Handwriting deciphering

[grantleydawn]

On the same page, I found some similar writing.
Grantley

[PrueM]

Hi grantley,

Yes, it's the long S we were talking about - we think the place name of the Laird starts with one, and may contain one or two more at the end.     I'm afraid I'm not a local and don't have enough knowledge of the area to hazard a guess as to what it  might be.

[Aberdeen Archives]

Margaret Kennedie a notable whoore has a bairne
to be baptized at the direction of Mr Johnne Max
well and Mr David Mitchell.  The bairne [nr or ne?] named
jeane wt[nesses] Johnne Smyth Thomas Kennedie
The mother as yet has not compeared before the
session to vilefie the bairnes father whom she
alleges to be ane Johnne Crawfoord servitor to the
Laird of F[...]s

There is something written after the word 'bairne' in the 3rd line that I can't make out, but it could just be a clerical error.  Also, I can't make out where the Laird is from - looks like it begins with F and ends in S, which doesn't narrow it down that much!  I don't think it's a long S as it doesn't have as long a descender as the S in session or servitor.

[Gadget]

The Laird needn't necessarily have been the laird of anywhere near Edinburgh. John Crawford could have been his servitor at his Edinburgh residence - hence Agent in one of the baptism records.

Nothing coming up starting with S that looks close. Possible alternatives, if it begins with F could be: Forres, Fintry, an abreviated Feteresso and so on 


Gadget

[JAP]

Hi Grantley,

There might well be two quite different Johnne CRAWFURD/CRAWFOORDs.

So I'm far from sure whether it's worth spending more credits.

Up to you.

I'm puzzled by Johnne's occupation in the first of the new extracts.  I wonder if anyone has any ideas ...

Cheers,

JAP

[Gadget]

I'm puzzled by Johnne's occupation in the first of the new extracts.  I wonder if anyone has any ideas ...

Cheers,

JAP

The nearest that  I can get is wriator  - could it be writer (?solicitor) which fits with the servitor (can be a secretary) and the agent of other records.

The first letter is the same as the w (short for witnesses) on the next line.


Gadget

can't see anything else:

http://www.scotsfamily.com/occupations.htm

[JAP]

Excellent suggestion!!

Though, accepting the 'wr', I think it then reads 'wreater'.

And the DSL has, under 'writer', 'wreater' as a possible spelling.

JAP

[Gadget]

It does go with his other occupations doesn't it 

I was on my small laptop this morning but as soon as I looked at it on my large monitor, I saw the w very clearly

I see the e now rather than the i 

[Gadget]

I've been looking at the Wills/Testaments on SP for a John Crawford - there are some in Edinburgh but also my attention was drawn to this one:

21 Jan 1641  in Wester Auchendonane, parish of Luss, Glasgow CC - TD

Now the first letter of the place where the Laird was of could be a defective L . There are cetainly some smudge marks below and if one looks at the form of the L in Laird, it is a possiblility.

I'm not very  familiar with Luss and whether it had a Laird but........................


Gadget

Added - it's near Loch Lomond :   http://www.loch-lomond.net/villages/luss/luss.html