John Scatchard's 1715 Will

[mezentia]

Whilst I've managed to transcribe most of this lates will, there are some odd bits I'm not sure of:

First, the word in italics and in the first clip:

hands of Almighty God my maker and Redeemer hoping that by his [meriforion] & death &

Next, the inserted name above Coffy in the second clip.

Third, the word after I in the third clip:

take his son from me but if he will not take him I [??] give him nothing but I give the

And finally, I have: 

Trade such as he shall chouse and when he loose if he live give him fifty pounds And I

But I'm not sure if loose is correct.

Suggestions please 

[goldie61]

Clip 1
'meritorious'

Clip2
'to Mr ^William^ Cotty' . This could even be 'Mrs'. The letters are somewhat scrambled up with those of the inserted name. Women were often referred to by their husband's name, but in a will I would have thought they would have used her own first name instead of her husband's. But you never know.

Clip 3
'I'le'  ?  = Some form of "I'll' ?

clip 4
This does look like 'loose'.

[manukarik]

Clip 1
'meritorious'

Clip2
'to Mr ^William^ Cotty'

Clip 3
'I'le'  ?  = Some form of "I'll' ?


clip 4
This does look like 'loose'.

goldie61 - I agree, you beat me to it! 

[goldie61]

Looking at the second clip again, I'm not convinced it's 'Cotty'
If you look at the word 'Trade' in the fourth clip, the capital "T" is the same as the first letter of the assumed 'Cotty'.
This would then make more sense that the first bit is 'Mr' and not 'Mrs'.
So you may be looking for 'Mr William Totty' and not Cotty.

What do you think manukarik?

[manukarik]

goldie61 - you're right it was well-disguised! I have never heard of the surname Totty but on checking online there are lots, even on Ancestry!

[mezentia]

Thank you everyone for your help. Another will done. Now to try and sort out the legatees 

[Bookbox]

On clip 4, perhaps loose is being used in the sense of being freed from his apprenticeship in his chosen trade? As we don't have the full context, it's hard to know.

[mezentia]

The will is quite short:

February the ninth day 1708 or 1709
In the name of God Amen I John Scatchard
of East Keswick in the parish of Harwood & County of York Yeoman being sickly of body but of
sound & perfect mind & memory praise be given to God for the same do make &ordain this my
last will & Testamt in manner & forme as followeth ffirst I give & bequeath my soul into the
hands of Almighty God my maker and Redeemer hoping that by his meritorious death &
passion I shall receive free pardon & forgiveness of all my sins & my body to be buried in Xtian
manner att the direction of my Executor hereafter nominated ffirst I give & bequeath unto
my Brother Joseph Scatcherd Minister of Alne my dwelling house with the Barn & other
Buildings & Garden Orchard & with all the land thereunto belonging with all my personal
Estate both quick and dead & whatsoever is really mine upon condition he shall pay my Sister
Hannah Marjerison ffifty pounds which I owe to her upon my own bond with one year
Consideration att May day next ensueing and one & twenty shillings to Mrs ^William^ Totty of Leeds and
also pay these legacies I shall give att the time of my death & defray my funeral charges
& deal penny dole at my buryall Itm̃ I give to me Brother Andrew Scatcherd all my wearing
Apparell & my great Bible & my Hackney Saddle Itm̃ I give to me Sister Sarah Cooper twenty
Shillings Item I give to Godfrey Haddon twenty shillings Item I give to my sister Hannah
Marjerison twenty shillings Itm̃ I give to John Marjerison twenty shillings It. I give toMrs
Mary Harrison one pair of gloves & a scarfe at the time of my buryall. It. I give to John
Scatcherd Ralph Scatcherd Mary Scatcherd & Sarah Scatcherd the younger twenty shillings
To every one of them as they come of age It. I give to John Labron and Robert Labron
To either of them five shillings It. I give to me Brother Robert Scatcherd T[w]enty pounds
Towards taking up with his Creditors & for procuring him his Liberty upon Condition he
take his son from me but if he will not take him I [??] give him nothing but I give the
Tuiton & care of him to my Brother Joseph and my will & mind is that he shall find him
Meat drink learning lodging wearing apparel till he come of age and get him a
Trade such as he shall chouse and when he loose if he live give him fifty pounds And I
Desire me brother to be just and honest in fulfilling my will and in Requitall I give all that
I have to him & his heires for ever and do make me Brother Joseph Scatchard Sole Exe=
Cutor In witness whereof I have sett my hand Seals the day & year above written
John Scatcherd, Sealed and delivered in the presence of us Andrew Scatchard, Godfey
Haddon, Sarah Cooper

I now have to find the marriages of his sister Sarah to a Mr Cooper and his sister Hannah to John Marjerison (assuming John is Hannah's husband), and the parents of John, Ralph, Mary, and Sarah the Younger.

Brother Robert seems to have problems with the law, and I have one son, John, for him. I have quite a bit on brothers Andrew and Joseph.

[Bookbox]

Brother Robert seems to have problems with the law

The context suggests he was imprisoned as an insolvent debtor.