Latin abbreviations at foot of 1576 will

[arthurk]

The same cannot be said if the executrix had died after the probate grant, or been unwilling or unable to act for some reason.  Then the estate would have needed to be administered by someone else.

True, and unfortunately the Littledean registers for this period haven't survived, so we don't know when Elizabeth Jhoan Morse (the executrix) died.

However, if Elizabeth Jhoan had died, who or what would dicta be referring to?

(Edited - name corrected)

[arthurk]

Here are a couple of examples of the name Thomas Tanner alias Morse in similar handwriting, though in these extracts he's Thomas Morse alias Tanner.

He's one of the overseers named in the will of William Pumfrey (proved 1576), and one of the witnesses in the will of William Holliday (proved 1580) - both testators being of Littledean.

[Watson]

Arthur, you said earlier that the executrix was "Jhoan [sic] Morse"; now you say Elizabeth.  Is it just a slip, or what?

[arthurk]

Arthur, you said earlier that the executrix was "Jhoan [sic] Morse"; now you say Elizabeth.  Is it just a slip, or what?

Oops - now corrected. Thanks.

[Watson]

Arthur, I can see some merit in reading Tanner.  If it says Thome Tanner, as you suggest, why aren't his parish and occupation given, as for John Morse?  Or are you reading yeomen (plural) ?

[arthurk]

No, I don't see it as yeomen (plural). However, as far as is known, there was only one Thomas Tanner alias Morse (or vice versa) in that area at that time, whereas with a name like John Morse, there was quite likely more than one of them, so it was necessary to specify which one was meant.

[Bookbox]

Apologies for a delayed reply.

Thanks for posting further images, arthurk. Looking at the 2nd image in your reply #10, I can agree the name in this extract could be tann(er).

From there, I can move (with your persuasion) to the previous word being Tho, despite the difference in style of the letter-formation.

I still believe the preceding words are Ad(ministra)cio una cu(m), as suggested earlier. You say there is no mark of contraction or suspension here, but I would argue that there is a ‘generic’ such mark at the end of the word, extending backwards towards the d. This is a not uncommon way of abbreviating Administracio, even with the large space after the A.

So my final suggestion for this is:

Ad(ministra)cio una cu(m) Tho(ma) Tann(er) al(ia)s Morse et Johan(n)e Morse de Deane parva yeoman.

(Note that Thomas in Latin is 1st declension, and the ablative, after cum, therefore ends in -a.)

[arthurk]

OK - thanks for everyone's endeavours.