Genealogy Chat

Just as an aside ....legal documents NEVER have spaces or gaps or paragraphs...they should be a page or pages of continuous writing.(Watch out for "line fillers" on old documents,the first time I saw this I spent days trying to work out what a continuous line of Ws meant!) This is of course, so that no words can be added after the document has been signed. Happy reading. Marjorie

Alice, that's a fairly inexpensive price to have someone do it for you, given how much time you might spend trying to read it yourself. However, if you like puzzles, I found that after the initial shock of trying to read it, that I actually was able to understand quite a bit of it a few days after seeing it for the first time. I guess my brain had to digest it, or something. :~) Good luck with whatever method you use. :~)

Thanks to you all may give in gracefully as many words I can't read! Thank you for your help Alice

Here a sites that might be usfull www.memoriahall.*mass.*edu/how_to_read.html remove* it gives a few tips in reading old docs

Have just made out that he did in fact leave money to his son - so I feel better! You're right Geoff, they hardly pause for breath! alice

Paragraph????? The one I got was about three large pages without a comma, full stop etc to be seen!

Don't do it all at once ,it'll drive you mad. Try doing just a paragraph at a time. I also find opening it on someitihing like adobe acrobat , enlarging it to the biggest type , then look at it from far away! It's amazing how much clearer it becomes!! Kim

Thank you both. I have decided to type out as much as I can and try to figure it all out that way. Thank you for your help. Alice

Alice, I have a couple (copies) of old wills. I found that if you note how common words are written like "the" "county" "daughter", it is easier to figure out the less common words. My wills have a couple of differences between their writing and today's -- one that I remember is the letter "s" was written (on my copies) like a fancy "f". My mum's cousin figured out the first will, but I figured out a lot of the second one. There are sites that help -- I'll try to find a couple. Here is one site, but it does include American information: http://www.genealogy(.)com/68_sperry.html --remove ( ) Glossary of unusual words: http://www.btinternet(.)com/~tylcoat/gloss.htm This looks helpful: http://amberskyline(.)com/treasuremaps/oldhand.html

If the problem is that the writing is feint someone on here suggested using that yellow stuff (mylar?) as it will give more contrast to the writing. If it is the script you are having problems with I'm sure someone on here will know the web address of the "reading old script" site.

It seems he fell out with his son as a Codicil evokes the bequest of tools and everything else to his son and leaves it in trust for the daughters ( It seems he had a fair amount of money- guess who I am decended from?) So I have managed to find out some things but do not understand everything. I have enlarged it on a ohotocopier and still find it hard to read. Any advice on reading it in the first place and then finding someone who understands what it says? Alice

I was really pleased last night when I found the will of my 6x g Grandfather. It has given me lots of clues as to how he lived as it seems he a was a schoolmaster and founded a school in the 1820's. In addition I have found out where he lived and where he was burie but there are problems. Please see below.