What is a Dole? Saddleworth, West Riding, 1785

[karen58]

Hi

The word appears in a Saddleworth will of 1785.

The testator mentions 'the half Dole at the at Backoth Lee (Back o’ th Lee), and 'the other doles at Lee Cross.

Thanks Karen

[Ruskie]

Are there other examples of a small b in the document?

I thought this looked more like an l ... so Dole. 

I see:
the Half Dole upon the Backoth
Other Doles And Lee? Cross

Dole sounds like some kind of payment maybe?

The experts will be able to help you I’m sure.  See what they say, but they might need to see a bit more of the will for context.

[Ruskie]

Don’t know if this makes sense in the context it is used in the will?
https://www.etymonline.com/word/dole

[karen58]

Hi Ruskie,

You are right - its an l, although most of the other ls look different to the ls in Dole. But found a similar l in the word 'Enclosure'.

Dole could make sense in the context of a sharing. In 1789, Back o’ th Lee, was over 200 enclosures leased by 13 people.

Thank you for your help.
Karen

[horselydown86]

From:  https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.13023/page/n121/mode/2up

Page 114.

[stanmapstone]

From the OED
Dole;  A portion of a common or undivided field; = dale n.2 1. Obsolete.
Dale;  A portion or share of land; spec. a share of a common field, or portion of an undivided field indicated by landmarks but not divided off.

Stan

[Mowsehowse]

Is this a word surviving from the days of strip farming?

[Ruskie]

Karen, I noticed that you amended your subject heading and original post to Dole, where you had originally written Dobe ..... hence my reply #1 which now doesn’t make much sense:

Are there other examples of a small b in the document?

I thought this looked more like an l ... so Dole. 

(Clarification for anyone reading this thread )
 

Revisiting this thread makes me think of an expression to “dole something out” (possibly still used?), which meant to share something.

[heywood]

I used to hear, and perhaps use, the word ‘dole’ as in giving out or sharing.

I heard something just recently, perhaps a history programme, where it was mentioned that the king or local dignitary would give out dole to the poor and that, it was said, was where the word ‘dole’ for the unemployed originated as in the film ‘Love on the Dole’.