dirty old will (it's a paper, not a man!)

[sushi]

Hi again,
I wanted to ask if it's possible to clean up a photocopy of an old will written in 1785 ?
Most of the writing is good, I can't make out a lot of the words because of some black spots over it. I also tried to post the copy on here but the file was too big (3 pages A4). So if anyone could help, it would be great!
hopefully
Sushi

[Keith Bateman]

Hi Sushi,

It will not be possible to remove the spots - but we can probably make them less obtrusive.

Try to scan just a small section of the Will and put that on the forum for us to see.

Cheers

Keith

[sushi]

Hello Keith,
Why didn't I think of that?
I am most interested to know the name of the ship and the Captain on the right of the scan, but the blob makes it difficult to decifer the ancient writing.
Hope your skills can make it a bit clearer to read, or indeed if anyone can make out what it says.
Sushi

[kizmiaz]

Looks to me like the name of the ship was Silsborough

Could the captian be William Sandraith?

[Keith Bateman]

Will leave others to read it!!

Might be a bit easier with this:

Cheers

Keith

[Berlin-Bob]

I notice "East India" on the left.  If there was a connection the the "East India Company" then this site might be helpful

http://www.eicships.info/

you can search there for ships and seafarers.

However, it says on the site "work in progress" so it is not complete

Hope this helps, now, or for later researching,
Bob

[sushi]

well, KIAMIZ, KEITH and BOB, what can I say!! as usual you excel yourselves!!
Putting your 3 ideas together, I found a ship for the dates concerned (1785) " The Hillsborough"!
So KIAMIZ, do you think that probably makes the captains name Handwriath ?
I'm off to do more research on the ship now as I have to try and find out if Joseph Fellows was indeed my ancestor.
Thank you all so much,
Sushi

[kizmiaz]

Definitely the same letter at the start of the ships name and the captains surname, so Handraith or Hardraith or something like that would be a distinct possibility

All in all, I think it says something like the following (modified version!)

Joseph Fellows

In the Name of God Amen
I Joseph Fellows male belonging to the Hilsborough
East India Merchant Ship Captain William Hardcastle
Commander being in bodily health and of sound and
disposing mind and memory and considering the
perils and dangers of the seas and other uncertainties

Glen

[sushi]

Gosh Glen, Thats great, I wish you had the other page to decifer!!
I did a bit more research on google, and found an article about the Blackheath and London Missionary Society, and it mentions the Hilsborough in 1786 with the Captains name as William Hardcastle!! ( hard to make that out from the will!!) apparently sailing to Tahiti and ended up a convict and fever ship to Australia. I'm wondering if Joseph Fellows died on board. So I am looking onto that now.
Most grateful
Sushi