Commissariot of Edinburgh

[buckhyne]

Can anyone tell me what the dates refer to.
I'm using the Edinburgh Commissariot as an example but obviously the answer would also apply to any other Commissariot.

Commissariot of Edinburgh
REGISTER OF TESTAMENTS 1601-1700
Clarkson or Clerkson, James, sometime merchant in Linlithgow; and Agnes Collen, his spouse 15 Sept. 1698

Commissariot of Edinburgh
REGISTER OF TESTAMENTS 1701-1800
Clarkson, Andro, merchant, burgess of Linlithgow 6 Oct. 1703

[buckhyne]

I think I can answer my own question.
According to SP info on the Wills & Testaments index is...
…Each index entry lists the surname, forename, title, occupation and place of residence (where these are given) of the deceased person,
the court in which the testament was recorded, with the date.
Index entries do not include names of executors, trustees or heirs to the estate.
They also do not include the deceased's date of death, or the value of the estate.

I thought the date was the date of death.
Does this mean that both of them had died before the Testament was recorded?
Clarkson or Clerkson, James, sometime merchant in Linlithgow; and Agnes Collen, his spouse 15 Sept. 1698

[Little Nell]

Does this mean that both of them had died before the Testament was recorded?

Yes it does.

Nell

[buckhyne]

Thanks 

[mt-scientist]

In regards to your interest in James Clarkson, I'm interested in whether you have any information on the following friends of James Clarkson that you would be willing to share with me.

I recently began a search on ancestors William Paschal, b. abt 1704, m. abt 1726, Reliance Dennis, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA, d. Aug 1774, Bute County, North Carolina, USA, and also Thomas Inglis, b. abt 1640?, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.

William personally knew James Clarkson (b. abt 1666, Linlithgow, Scottland, d. abt 1729, Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA) after he and his father, James Clarkson (b. abt 1635, Lanark, Scotland, Linlithgow merchant, d. abt 1687, Woodbridge, New Jersey, USA) fled Scotland and arrived in Woodbridge abt 1685 after being released from Edinburgh prison 17 Feb 1684/5 for being a Presbyterian (clerical offenders against the Perth Articles).

Thomas Inglis, skinner and burgess, was banished from Edinburgh to Montrose, Scotland for assisting the Presbyterian clerics. Thank you.

[carolineasb]

My understanding is that Testaments (Wills) can be registered before the death of the Testator and without Confirmation being granted on the death of the Testator. If this is so in this case then the persons mentioned may well have died after the date of registration.

Confirmation of an Estate is not mandatory in Scotland and I believe it may well have been the same back in the 1600/1700s although I don't know for definite.