Will & Inventory of Thomas Holyer 1586 Nether Whitacre Warwick

[okkool]

Bookbox & HD86

If I may join this conversation, I have noticed a spelling in a couple of old 16th/17th century birth records of John variant spelled "Johanis. Could the contraction be of that?

I had not noticed the Johnn spelling in the Midlands area before.

Brian

[horselydown86]

Bookbox and Brian,

Thank you for your thoughts on the contracted John mystery.  Like you, I can't recall a Johnn spelling in my C16th documents.

Brian, it's possible that it's a contraction of the Latinesque Johanis.  But it seems odd.  In the document which caused me to raise the matter (see http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=748102.0) no other names appeared in Latinized form.

It occurred to me last night that maybe scribes trained predominantly on Latin in the first half of the C16th just did it out of habit formed from years of writing Joh^-es etc.  Then it quickly died out as English became predominant in official writing over the course of the century.

That thought is not much dissimilar to Bookbox's "hangover" suggestion above, I think.

[Bookbox]

That thought is not much dissimilar to Bookbox's "hangover" suggestion above, I think.

Agreed, HD, but you phrase it rather more elegantly. 

[okkool]

Bookbox & HD86

A quick search through the will turns up "Joh()n my eldest son" once again with contraction and twice in the form below. Hangover is a plausible cause.

Brian

[Bookbox]

Brian, thanks for posting more information on this.

[okkool]

Hi there, I don't think I have the transcription right in the red sections

of Jesus christ my Savior Trustynge by his meryttes, & by hys bytter passion to have Remyss-
yon of my Synnes & to be inheritones off the kyngdome of heaven, And my bodye to be Buryed in the churche
yarde of nether whytaker My p(a)ryshe, Inprimis his this my will th(a)t John my eldeste sonne shall have, my dw-
ellinge house, and all buildyinges rs barnek, stables, oxehouse, whatsoev(er) they be nowe alreadye

Brian

[horselydown86]

...netherwhyteker my p(ar)yshe, Inprimis hit ys my will...  [= it is my will]

...all buildynges as barnes, stables...

The form of the final s on Inprimis, ys and barnes is unusual.

Also:

...& to be inheritoure off the kyngdome...

[okkool]

Thanks for the corrections HD86, the inheritoure catch was a "duh, head slapper" because it was so obvious. I also found the "a" in "as" as funky as the S, hence the gibberish. I am still trying to get my head around the  meaning of "all buildynges as barnes"

Thanks again Brian

[horselydown86]

I am still trying to get my head around the  meaning of "all buildynges as barnes"

Try reading it like this:   ...all buildynges [such] as barnes, stables, oxehouse...