Help with dechipering Will text 1856

[PrueM]

Wow, that' s a tough one 

To me it looks like either "Soozier" or "Wozier", I'm not convinced that what looks like the first of two "o"s is an o at all.  I think it may be a different letter, or part of the initial letter.  I've tried to think of occupations that might end with "zier" but all I've come up with are:

Glazier
Brazier
Grazier
...

Be glad to look at it further, have you got a higher res scan you can post?

Of course it may not be an occupation, could it possibly be a name?

[Little Nell]

Personally, I would have said it was Hozier.  There is a Robert Falconer, hosier of Glasgow, listed in the Scottish wills index.  There is also a John Latta, draper whose will was proved in 1866 in Dumbarton.  Isabella Latta, daughter of William Latta also left a will.  William's will also seems to be listed, along with many others.

I suspect W.C. Steele is correct - William Cunninghame Steele was the Sheriff-Substitute for Stirling and Dumbarton during the 19th century and lived in Dumbarton.  He died in 1881 or so.

The handwriting you have here is very common for mid 19th century clerk copying this into the register.  Once you get you eye in, it can be very rewarding.  But it is always the names which cause the most problems - they are the one thing you can't guess at from the context!

Nell

[AMBLY]

Hi Prue & Nell!

Thanks ! I thought it may have began with a "L" as it looked like the "L" in Latta but I couldn't think/find  what a Loozier was    I don't believe its a name, though I did wonder why would  Falconer be described by his occupation "in Glasgow" while the others (Isabella, Janet, Catherine Ann & John Latta) are all only described as "residing in Dumbarton"? 

But  I think Nell is right on this one,  & with the hint, I search thru the doc and find the writer scribing another capital H in the "Secretary Hand" (not on my will but on the partial one preceding it).

In the first Image below, the 1st  two full words in the 2nd line reads " Henry Page", referring to the same, as  written in the other lettering style above it - I never would have gotten "H" were it not for the context of the rest of the text!

Then 2nd image  is a smaller example of the word I now agree is probably Hozier?

Cheers
Anne

[AMBLY]

Hi Nell,
I just read the rest of yr msg (when it first come up it just seemed to say you thought it was Hozier, I'm sure it did, please please tell me I'm not dreaming    )

Hozier it is, I was just about to off and hunt for Robert FALCONER the Hozier, you found him thanks!

And W C Steele it is, surely the Willianm Cunningham Steele you mentioned (where did you find that info , I was Googling but didn't match him)

John LATTA the Draper, I saw him - but there is also another candidate, John LATTA the farmer whose  will or TD was proved in 1874 in Dumbarton.

The Isabella LATTA you mention (whose will was proven exactly 2 weeks before that of John the Farmer) I believe is the same spinster sister of the William LATTA Jnr  whose Will I have.There is also documents which relate to the bankrupcy of an Isabella LATTA, Banker of DUmbarton - which I think is her also.

Thanks for all - I have enjoyed working out this document - you're right, the text is actually quite beautiful I think,  and fairly easy to understand once you get the eye for it! Well half an eye,I'm still a bit squinty on it in one eye - I'll get Isabella's next budget round and see what happens with that one 

Anne

[Little Nell]

Hi Anne,

I confess, I posted only a short message to begin with, but modified it as I found more.  I just searched the Scottish wills index for other names and looked at those most likely.

It's amazing what you can find out with a little bit of lateral thinking!

Nell

[acorngen]

the word is residing that is easy.  Anne have pmed you my address as I would like to see the will.  STEELE it definately isn't sorry I totally disagree.  The last letter is a definate L and remember the faint marks are down to the fact the book it is taken from is some 100+ years old.  Also this is not the original hand it is as I believe you was saying  a copy of the original so to see the earlier will would also be advantageous. 

Rob

[AMBLY]

Hi Rob
Have emailed you the will to look at .

I think you may have mis-read my msg re: which word it was in the 2nd help text regards Falconer - the word 'residing' (after Isabella Latta) above it  is indeed easy - it's the word after Falconer which was less so - it's most definitely not 'residing' and I'm sure now it is 'Hozier'.

The part of the document   (all written by the same hand as I mentioned earlier) re: STEELE/HALL is not the actual Will bit, it's the end-part of  the deposition by one of the Executors re: the testators death, so it won't be in the original will?

Anyway, we look forward to hearing your final verdict 
Thanks again
Anne

[acorngen]

Ann,

First I totally agree that the word after Falconer is Hozier, in fact I am of no doubt.

With regards the signature on the deposition that John Latta had died.  I am still convinced that the surname is HALL and not STEELE however I would only say I was 50% certain now that I have blown it up.  There is a possible squiggle at the top of the first line which could indicate an S however this is so faint as to have me discount it.

Although you are correct that the deposition is not a part of the original will, the whole text as you see it as been copied by the same person into the pages that these were taken from, the original will probably having been destroyed

Rob

[AMBLY]

Thanks Rob for taking the time with that

Genealogy-wise, I have gotten my money's worth from this document, and HALL/STEELE I feel is probably a clerk of the offices,bearing witness,anyway, as has been suggested before.

Thanks again to Nell & Prue for their help also.
Cheers
Anne