Help with deciphering letter

[bearkin]

Can anyone help me with understanding this letter. I have most of it but a few words elude me. Unfortunately it is cut-off on the right side. The last word/s are I think important to the context

Here is what I have: ...Friends meetings and was I believe pretty well convinced of Friends principles, X; there seem[e]d a seed of god in hi[m], I humbly trust it will be so; thy son Henry seend [seemed?] a serious lad of a thoughtful turn of mind etc etc

X  I was not 7 years old when my Father died etc a?

Thanks, Peter

[GR2]

& can but...

"seend" is an error for "seem'd/seemed"

[bearkin]

Thanks GR2.

"& can but" were my first thoughts but I could not make sense of that when the phrase was inserted into the text flow. There appears more text to the right of "can but", which looks like a y or j, but I am struggling to think what it might be that makes sense in the context. This made me think it might be something else and that the &c was an etc rather than "& c". Also the "c" is not joined to the "a", the "a" is not joined to the "n" but the "n?" is joined to the b.

Assuming "& can but" is correct, here is the whole sentence with "and can but" added to the text flow:

When I consider the integrity of my grandfather as a plain friend; that my father attended Friends meetings and was I believe pretty well convinced of Friends principles; I was not 7 years old when my Father died and can but ?? there seemd a seed of god in him, I humbly trust it will be so. Thy son Henry seemd a serious lad of a thoughtful turn of mind.

Any suggestions as to what truncated word after but is would be appreciated. Thanks, Peter

[David Nicoll]

Hi, judging from the context of the previous paragraph, (University of Tasmania Archives), and the fact there appears to be a dot above the first letter of the word, I would take it to read - & can but judge.

[bearkin]

Hi David,

You are correct it is part of the letters from Thomas Cotton to his son Francis held in the University of Tasmania archive. It is the second page of letter 4 which is omitted from the online copy. Unfortunately, the archivist clipped the right side of the letter off the scan when she did it for me.

For a clerk, Thomas Cotton has difficult to read handwriting.

I like your suggestion of "judge" and I will go with that until or unless someone comes up with something better.

Thanks, Peter

[David Nicoll]

Hi, it is in fact on the on line copy. It is on the fold of the envelope, no wasted space!
Personally I think that is a pretty fair hand. I have seen a lot worse, and at least he did not write at right angles over the top to save paper! That is hard!

[bearkin]

Hi David,

Thanks for the information. I had not realised the full letter was now online. When I last downloaded this letter in 2011 the last pages were missing and I had to ask the archivist for them. The online copy is much better than the one she sent me as it is not clipped:).

Thanks, Peter