Genealogy Chat

I excitedly dowloaded the will of my GGFX2 proved in 1853 but I have spent nearly an hour getting just the first paragraph transcribed. Which has been exciting as it refers to being interred with his late father and brother in the Parish Church Wimbledon - which gives me yet another lead. If it isnt a cheek, is there anyone who can read this old writing easily? If someone is used to it Im sure it must seem totally clear. Otherwise I shall battle on doing a bit a day! Many thanks

Hi Heather Spent 10 years reading wills, leases etc. at Land Registry for my sins. If you want to email it to me you're more than welcome. Have emailed you my addy privately. Regards Trudy

have had a far amount of experience will email you directly hevi x

Many thanks guys, I am indebted once again to the kind people on here.

Hi Heather If it's any consolation, the handwriting for PCC wills at that period is an absolute swine to read. Give me tudor will any day.

Brenda, I will bear that in mind when I get a 16th century will for you to chew over!

As others have kindly offered already, I shall save my offer for something else (lol) but I just wanted to say: It truly does get easier to read these wills with practice. I dug out the first PCC will I ever purchased (it's a long time since I've looked at it). I remember struggling to read each word and it took hubby and I several evenings to pick up all the detail. Now I can read it straight off!! Merry

Hi Heather No wonder you're going boss-eyed - have printed it will have to take it home to the big magnifier. Trudy

Heather, may I ask where you got it from? I've tried to find my GGG grandfathers will on the net but unable to. His was 1856 and I've seen it at the local records office on fiche but when I asked if there was any way I could copy it, they said no they didn't have that ficility.

Hi Joseanne Only a small fraction of wills are available online. Most are simply available at record offices. It may well be the case that the particular record office you visited did not have a fiche printer - they are expensive bits of kit. But if you saw it ages ago, it might be worthwhile contacting them again, in case they've acquired one now.

Hi Heather I downloaded two last night and I've spent all this morning TRYING to read 'em. Just going boss-eyed LOL Just cannot make any sense of them at all, so still don't know whether they're the right ones. Jan x

Heather, If there's one you have not given to anyone else yet, I don't mind having a go......Will send you a PM UPDATE: Oops Heather - I was reading Jan's message and thought it had your name on it for some reason??!!! Anyway, I don't mind doing one from each of you, but if you've given yours to someone else already Heather, I'll just have a go at one of Jan's!! Merry (boss-eyed already!)

Thanks Brenda, I was at the local records office this year and still no change. Maybe I'll try the other records office [we have two, one covers one side of the county and one the other] as they may have the will, though I doubt it, but it's worth a try and they might have a reader with a printer as it's a far better place. Josie

I have just received three Wills and two Admons, 1817,1819,1820,1838 and 1878. They were remarkably easy to read. The admons were on printed forms, with spaces for details. The Wills were handwritten, but again, really easy to read, once I had got my eye in, so to speak. One is in suspiciously modern handwriting, but it is signed,sealed and stamped with the Probate Office Mark so I am assuming its the original. The first one threw me because it had the fingerprints of the witnesses next to their names. Ha ha, after wondering what possible use fingerprints were in 1817, I realised that they were in fact Seals!! Have I just been lucky, then? Olde Crone

Old Crone, I cannot remember the name of the special handwriting used by the clerks of the PCC, but it is a bummer. Every letter seems to look like a little o. As everyone else has said, you do get your eye in after a time, but virtually every other style of handwriting (save that of my late boss!) is a doddle in comparison.

Brenda - It's amazing how they are all the same handwriting (the PCC ones that is) The first few wills from there, I thought one chap had been very busy indeed!! Merry

Merry, I am sure that I have heard that the GRO indexes (admittedly less writing involved) WERE compiled by a single individual who worked his way steadily through from A to Z, and if the clerk did happen to fall off his perch, you could see the change in the style of handwriting. I don't know whether I believe it, but they certainly were trained to a very high standard of uniformity.

Many thanks everyone. Trudy, glad that you thought it was a bummer too. I am usually ok at reading the old writing, but this one - it looks like an Egyptian priest wrote it, doesnt it. I mean if I didnt know GGF was from Wimbledon there is no way I could have made that word out - it looks like it begins with a squashed c. If its too much, please dont worry, Ill just do a few lines a day. As I said after an hour my right eye was twitching like Herbert Lom's in Pink Panther. Joeseanne - I have downloaded three wills this week - been very lucky - from documents on line at the National Archives site. It costs £3.50 to download. You enter the search criteria and with a bit of luck your rellie leaps out at you. Only up to 1858 though.

Brenda The answer is: Secretary Hand. I don't suppose its any great surprise that a lot of this handwriting looks the same - Copperplate was taught in Schools for years and years and individuality in handwriting was no doubt discouraged on the point of a cane! I went to a most progressive school, where we were taught to write in Mary Somebody's Round Hand. When I was about 12, I affectedly decided to adopt the french-style crossed 7 and the egyptian e. My Form Teacher tore all my exercise books in half and told me to copy them out 'in proper handwriting'. Olde Crone