1618 Old English. I am beyond what I can read..

[DebPat]

Hi Folks, I am looking to those folks with an "eye" for this stuff.. as this is beyond what i can manage. Sigh. I believe it is a legal document from around 1618 Dorset. possibly Bridport is mentioned..

It is large.. so there for i am attempting to link to photobucket as being the best way to preserve it for reading. Which is hard enough without quality loss.

there is no rush for this i guess, but as my research is back to that sort of era.. it might hold a clue or two

I think you for even so much as looking at this!

[horselydown86]

Hello DebPat,

Your document has the appearance of a Chancery Bill.

The resolution of the posted image is too poor to read much but the line at the top which looks like it begins "To the [Right?] Honourable Thomas..." is typical of a Bill.

Does the main text begin with something along the lines of "Humbly complaining shew [or sheweth] unto your Lordship your Orator/Oratrix..." then the name, parish and county of the complainant?  If so, it is likely to be a Bill.

These documents are usually very repetitive.  A suggestion would be to post the first ten lines or so as images (won't be easy as the line is so wide) and have that transcribed.  That should give you enough of a feel for the writing style and content that you can try the rest yourself and seek whatever further help you need on the difficult parts.

[Bookbox]

The image can be downloaded at original size from Photobucket and is reasonably legible.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0yu5/

As has been said, it’s a Bill of Complaint, the first part of a civil court case heard in Chancery. A brief description can be found here ...

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C5716189

It’s headed ... To The Righte Honorable Thomas Lorde Ellesmere Lorde Chancell(or) of England.

I’ll post the first ten lines or so later today, if no-one else has.

[Bookbox]

Here’s a go at the first 11 lines. There’s plenty more for you or others to do.

==========

xxvij Novemb(er) 1615
Evelyn

To The Righte Honorable Thomas Lorde Ellesmere Lorde Chancell(or) of England

Humblie sheweth unto yo(ur) good Lo(rdshi)pp yo(ur) poore and daylie Orato(r) John Cardrowe of Bridporte in the Countye of Dorset Beerebruer That whereas one Henrie Cardrowe father of yo(ur) said Orato(r) decessed in his Liefe tyme was Lawfully seised in his demesne

as of fee (emongest dyvers other thinges) of and in one Messuage or ten(emen)te and dyvers Sellers sollers roomes shopps court(s) yard(s) and backsyd(es) to the same Messuage or ten(emen)t belonginge and app(er)teyninge scytuat lyenge and being in Dorchester

in the said Countie of Dorset of the yerelie ^value^ of Twentie pound(es) p(er) annu(m) And soe beinge seised tooke to wiefe one Elizabeth [space] by whome shee had yo(ur) said Orato(r) and dyvers other children And afterward(es) dyed soe

thereof seised By and after whose deceasse the said Messuage and p(re)misses emongest oth(er) thing(es) discended and came unto yo(ur) said Orato(r) as sonne and heire of the said Henry Cardrowe And afterward(es) the said Elizabeth yo(ur) said

Orato(r)s said Mother tooke to husband one Nicholas Vatyer of Dorchester aforesaid Mercer And after the mariage soe had betweene the said Nicholas Vatyer and yo(ur) said Orato(rs) Mother when the said Orat(or) came to

full age The said Nicholas Vatyer in the righte of his said wiefe p(re)tended title unto a thirde parte of the said ten(emen)te and p(re)misses for the terme of his said wief(es) Lief for and in respecte of his said wief(es) dower whereunto

yo(ur) said Orator assented and gave way w(i)thout any sute in his Love and Dutye to his said Mother And there uppon uppon some agreement had between yo(ur) said Orato(r) and the said Nicholas Vatyer the said Nicholas

Vatyer held and enioyed the said Messuage and Dyvers implem(ent)s of houshold and plate of good Value belonging unto yo(ur) said Orato(r) Untill abowte the moneth of Aprill in the yere of o(ur) Lord god one thousand

sixe hundred and thirteene nowe Last past At or abowte w(hi)ch tyme uppon speech had betweene yo(ur) Orato(r) and the said Nicholas Vatyer yo(ur) said Orat(or) dyd grante and agree that the said Nicholas

Vatyer should have and holde his yo(ur) said Orato(rs) twoe part(es) of the said Messuage and premisses for the terme of three Yeres then next followinge for the yerelye rente of Sixe pound(s) thirteene shilling(es)

and fowerpence, and the said Nicholas Vatyer by agreement then alsoe made was at thend of the said three yeres to dep(ar)te from the possessyon of the same p(re)misses Orelse to holde yt for some Longer terme ...

==========

[horselydown86]

Here is most of the next five lines.  I missed a couple of key words so a glance from someone more expert won't be wasted.

*******************

givinge [so?] much by the yere as another man bona fide [would?] give for the same And whereas att the tyme aforesaid the said Nicholas Vatyer [?] in his hands and custodye of yo[ur] said orator

certen plate and hous[e]hold stuffe to the value of fifty pounds or thereabouts And yo[ur] said orator was indetted unto the said Nicholas Vatyer in the sum[m]e of ten pounds or thereabouts concerning

w[hi]ch [alsoe?] yt was then [?] agreed betweene yo(u)r said orator and the said Nicholas Vatier and Elizabeth his wife That the same plate and hous[e]hold stuffe shoulde remayne in the hands

and custodye of the said Nicholas Vatyer and Elizabeth for a certen tyme the certentye whereof yo(u)r said orator remebereth not as a Securitye [unlesse?] at the same tyme y[ou]r said Orator dyd

pay the said Nicholas Vatyer the said ten pounds or thereabouts and dyvers other agreem[en]ts were then made and concluded uppon touching and concerninge the p[re]misses w[hi]ch said agreem[en]ts

[DebPat]

sounds interesting thus far. Plus gives me a pretty old marriage which might be very useful.
well done all i dont know how you manage it :s

[Bookbox]

I missed a couple of key words

A couple of suggestions ...

... the said Nicholas Vatyer had in his hands

... w(hi)ch alsoe yt was then lykewyse agreed

Otherwise I agree with all the queried words, apart from a few (debatable) spelling variants 

[horselydown86]

Thanks Bookbox, I can see them now.

[horselydown86]

Five more lines.  Again some words in need of more expert eyes.  We are near the crux of the dispute I think.

***********************

[?], by y[ou]r said Orator, and the said Nicholas Vatyer referred to bee [indifferen(t)ly?] putt, in writings indented betweene them, to [? - some kind of title] John Hardey of D[or]chester aforesaid gent whom

accordinglie undertook the making thereof by a certen tyme then agreed on And att that tyme yo(u)r said Orator and the said Nicholas Vatier and E[l]izabeth his wife attended the

sealing and [?] thereof accordinglie Att w[hi]ch tyme the said John Hardye tolde them that hee had but one parte of the Indenture [ingrossed?] w[hi]ch the said Nicholas Vatyer and Elizabeth

his [wife?] & John Hardye earnestlye p[ers]uaded yo(u)r said Orator to Seale together w(i)th a [band? - should be bond?] of a greate som[m]e of money for the p[er]formance of the [Covenants?] and agreem[en]ts in the said

Indenture [confeyned = confined?] And the said John Hardye faithfullie promissed yo(u)r said Orator to [?] a Counterpane of the said Indenture and make a bond of the lyke som[m]e of money for the