1568 Testament of Patrik Lyell of Haddington, Scotland

[WolfeEye]

Hello, 

I'm having a lot of difficulty interpreting the handwriting in this Scottish testament dated 18 August 1568 by Patrik Lyell, a burgess from Haddington. I've looked over the testament a few times, and the only words I can decipher are some names and surnames; it almost reads like it was written in a different language. I would really appreciate it if someone could interpret some of it for me.

Thank you.

[WolfeEye]

Third and fourth page.

[GR2]

Page 1 - it starts towards the end of the page.

In the margin:

Elizabeth sinclare
decimo sexto augusti
anno 1568

(= Latin for Elizabeth Sinclair sixteenth of August, the year 1568)

The testament testamentar (i.e one including a will) and Inventar (= inventory) of ye
gudis (= goods) geir (= gear) sowmes (= sums) of money and debtis p[er]tein[in]g (= pertaining)
                                                                                   to umq[uhi]le (= the late, the deceased)
elizabeth sinclair spous to patrik lyell in ye Nungait (= Nungate, a street in Haddington)
burges of hadingtoun and to ye said patrick the tyme (= time)
of ye said umq[uhi]le elizabethis deceis (= decease) q[uhil]k (= which) wes (= was) in ye monet[h]
                                                                                                                                 (= month)

[GR2]

Page 2 (part 1).

of december The zeir (pronounced yeir = year) of god jaj v c Lxvij (= 1567) zeirs fait[h]-
fullie (= faithfully) maid and gevin (= given) up be (= by) hir (= her) self upoun the first
and secund dayis of ye (pronounced the = the) said moneth (= month) and zeir Be-
foir (= before) yir (pronounced thir = these) witnesses Johne hepburne in ye nungait (= Nungate)
Williame hepburne his sone and apperand air (= heir apparent)
george [wod (= Wood)] in seytoun (= Seton) Robert lamb servand (= servant) to ye
said patrik and sir (title of a priest without a degree of M.A.) Thomas stevin notar publict (= notary
                                                                                                                                     public)
In the first  ye said patrik Lyall had ye tyme of ye deceis (= decease)
of umq[uhi]le (= the late) elizabeth sinclare his spous foirsaid (= foresaid) the gudis (= goods) geir
and debtis following p[er]tein[in]g to thame (= them) as y[ai]r (= their) p[ro]pir (= proper,
                                                                                      personally possessed) gudis and dettis
Quhairof (= whereof) ye said umq[uhi]le elizabeth befell (= got as her share) be (= by) ressoun (=
                                                                                                               reason) of hir (= her)
deceis ye nist (= nearest) half p[air]t (= part) y[ai]rof (= thereof) viz ( = abbrev. of videlicet, Latin
                                     for namely) thrie scoir foure (= three score four = 64) thraves (= cut, but
                                     unthreshed grain) of beir (= bere, a kind of barley)
estimat (= estimated, i.e. estimated to yield after it has been threshed) to sexteine (= 16) bollis (=
         bolls, a boll is a measure of grain) of beir price of ye boll w(i)t(h) ye foddir (= the straw)
xxx s (= 30/-) Su[m]ma (= Latin for sum, total) xxiiij li. (£24) Item aucht (= eight) thraves of
                                                                                                   quheit (= wheat) estimat
to sex (= 6) bollis of quheit price of ye boll w(i)t(h) ye foddir xxx s (= 30/-)
Su[m]ma ix li. (= £9) Item ten thraves of Ry (= rye) estimat to sex (= 6) bollis of
Ry price of the boll w(i)t(h) ye foddir xxvj s viij d (= 26/8d) Su[m]ma viij li. (= £8)
Item xlviij (= 48) thraves of aittis (= oats) estimat to xxxviij (= 38) bollis of aittis
price of ye boll w(i)t(h) ye foddir xvj s (= 16/-) Su[m]ma xxx li. viij s (= £30 8/-) Ite[m]
xxiiij (= 24) thraves of peis (= peas) estimat to sex (= 6) bollis of peis price of the
boll w(i)t(h) ye foddir xxvj s viij d (= 26/8d) Su[m]ma viij li. (= £8) Item in ye barne (= barn)
and on ye kill (= kiln for drying grain) xxij (= 22) b[olli]s of malt price of ye boll xl s (= 40/-)
                                                                                                                          Su[m]ma
xliiij li. (= £44) Item in ye barne foure b[olli]s twa (= two) firlottis (= firlots, 4 firlots = 1 boll) beir
                                                                                                                                   p[ric]e
of the boll xxx s (= 30/-) Su[m]ma vj li. xv s (= £6 15/-) Item foure oxin (= oxen) price of the
pece (= piece) fyve (= 5) li. vj s viij d (= £5 6/8d) Su[m]ma xxj s vj d (= an error scored
                                                     out) punds (= pounds) sex (= 6) s viij d (= £21 6/8d) Ite[m]

