deciphering old handwriting

[Reggie]

D

I have attached an alphabet of old handwriting.  It might assist you.

Reg

[Janine]

I found the following site and it helped me out with old Swedish writing I had:

http:user.trinet.se/~yke628p/english/abc1800/htm

[Reggie]

D

Here is Richard's Will.  There are a couple of words I cannot decypher at the moment.  I have ?? marks for thse words.  Also, I have square brackets around the words I guessed.

Cheers

Reg

Richard Down Esquire
In the Name of God Amen
I Richard Down of the City of London [Banker ??] do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following that is to say in the  first place I command my soul to the mercy of that gracious Almighty Being who ?? humbly trusting in the merits and mediation of our blessed son and saviour Jesus Christ for forgiveness of my sins first I direct that all my just debts, funeral and testamentary charges be paid by my executors hereinafter named as soon as conveniently may be after my decease and whereas ?? to my marriage with my dear wife Rose the daughter of Henry Neale esquire since deceased the sum of five thousand pounds ?? to be paid the said Henry Neale to the trustees named in our marriage settlement in order to be laid out in government securities in their names in trust to pay the dividends and interest to me for my life and after my death to pay the dividends and interest unto my said wife for her life and after her death of the survivor of us their interest to pay and divide the said sum of five thousand pounds to and ?? ?? our children in such manner as therein is mentioned and whereas the said sum of five thousand pounds ?? ?? laid out and invested in the purchase of two hundred and twenty pounds a year Bank Long Annuities which said stock now stands in the names of the trustors [trustees ??] in the said settlement of some of them upon the trusts thereof.  I do hereby certify and confirm my said marriage settlement and (make) clause and article therein confirmed and in order to make up the said Bank Long Annuities to three hundred pounds per annum it is my intention to (purchase the sum of seventy pounds per annum of the said Bank Long annuities in my [sons ??] name for the purpose hereinafter mentioned but in case I should not have purchased the same in my life time then I direct my executors to purchase by and out of my personal estate the said sum of seventy pounds per annum Bank Long annuities and I give the same to my executor upon the following trusts that is to say upon trust to pay to ?? ??... empower my said wife to receive the said sum of seventy pounds per annum Bank Long annuities in addition to the said two hundred and thirty pounds per annum Bank Long annuities for and during the term of her natural life and from and immediately after the decease of my said wife to I will and direct that the said capital sum of seventy pounds per annum Bank Long annuities shall be paid and divided together with the said two hundred and thirty pounds per annum Bank Long annuities into and amongst our children at such time or times and in such ?? by the said marriage settlement is directed ?? the said sum of five thousand pounds or the ?? funds & securities on ?? the same is invested.  I give and bequeath unto my said wife & her assigns for a during the term of her natural life one annuity or ?? yearly rent charge of two hundred pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to be issuing and payable out of and charged and chargeable upon my ...or farm and lands called Coppolts Farm (?) situate and being at Colney Hatch in the Parish of Freiern Barnet in the county of Middx now on lease to [Samuel ??] on ... at a ... this yearly rent of two hundred and fifty pounds also I  give and bequeath to my said wife and her assigns for and during her natural life or until she shall marry again our other annuity or ?? yearly rent of one hundred and fifty pounds of like lawful money to be issuing and payable out of & charged [the page cuts off after here so, cannot read it]

[D ap D]

Reggie, thats brilliant.

I also used that alphabet you posted last week and managed to decipher a bit more at the weekend. I'll now compare what I figured out  to your text and see what the result is. You've obviously had more practise though as there are a lot less gaps in your text.

I'll give the other pages a go, now I'm in the swing of things, and if theres any queries, I'll let you know.

Thanks again,

D ap D