Embarrassing complexion

[Mart 'n' Al]

I welcome comments on this snippet from an ancestor's Mariners' Certificate.  What IS the description of his complexion?



Martin

[Mike in Cumbria]

Fresh

[JenB]

I think it's intended to be 'fresh'.

[Mart 'n' Al]

Interesting, two at once saying that.  I'd assumed 'fair' or possibly 'dark'.  Is 'fresh' a common usage?  I know 'fresh-faced' but would 'fresh' be used like this?

It made me smile, anyway!

Martin

[JenB]

Is 'fresh' a common usage?  I know 'fresh-faced' but would 'fresh' be used like this?

I've frequently seen the single word 'fresh' used in the descriptions of complexions in military papers.

There are a couple of examples on here https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/England_Army_Records_Other_Ranks_(National_Institute)

[Milliepede]

Fresh from me too. 

[Mike in Cumbria]

Yes, fresh is a standard term often used in such documents.

[Galium]

My father's complexion is described as 'fresh' on military papers. I still couldn't say what it means, other than that he was neither particularly dark nor particularly fair.

[Rattus]

After an initial chuckle, without scrolling down to see other responses I looked again and also saw "fresh".

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/fresh

Definition 10 is the obvious one, but some of the others too.