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From: "Judith Werner" <>
Subject: Re: [OEL] Help with a 1598 Leicestershire will
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:26:19 -0600
References: <540448.45670.qm@web86505.mail.ird.yahoo.com><009601c788ea$64f8a4d0$df24c747@HP><02dc01c788fc$bd7906b0$0301a8c0@VOY645>


http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/unsolved43.html

I'll go with Polly on the capitalization, although if I were
transcribing it for my own use, I'd have Line 1&2 as Syster Sharp. I
realize the S in Sharp is capitalized but is it not true that capitals
were sometimes just an oversized version of the same letter in lower
case (as in Syster)? I haven't found capitals used in the same
document to be all that consistent either, just as the same word is not
spelled the same way each time. In my own writing I use different
initial A's, for example, without being conscious of writing them that
way and I suppose if it happens now it could have happened then, unless
I'm "special" :-).

Anyway, it's hardly a major issue. I do agree with the remaining
capitals, having taken another look.

I agree it's extremely unlikely that Lenie would be a diminutive for
Leonard. Making a will was about observing formalities; even if the
testator didn't, the person writing it would have wanted it that way
(likely the vicar or someone else accustomed to the task, but very
rarely the testator
himself). A check of the IGI shows a number of LENNIEs, variously
spelled, in Leicestershire, so the surname was about.

I agree also that the fifth child could be the eldest son -- more
likely, in fact, and I should have had it in mind. In the last will I
dug up, from Halifax in the late 1500's, after various legacies to
various people, the testator left equal parts of his estate to six
named children. Only at the very end did I learn of another, when he
charged his wife and eldest son Daniel with the care of his underage
children; if not for this direction the eldest son would not have been
mentioned at all.

Regarding horses, at this early date I would expect the draught
work to be done by oxen, with a horse or two kept mainly for
transportation, although they'd have to do other things as well to earn
their keep. It's been my understanding that horses were kept to
minimum because they were expensive to winter over, not being
turnip-eaters as oxen were. In my largest will collection, having to
do with minor gentry in Bedfordshire, I don't recall more than one or
two horses mentioned. Anyway, it was a passing comment, a possibility
to keep in mind.

I think we have about thrashed this one by now. I will post a recap a
little later for final comments before posting it to the web page. I
see that I failed to post the transcription of Art's document posted
last fall and Art was probably being too polite to give me the needed
nudge, so I'll do that too.

cheers,

Judith Werner
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Administrator, OLD-ENGLISH
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/








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