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Palaeography  

Introduction to transcribing document 7

Try your hand at transcribing document 7. You can print out the document and work through it yourself on paper. A full transcript is available for you to check your own work.

Transcription tips - READ THESE FIRST!

Extracts from manorial survey, Manorbier and Pennally, Pembrokeshire. August 1618. Cat ref: LR 2/206 ff 75 and 101. Crown copyright - enlargement opens in a new window

This document is in secretary hand, however some place names and names of people are in different hands, such as italics, to make them stand out.

In this document you should watch out for:

  • Letter forms

Some of the capital letters are hard to work out, for example the capital 'E' can look a bit like a 'K', as in 'East', line 25.

Lower case 'h' Lower case 'h' is sometimes very loose, see for example 'the', the last word of line 3.

There are several versions of lower case 'a' one of which is written with the 'stick' separated from the 'circle'. Make sure you do not confuse the stick for a separate minim. See for example 'land', line 32.

Refer to the alphabet for individual letter forms

  • Abbreviations

There are lots of abbreviations used in this document.

'per' or 'par' per and par. See for example 'p[ar]ishes', line 29 and 'Per' 'p[er]ambulac[i]on', line 7.
Represents 'er' 'er' abbreviation, see for example 'Sov[er]aigne, last word of line 5.
Represents 'r' when preceding letter(s) is/are missing 'r' showing a preceding letter or letters missing abbreviation, see for example 'o[u]r', line 5, 'S[u]rvey', line 9, and Manno[u]r, line 9.

'W' abbreviations, 'wth' for w[i]th and 'wch' for w[hi]ch.

Missing 'i' missing 'i' abbreviation, see for example 'p[er]ambulac[i]on', line 7.

Suspended words, for example, Jur' for 'Jurors', line 8, gen' for gentlemen, line 14.

Superscript letters, for example, 'Tenants', line 10.

  • Numbers

Note that in this document the amounts of money are in roman numerals, but the quantities of land are in Arabic numerals.

The money is in pounds, shillings and pence, or £. s. d. 'Ob.' is short for obulus, the Latin word for a half penny. Leave these abbreviated - do not attempt to expand them. Always put a space between the amount and the abbreviation, for example: :

xx s vj d (20 shillings and 6 pence).

Remember that a 'i' by itself or at the end of a number is usually represented as a 'j'.

  • Latinised names

The list of jurors names has been Latinised as far as possible.

Carolus = Charles

Joh'es = Johannes (John)

Ph'us = Phillipus (Phillip)

Ricus' = Richardus (Richard)

Will'mus = Willelmus (William)

Leave Pembr' in line 2 as Pembr'

 

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