On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 12:15:05 -0700, Don Kirkman <donsgenes@charter.net> wrote: >On Sat, 14 Sep 2013 14:09:17 +0200, "Lesley Robertson" ><l.a.robertson@tnw.tudelft.nl> wrote: > >>"singhals" wrote in message >>news:mailman.2.1379107186.23963.genbrit@rootsweb.com... >> >>On the West coast of the pond, back in the 18th and 19th >>centuries, people's "marks" are frequently registered in a >>deed book where they live. >> >>Is that true on the East Coast of the pond? IOW -- I have a >>signature mark of a man in Maryland in the 1750s; I'd like >>to confirm/refute that he's the same person as a man of the >>same name in England earlier for whom I can find no >>signature. Is there some way to find the "mark" of the 2nd man? >> >>Thanks. >> >>Cheryl >> >>I've never seen it, Cheryl. In Scottish records, it's usually just a >>cross and the signature of a witness to say that A had made that mark. >>Lesley Robertson > >That's what I've seen in American colonial and early federal records >as well--mostly wills and related matters. Some also have a >hand-drawn rosette pattern labeled "seal" or "sealed." > IME (RHS pond) seals only seem to feature with nobility and corporate bodies with others either signing or else making a mark with the required number of witnesses' signatures.

Charles Ellson wrote:   > IME (RHS pond) seals only seem to feature with nobility and corporate > bodies with others either signing or else making a mark with the > required number of witnesses' signatures.     I don't think that is the case for early wills in Cumberland. Many have seals. I know of some wills where the seal was definitely that of the attorney supervising the will, rather than of the parties involved.     Chris

Charles Ellson wrote: [...] >>>In Scottish records, it's usually just a >>>cross and the signature of a witness >>> to say that A had made that mark. >>>Lesley Robertson >> >>That's what I've seen in American >> colonial and early federal records >>as well--mostly wills and related matters. >> Some also have a >> hand-drawn rosette pattern >> labeled "seal" or "sealed." >> >IME (RHS pond) seals only seem >to feature with nobility and corporate >bodies with others either signing >or else making a mark with the >required number of witnesses' signatures. Sealing (if occuring) can go with either signing or making a mark. >From transcription of probate copy of a will proved at the Archdeaconry Court of Ely "....In Witness whereof I have hereuntoset my hand and Seal the Third Day of November One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty Six Charles Bottomley [loco sigilli] Signed Sealed Published and Declared by the said Testator ...."