1868. However, I'm having a real hard time deciphering the handwriting of the coroner, so if any of you fancy a puzzle, then I'd be most grateful if you could have a look at the scans I've made of the inquest, and get back to me with what you can make out: http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest.html http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest2.html (most of the difficult handwriting is on this page) Various people mentioned in the inquest papers include: Robert Hutchinson John Shields Francis Thompson John Fawcett John Storey Richard Bell Henry Mason William Russell Tho. Storey John Plews John Tomlin Hannah Fawcett Many thanks in advance, Zoe ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-NORTH-YORKS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Dear Jan, Thanks for a very good stab at this handwriting! Very much appreciated as it all helps towards unravelling the puzzle. Zoe Jan wrote: > Next instalment: > > John Tomlin of C.B. > Yesterday morning about 8 o'clock Mary Plews came to my house and ....to the > window. She said that she wanted her son John and.....that she thought the > old man had hanged himself.....I put my clothes on...when I got there....but > I cut him down. He was quite dead.(Here I have no idea yet!).....He had his > clothes on but he....(Then there is another totally puzzling bit.) Then > "One shoe was down off? the foot but the other was on." > > Sorry, this bit was hard and I have to leave it for a while. When the rest > of the list wakes up as evening falls here, others may have better ideas > than me, and be able to fill in gaps. > > Good luck! > > Jan > > -----Original Message----- > From: eng-north-yorks-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:eng-north-yorks-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Zoe Toft > Sent: Saturday, 26 January 2008 5:33 AM > To: ENG-NORTH-YORKS-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [ENG-NORTH-YORKS] Help with handwriting from the 1860s > > Dear all, > > Thanks to some very helpful members of this list I have recently been > able to track down the inquest papers for the death of my relative David > Plews, in Castle Bolton, 1868. However, I'm having a real hard time > deciphering the handwriting of the coroner, so if any of you fancy a > puzzle, then I'd be most grateful if you could have a look at the scans > I've made of the inquest, and get back to me with what you can make out: > > http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest.html > http://kuvik.net/ztoft/additionalpages/davidplewsinquest2.html (most of > the difficult handwriting is on this page) > > Various people mentioned in the inquest papers include: > Robert Hutchinson > John Shields > Francis Thompson > John Fawcett > John Storey > Richard Bell > Henry Mason > William Russell > Tho. Storey > John Plews > John Tomlin > Hannah Fawcett > > Many thanks in advance, > > Zoe > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-NORTH-YORKS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-NORTH-YORKS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >