I have transcribed a 1626 will written Unfortunately I can't post a facsimile and can only describe what I take to be secretary hand. Some of the legacies in it baffle me. One to a Church (if it were modern script) reads "bjs biijd" which If the "b" (and they look just like "b"s which are definite "b"s elsewhere in the Will) is a "v" and I am led to believe "i" and "j" especially on the end are the same it would read vis viiid ( 6 shillings 8 pence?). I may have solved that but I stand to be corrected. Other legacies which I assume are money appear to be a series of lower case "e" is fairly large with the curl below the surrounding script. For example the parish poor is left "es" , a servant is left "ees" and a grandchild is left "eeees". I thought of pound signs yet two other people are left "fowerscore pounds of lawfull money of England". Any ideas? Ian Bartlett

As you surmised, Ian, "bjs biijd" = vj s. viij d., ie 6s. 8d. (which is half a mark, or one third of a pound - a nice round figure commonly used in valuations and bequests). "es" = c s., ie 100 s. or £5 "ees" = cc s., ie 200 s. "eeees". = cccc s., ie 400 s. The testator must have been fairly wealthy, a rich yeoman at the very least. Matt Tompkins ________________________________________ From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Ian Bartlett [imbart@globalnet.co.uk] Sent: 05 September 2009 13:09 To: OLD-ENGLISH@rootsweb.com Subject: [OEL] Deciphering 17th Cent Will I have transcribed a 1626 will written Unfortunately I can't post a facsimile and can only describe what I take to be secretary hand. Some of the legacies in it baffle me. One to a Church (if it were modern script) reads "bjs biijd" which If the "b" (and they look just like "b"s which are definite "b"s elsewhere in the Will) is a "v" and I am led to believe "i" and "j" especially on the end are the same it would read vis viiid ( 6 shillings 8 pence?). I may have solved that but I stand to be corrected. Other legacies which I assume are money appear to be a series of lower case "e" is fairly large with the curl below the surrounding script. For example the parish poor is left "es" , a servant is left "ees" and a grandchild is left "eeees". I thought of pound signs yet two other people are left "fowerscore pounds of lawfull money of England". Any ideas? Ian Bartlett ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi Ian I would agree with what Matt has said in his reply. I've just uploaded a small extract from a will dated 1598 which may find helpful to compare with what is in your 1626 will. In this extract the first complete line gives the date and begins "vij th" (7th) and the "v" does look similar to a modern "b". However, the bottom line of the extract begins with the word "bodie", and in this case you can clearly see the difference between the "v" and an initial "b". You can find the extract at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~scraton/misc/sample.jpg . Hope that helps Pauline ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Bartlett" <imbart@globalnet.co.uk> To: <OLD-ENGLISH@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, September 05, 2009 1:09 PM Subject: [OEL] Deciphering 17th Cent Will >I have transcribed a 1626 will written Unfortunately I can't post a > facsimile and can only describe what I take to be secretary hand. Some of > the legacies in it baffle me. One to a Church (if it were modern script) > reads "bjs biijd" which If the "b" (and they look just like "b"s which are > definite "b"s elsewhere in the Will) is a "v" and I am led to believe "i" > and "j" especially on the end are the same it would read vis viiid ( 6 > shillings 8 pence?). I may have solved that but I stand to be corrected. > Other legacies which I assume are money appear to be a series of lower > case > "e" is fairly large with the curl below the surrounding script. For > example > the parish poor is left "es" , a servant is left "ees" and a grandchild is > left "eeees". I thought of pound signs yet two other people are left > "fowerscore pounds of lawfull money of England". Any ideas? > > Ian Bartlett

Hello Ian - and others on list! I have a 1634 will which also refers to "pounds of good and lawfull English money as well as a 1553 indenture paper using the same description - so assume that was commonly used.. The above will also mentions "twelve ponto* in money" ( twelve pence) so your latin abbreviation may be incorrect. (* looks like) I have struggled to decipher the handwriting in these old family documents - and been delighted to have them translated by trained archivists in Yorkshire - well worth it in comparison with exorbitant charges made by some county councils eg Nottingham for simply photo-copying documents in their archives or putting them on CD I have acquired a printed book with a number of latin and old english documents relating to my family, which has yet to be translated - hopefully will get the help of above trained archivists. Richard in Surrey -----Original Message----- From: old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:old-english-bounces@rootsweb.com]On Behalf Of Ian Bartlett Sent: 05 September 2009 13:09 To: OLD-ENGLISH@rootsweb.com Subject: [OEL] Deciphering 17th Cent Will I have transcribed a 1626 will written Unfortunately I can't post a facsimile and can only describe what I take to be secretary hand. Some of the legacies in it baffle me. One to a Church (if it were modern script) reads "bjs biijd" which If the "b" (and they look just like "b"s which are definite "b"s elsewhere in the Will) is a "v" and I am led to believe "i" and "j" especially on the end are the same it would read vis viiid ( 6 shillings 8 pence?). I may have solved that but I stand to be corrected. Other legacies which I assume are money appear to be a series of lower case "e" is fairly large with the curl below the surrounding script. For example the parish poor is left "es" , a servant is left "ees" and a grandchild is left "eeees". I thought of pound signs yet two other people are left "fowerscore pounds of lawfull money of England". Any ideas? Ian Bartlett ==================================== WEB PAGE: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/ ARCHIVES: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=OLD-ENGLISH ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OLD-ENGLISH-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message