Who? Help Please!

[Scatza]

I have tried to decipher two names included in the 1680 Testament of John McMurrie in Airds, Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, but am still unsure. Would appreciate all help/suggestions as John's spouse has a first name that is the same as the one starting with what looks like an E? Morgon? , and a surname that looks like Fairness? She is possibly the sister of the Blezina/Rozina. 

Thank you!

[Scatza]

 

Not even a small suggestion? Perhaps there is somebody who can help me with the 'contaction' in the name that looks like E(I)sugh(t)e Morg(j)on from Edingham(e). What would a 'u' with that thingy on top stand for? Is the name perhaps Elizabeth, Isabel, Euphema ....or is it an old Celtic name, perhaps? I puzzled so long over this that my puzzler is sore!

Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated.
Scatterling

[Little Nell]

It's not that easy to read at this size. 

My first instinct with the first name is to see "Hugh" - but you say this is a female?

Sorry but I would need it to be slightly bigger - better resolution.  Less than 5kb is tiny!

Any chance of a better resolution scan?

Nell

[Scatza]

Oh thank you! In the excitement of your response, I have forgotten how to increase the resolution using my programme (its been a while), and have also managed to mess up the original doc by saving without changing the name of the bit cut out.  Fortunately it's not too badly damaged, and I'll give it another go and post when done. It might take a day though!

The testament is not in good shape, and the bit where John's wife's name is written, elsewhere in the full page of the document, is very difficult to read because the ink has bled. However, it looks just like the name that you think might be Hugh (and it could very well be, could it not, given that I also have a Nicholas gggrandmother?). John's wife's surname is the same as the name of Rozina/Blezina, just  below the possible Hugh in the extract.

You're right, I can do better, and will try to get more examples and higher resolution. Just wanted to acknowledge ....
Thank you!
Scatza

[Aberdeen Archives]

The 'u' with the mark above it is to show that it is a 'u'.  Many letters can be confused with each other and this mark was used to show that it is definitely a 'u'.  I'd agree with Hugh as the name.

[Scatza]

Thank you both for your input  The more I look at it, the more I see Hugh. Infact, in my efforts to enlarge the name of John's wife, I have found that it is not the same as the one that is likely to be Hugh. Always a surprize when one does that! I will attach my best effort to enlarge John's wife's name, but have no idea of how it will appear. Is this perhaps Isabel, or Isabella? Is her surname Fairness or Fairend? The surname does look the same as Rozina/Blezina's in the original example I posted, but if it is not 'deciperable', I'll put this away and the mystery will remain a bit longer

[Little Nell]

The name you are keen to decipher - is it the first word on the middle line in the larger extract?  Could it be Hellen?

Not doing very well here - there are not many words there for comparison purposes or to get a feel of where we are in the document (fussy, aren't I?).  Any clues from the children's names?

Nell

[Scatza]

The resolution of the original doc that I purchased is only 96 dpi, which makes it very difficult to enlarge without loosing the sharpness. In addition, the hand is extremely small with little space between the lines in the section where her name is written.  Her daughter's name is Janet McMurrie, that I have established, but it provides no further clues as to her name.  Sooooo frustrating as there were several John McMurries around at that time, and her name is important so that I know which McMurrie family I am looking at! I can find no names like it in the IGI, which I usually do before searching SP database.

You are looking at the correct name, starting left margin and 3rd line from the bottom.  It looks too long to be Helen, and it doesn't help that the first letter is faded. There is an 'e' after the first two letters ??el???, so you are right, it could be Helen and there is a bit of a flourish on the end! However, Helen is not a name that is associated with any of the earlier McMurries in the Stewartry, although it does appear over 100 years later  Can you make anything of her surname, which is followed by "my wyfe"? That might also lead me her first name.

I really appreciate you straining your eyes to help; sorry I can't be more helpful, too, with more context. To do that the writing becomes too small to even begin to make sense of it. It is worth the try, and Helen is a possibility that I haven't thought of before

[Scatza]

Another try, with some context   And, lo and behold, her name appears again in the first line of the same paragraph.   This time the writing will probably be too small - hope not!