Genealogy Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

deciphering writing

Page 0 + 1 of 2

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. »
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 15:06

I've just received a copy of my g grandparents marriage cert and was expecting it to be a printed one but it is actually a copy of the original entry and the writing is quite difficult to make out and there are a couple of words on it that I can't decipher.Are there any websites that give examples of old style writing so I could maybe have a go at trying to work out what these words are.Any help would be very much appreciated as I have been so excited about this certificate!! Sad eh!!! Angie

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 21 Apr 2007 15:11

In which columns are the 'problem' words? Can you decipher any of the letters? Reg

Heather

Heather Report 21 Apr 2007 15:16

How lovely, is it your first ever cert? As Reg says, if you do your best to put down what it looks like and what column it is in, we can all try to help.

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 21 Apr 2007 15:28

Are you able to scan the certificate and send it by email? If so let me know and I'll send you my email address and will have a go at deciphering it for you. Kath. x

Heather

Heather Report 21 Apr 2007 15:29

Not I spose sig (for signature?) and after the x not 'his mark?' As Kathleen says, if you can scan and send it we can have another look?

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 15:30

Hi Kathleen I have scanned the cert because I thought if I could zoom in on the words it might help but no matter how I look at it I can't decipher it-if you are happy to have ago I would be really grateful-at least I know he is definitely an ancestor -he's proving so bloomin awkward he can only be part of my family!!! Thanks Angie

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 15:31

Hi Reg and Heather it is the first cert I have actually sent for and g grandad has proved very elusive to try and chase up so it was lovley to see more details about him.The problem bit is where it says this marriage was solemnized etc. it states Edward Lee (my ggrandad) then a very short word about 3 letters long which possibly starts with an S then there is the sign of a x and then a word after this but I just cannot make out what it is and I'm sure it must be something 'significant' but maybe thats just me wanting it to be something really exciting!!! I just wondered if a website would show me examples of old writing because it can be very misleading can't it?

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 21 Apr 2007 15:32

I have sent you my email address in a personal message. Kath. x

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 15:36

Hi Heather yes the short word could well be sig because the more I look at it the more it looks like an S but still not sure about the other word. Angie

Ajwyorks

Ajwyorks Report 21 Apr 2007 15:37

I'll hazard a guess at Edward Lee his x mark. In other words he didn't actually sign his name.

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 21 Apr 2007 15:43

Have sent you a reply Angie. It does say ...his x mark. Kath. x

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 15:54

Hi Kathleen thanks for that , I look forward to sending for other certs now ,its very addicitive this family research isn't it. Thanks to all of you for your help, its very much appreciated. Angiex

Heather

Heather Report 21 Apr 2007 15:58

Angela, check out the names of the witnesses too and see if they are of any help in your research.

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 21 Apr 2007 15:59

It certainly is addictive Angie. I can tell you though, that you will find some certificates a LOT harder to read than that one. Some of mine look like a spider has jumped in a bottle of ink and then rolled round the certificate. It's still just as exciting when they drop through the letterbox though, and I must have about 70 certificates now. Good luck in your research. Kath. x

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 16:31

Hi Kath and Heather I think I've already managed to find a connecetion with one of the witnesses and I do have some other names to go on so I'm now going to spend the next couple of hours trawling though records etc ,blow the ironing, the cooking, the washing ................!!! thanks for all your help everyone Angie x

Sue

Sue Report 21 Apr 2007 16:34

I love getting certificates through the post and count the days after first ordering them! Deciphering them is all part of the fun! I recently received a birth certificate that had been transcribed and TYPED - I was so disappointed, it just wasn't the same somehow... and it took longer to arrive! Just waiting for payday now so that I can order my next 'fix' lol, Sue

Heather

Heather Report 21 Apr 2007 16:40

Ang, if youve only just started, you will be saying blow the washing and hoovering for the next 3 years or so until things slow down on the finding ancestors front. I only wish I had more certs to send for now.

Unknown

Unknown Report 21 Apr 2007 17:33

I've been saying blow the washing etc for as long as I can remember so I don't need many excuses except I also have to wait until I get paid again -only just started new job and think I've already spent this months wages-God i hope I DO get paid now!!!!! Angie x

Heather

Heather Report 21 Apr 2007 17:37

Make sure you never pay more than £7 a cert.

Madmeg

Madmeg Report 22 Apr 2007 01:10

Please be aware that if you are ordering certs via GRO you can specify certain criteria, e.g. father or mother (on birth certs), or occpation on death certs, and if it doesn't tie in, they only charge £3. If you order from the local register office and it doesn't tie in, they return your cheque or cancel your credit card info, so it costs you nothing but the two stamps. If you are ordering more than one cert and paying by cheque, send a separate cheque for each cert, as they cannot give refunds. Regards Margaret