[GR2]

Page 2 (part 2).

ane (= a, one) kow (= cow) price y[ai]rof (= thereof) Liij s iiij d (53/4d) Item twa (= two) hors (=
                                                                                            horses) price of the pece (= piece)
xiij li. vj s viij d (= £13 6/8d) Su[m]ma xxvj li. xiij s iiij d (£26 13/4d) Item xlviij (= 48) zowis
                                                                                                       (pronounced yows = ewes)
price of ye haill (= whole) xxxv li. iiij s (= £35 4/-) Item ane dy[n]month (= a wether between its first
                                                                                                       and second shearings) price
y[ai]rof (= thereof) xiij s iiij d (= 13/4d) Item xxiij (= 23) hoggis (= young unshorn sheep) price of
                                                                                             ye haill (= whole) nyne (= nine) li.
iiij s (= £9 4/-) Item ane daker (= a set of ten) of salt (= processed with salt) oxin hydis (= ox
                                                                          hides) price y[ai]rof (= thereof) Ten li. (= £10)
Item foure stanis (= stones) of lynt (= lint) price y[ai]rof foure li. (= £4) Item ane
steik (= a piece or length of cloth) of mellay (= a kind of cloth: Milanese?) c[on]tenand (=
                                                         containing) xxv (= 25) elnis (= ells, a measure of length of
                                                          cloth) price y[ai]rof xx li. (= £20) Item
ane steik of gray (= grey cloth) c[on]tenand xxv (= 25) elnis price y[ai]rof xvij li. x s (= £17 10/-)
Item ane steik of small cannes (= canvas) c[on]tenand xviij  (= 18) elnis price
y[ai]rof fyve punds viij s (= £5 8/-) Item twa stanis (= two stones) of Irne (= iron) price y[ai]rof
xx s (= 20/-) Item ane steik of buckrem (= buckram, a kind of cloth) c[on]tenand fyve elnis
                                                                                                                                   q[uhai]r-
of (= whereof) the eln (= ell) sex s (= 6/-) Su[m]ma xxx s (= 30/-) Item sevin (= seven) daker (=
                                                                                        a set of 10) foure hydes (= 74 hides)
on the barkhoill (= bark hole, a tanner's bark pit) price of the haill (= whole) Lix li. iij s (£59 3/-)
                                                                                                                        Item xl (= 40)
skynis (= skins) price y[ai]rof xiij li. vj s viij d (= £13 6/8d) Item sex (= six) firlottis (= firlots) of
                                                                                                                     quheit (= wheat)
sawin (= sown) estimat to the thrid (= third) corne (= grain) (i.e. estimated to yield three grains of
                                                            wheat for every one grain sown in the ground) extenden
                                                                                   (= extending) to foure bollis twa (= two)
firlottis price of the boll w(i)t(h) the foddir (= straw) xxx s (= 30/-) Su[m]ma sex li. xv s (= £6
                                                                                                                                     15/-)
Item xxij (= 22) pair of cairdis (= cards, for carding wool etc.) price y[ai]rof fyve punds ten shillings
Item ane salt hyd (= salt hide) price y[ai]rof xx s (= 20/-) Item sextene woll skynis (= wool skins,
                                                                                     sheepskins with the fleece still attached)

[GR2]

Page 3 (part 1).

price of the pece (= piece) vj s viij d (= 6/8d) Su[m]ma fyve punds vj s viij d (= £5 6/8d) Item
Liij (= 53) shoklingis (= ? small rolls?) price of the pece thrie s iiij d (= 3/4d) Su[m]ma viij li. xvj s
viij d (= £8 16/8d) Item xviij li. (= 18 lbs) of blew (= blue) woll (= wool) price y[ai]rof (= thereof)
                                                                                                 fyve li. xvj s (= £5 16/-) Ite[m]
sex (= six) quarteris of quhite (= white) woll price y[ai]rof thrie punds Item
fyve frenche blak (= black) bonnetis price of the pece xvj s (= 16/-) Su[m]ma iiij li. (= £4)
Item sevintene futefaillis (= skin of a lamb that died soon after birth) price of the pece viij d (= 8d)
                                                                                                                                 Su[m]ma
xj s iiij d (= 11/4d) Item thrie lamb skynis price of the pece iiij d
Su[m]ma xij d (= 12d) Item fyve b[olli]s of ferme beir (= bere given in payment of rent) in ye mess 
                                                                                                                                       p[ric]e
of the boll xxx s (= 30/-) Su[m]ma sevin punds ten s (= £7 10/-) Ite[m] in utensils
and domicilis (= household equipment) estimat (= estimated) to twentie punds
                   Su[m]ma of the Inventar (= inventory) iiij c li. iij s iiij d (= £426 3/4d)
     
                    followis the dettis awing (= owing) to the deid (= dead)

