Genealogy Chat

I was recently looking at the parish register entry for a marriage in 1795..... The dates of banns were given, - the first as a normal date, April 26th but then the next two dates in the form almost like fractions.... May e/y 3rd and June e/y 14th......The marriage was on25 June 1795...... I've not seen this before, what does it stand for, please?

Is it actually an odd rendering of 'ye', as used for 'the'? - like 'Ye Olde Tea Shoppe'. Christine

If it is 'ye' as Christine says, does it look like any of the examples on the following web page, about half way down? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9E The letter which looks like 'y' was actually the letter 'thorn' which was pronounced 'th', hence 'ye' was 'the'. Chris

Thank you both for your interest. It was written as you would a fraction, ie. e with a horizontal line underneath, over y ....so not really like the ones on that page...interesting information there though. Gwyn

Wild suggestions - initials of the Vicar or Curate who read the Banns? E for evensong? Early service? Cannot think of anything for 'y' though, other than year! OC

That's an interesting theory, O.C. I hadn't thought of that. The dates are not consecutive weeks, ...would that make a difference, or be an explanation? I think they were usually called on the 3 Sundays prior to the marriage. Gwyn

I noticed something similar that I don't understand in the Dorset OPC website 1716 Jane 1/2 or Joane 1/1 child of Richard Hayter was baptized 21-Jun dizzy

I just found another example by googling e/y: Here lieth e/y Body of Francis Lumbard of this Parish who departed this life April e/y 3d 1732 In e/y 37th year of his Age It looks like it means 'The' but why it's written like that I have no idea! dizzy

Hi Gwyneth I've also seen this written on tombstones in Worcester Cathedral and I think it means 'the' and is an old way of writing it.

Dizzy Yours means first of two children, first of one children, I THINK, although I have seen it to indicate when there are two families where parents have the same names - two couples named John and Mary Brown, say. As for e/y - it couldnt be as simple as 'ecclestiastical year' could it? The Church hung onto the idea of the old year, long after the new calendar was bought in, in 1749/50, if some of the PRs I have seen are anything to go by! Maybe the weather was too bad and a Sunday got missed out? Seen this in moorland Parishes in the winter. OC

Thank you all for your replies. I've looked at hundreds of parish register entries in several counties and never come across this term before. It seems that it probably does just mean 'the' but because not all the banns' dates are written the same way, I thought it may be something else. Gwyn