A related question - if someone signed with his or her "mark", did that mean that he/she was illiterate?  Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me. --- On Sat, 1/10/09, mike hilton <jmh963@hotmail.com> wrote: From: mike hilton <jmh963@hotmail.com> Subject: Re: [LDR] Use of Maiden Name To: "mike hilton" <lower-delmarva-roots@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, January 10, 2009, 1:18 PM Jean, In this deed referred to Mary Vaughan signed with her mark. Ref. AZ:5-6 Vaughan to Shurman "In testimoy whereof the said Wm. Vaughan and Mary his wife have hereunto set their hands and seals the dat & year first above written. William his W markj Vaughan Mary [her] M mark Vaughan It clearly indicates she made her mark in this document. Thanks, Mike Hilton> From: jfstms@bellsouth.net> To: lower-delmarva-roots@rootsweb.com> Date: Sun, 4 Jan 2009 14:18:23 -0500> Subject: [LDR] Use of Maiden Name> > One other comment to the person who initiated this discussion of middle > names.> > Have you looked at the original document to see if the persons really signed > his and her name with a middle initial or did they just sign with a "mark"? > Looking at what you wrote, in both cases the initial was the same letter as > their first names. Could this have been the "mark" they used to sign?> > I have seen this several times in old deeds, wills, etc. At first I though > I had discovered their middle initial, only to find out after a little more > research that it was the way they signed documents. Obviously, they could > not write but developed this method to distinguish their mark from an > ordinary "X".> > Jean > > ***************************************> QUESTIONS about POSTING GUIDELINES, SUBSCRIBING or UNSUBSCRIBING?> Visit The Lower DelMarVa Roots Mailing List FAQ:> http://www.tyaskin.com/handley/ldrfaq.htm> -------------------------------> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync. http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t1_allup_howitworks_012009 *************************************** QUESTIONS about POSTING GUIDELINES, SUBSCRIBING or UNSUBSCRIBING? Visit The Lower DelMarVa Roots Mailing List FAQ: http://www.tyaskin.com/handley/ldrfaq.htm ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message