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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: nat11911 on Friday 29 December 17 12:43 GMT (UK)
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Hi and Merry Xmas to all.
Letter dated 1710, from Robert to his father John Maxwell of Barncleugh…
I’ve transcribed the entire letter apart from 2 words – the last word on line 4 and first word line 5. Can anyone decipher them please? The letter begins:
I Rcvd yours by Mr Mallcombe and would have returned an Answer by him, but he was not soe civill (for all he promised my Brother to let him know when he ruent [has come to ruin]) is to call other one ___ ___? I understand you want to know James McBraines Testament.
The first word looks a bit like Rimore [rimour=poet]; the second I’m not sure due to the rather messy first letter. Also, I’m pretty sure the earlier word ‘ruent’ is correct, but it doesn’t seem to sit well in that sentence – though figuring out the 2 mystery words may well help put it into context.
Thank you!
Chris
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Still thinking about your two words, but before that I think it is:
...to let him know when he went)...
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Still thinking about your two words, but before that I think it is:
...to let him know when he went)...
Agree with went.
The first letter of mystery word 1 looks like h (or possibly k), but I haven't cracked it yet.
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Looks like Liquor and Wine to me ;D ;D ;D
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Ah, we're getting there - thanks very much, I agree with 'he went'!
I'm also in the process of transcribing 2 Scottish letters (1675 & 1688) which have loads of Old Scots words scattered about, so I'll be asking for help with those as well in the near future. :)
Anyway, keep thinking about the mysterry words - they're driving me up the wall!
Thanks
Chris
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I don't believe the first mystery word begins with R. Compare to Robert in line 7.
If we omit the bracket we have:
...would have returned ane Answer by him but he was not soe Civill is to Call other [one/ane] [?] [?]
The is could well mean as. He uses is imprecisely, such as where he talks about his Brother and the five ponds.
So does it mean: ...he was not so civil as to call other (than for) Liquor & Wine
Does ane have that range of meaning to a Scotsman?
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Actually, the 'L' in London at the top is similar (and similarly scruffy) to that in mystery word 1, and there is an Old Scots word 'liccour', so maybe - if we stretch our imagination a bit - it might just be a badly written interpretation of that word.
In the other Old Scots letters I have I've come across 'ane' for 'an' quite a lot, as well as 'one' for 'on'.
:o
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I would like to think it said something along the lines of "one more time".
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Are you sure it says McBraines not McGrieve ?
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Are you sure it says McBraines not McGrieve ?
I don't see McBraines either, but there's definitely no v in the name.
See have, given, silver and alive lower down in the text.
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Are you sure it says McBraines not McGrieve ?
I don't see McBraines either, but there's definitely no v in the name.
See have, given, silver and alive lower down in the text.
I don't see a capital G in it either. There are plenty of those elsewhere in the document, for comparison.
I read the name as James Mcbraire.
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McCrerie? Which is an attested name.
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Funnily enough I originally saw it as 'Mcbraire/Mcbreire', but hadn't heard of that name before so dismissed it. Google shows that there was a James McBraire in 1691 in Wigtownshire, so I'll rummage around with that name a bit more tomorrow...
Thanks
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Possibly found him...
This is almost certainly James McBrair (aka McBraire/McBrayer) of Kirkpatrick, Irongray, Dumfries; the Maxwells were of Barncleugh, Irongray, Dumfries, so they were virtual neighbours. And some time after 1700 'Maxwell of Barncleugh obtained a Decreit of Adjudication against McBrair of Netherwood' (Netherwood, Almagill, Newark and Nethergill being other lands owned by the McBrair family), as Maxwell was reputedly disputing the rights of the Barncleugh estate with regard to Netherwood's lands.
'Robert', lost at sea in 1707 in the E. Indies referred to a little lower down, was possibly the son (b.1677) of 'David McBrair of Dumfries' - if only I could link him to the 'Great London', which I've discovered was an EIC ship.
I'll keep plugging away.
Chris
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The first mystery word seems to end ...more [Wine?], and I've discovered that at this time there were imported drinks called Huile d'Amour and Parfait d'Amour - perhaps it's a poor rendition of the first one..?
...but he was not soe civill (for all he promised my Brother to let him know when he went) as to call other than for Huile d'Amour Wine..?
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