Item y[ai]r (= there) wes (= was) awing to the said patrik and umq[uhi]le (= the late) elizabeth
sinclare his spous be (= by) Alesoun (= Alison) Zeman (pronounced Yeaman = Yeoman) thrie punds
                                                                                                                            money It[em]
be (= by) Cristiane quhyntene Thrie punds Item be (= by) Johne ralstoun
foure punds money for twa (= two) bollis of malt Item be (= by) Thomas
borthuik (= Borthwick) in overhallis for twa b[olli]s of beir Thrie punds Item be (= by)
Williame bassinden in fine xxviij s (= 28/-) Item be (= by) stevin bassinden for
sex (= six) pund of Irne (= iron) thrie s v d (= 3/5d) Item be (= by) Richart edzair (= Edgar) for
twa stanis (= two stones) of Irne xx s (= 20/-) Item be (= by) patrik Home of garwart
grange foure punds Item be (= by) george Home his broy[e]r (pronounced brother = brother) xl s
                                                                                                                          (= 40/-) Item
be (= by) Cristiane home Relict (= widow) of Johne bald Thrie pundis
Item be (= by) dame Catherine K[   ]ingtoun aucht (= eight) punds Item be (= by)
george millar in h[  ]mestoun myln (= mill) xl s (= 40/-) for ye q[uhi]lk (= which) the said
                                                                                                  umq[uhi]le (= late, deceased)
elizabeth had ane (= a) hart of gold ane hart of silver ane lytill (= little)
ring of gold p[er]tein[in]g to the said george lyand (= lying) in plege (= pledge) Item be (= by)
the smyt (= smith) of garwart xx s (= 20/-)

         Su[m]ma of the debtis awing to the deid       xxxv li. xj s ix d (= £35 11/9d)
         Su[m]ma of the Inventar w(i)t(h) the debtis  iiij c Lxj li. xv s (= £461 15/-)

[GR2]

Page 3 (part 2).

           followis the debtis awing (= owing) be (= by) the deid to uy[e]ris (pron. uthers = others)

Item the said patrik and his said umq[uhi]le (= late) spous wes (= was) awing
to Sir Richart maitland of lethingtoun eld[er] fyve bollis
twa firlottis (= two firlots) ferme malt (= malt paid as part of rent) price of the boll xl s (40/-)
                                                                                                            Su[m]ma xj li. (= £11)
Item to Johne Imrie sex (= six) f[irlotti]s beir (= bere, a kind of barley) p[ric]e of ye boll xxiiij s (=
                                                                                                                     24/-) Su[m]ma
xxxvj s (= 36/-) Item to Robert lamb for his fee (= wages) xxxvj s (= 36/-) Item to
david Jamesoun xxxv s (= 35/-) Item to [                  ] xij s (= 12/-) Item to
patrik [          ] for mele (= meal = oatmeal) xxviij s (= 28/-) Item to the said laird of
lethingtoun of maill (= rent) xxvj s viij d (26/8d) Item to Johne gibsoun for lynt (= lint)
sevin punds iiij s (= £7 4/-) Item W[illia]ame Jamesoun xiiij s (= 14/-)

    Su[m]ma of the debtis awing be (= by) the deid to uth[er]s   xxxviij Li. xvij s iiij d (= £38 17/4d)

[WolfeEye]

Thank you so much for the help, I very much appreciate it! You're very skilled at deciphering old handwriting. Thank you! 

[GR2]

Hi,

the slater had just arrived and is on the roof. I will get the final page finished at some point, but won't get round to it today.

What I can tell you is that the will is not for Patrick Lyell, but for his wife Elizabeth Sinclair. The inventory, as you see, does list their joint property and give you an idea of their business interests.

In her will on the 4th page, Elizabeth leaves money, clothing and jewellery to various people, but no children by Patrick Lyell are mentioned (doesn't mean there aren't any). She mentions her daughter, Elizabeth Waik, wife of Adam Wilson. Presumably a daughter by a previous marriage. Also mentioned are Thomas Waik and his daughter, and a Helen Williamson.

The executors are Patrick Lyell (always Lyall in the testament) and her brother, Sir Hector Sinclair. Sir is a title given to a priest who doesn't have an M.A. degree from a university. I found out from another source that Hector was a prebendary of the collegiate church of Seton.

The full transcript will appear at some point (slaters etc. permitting!).