Hello All, I am sending the following excerpt from a posting to the Bertie List as I thought it may be of interest to others researching within this time period in the Colonies. Kathy/MI ------------------------------------ > <<Page 5: BELL, Mary, 12 Sep 1660; 13 Feb 1660 (which is impossible). To > Elizabeth the wife of Robert MAPHE; to my goddaughter Mary MAPHE > daughter of the aforesaid; my son Richard BELL; all estate to be divided > among my children.>> > ------------ > No, not impossible! It seems very odd to us at this time, but > before 1752 the beginning of a new year was based on the > seasons and started on the 25th of March, and Jan and Feb. were > the last two months of the year. Therefore, Feb. of 1660 came > after Sept. of 1660, as shown above. Seems very strange, does > it not? You will often see dates given in printed material such as > 10 Jan 1709/10. This means that the date as originally recorded > was 10 Jan 1709, but now that we start a new year on 1 Jan, > this would presently be considered to have been 10 Jan 1710. >