Translating Handwriting
There comes a time in every genealogy case in which a researcher will need to translate, or decipher some unrecognizable handwriting on a document. The first time is a shock – you go through all the trouble and the time it takes to track down that marriage certificate, or that death certificate that you desperately need. When it shows up in the mail after a long wait, you open the envelope and when you finally lay eyes on the document, it appears to be written in hieroglyphics.
Closing in on 10,000 followers to our @BklynAncestry twitter account gives us a lot of help when we have a problem like this. 10,000 sets of eyes are better than 1. This document needs some of those eyes to decipher it. I am going to fill in the words I believe the document says. Garner Mayes and Judith Morris are definitely the names of those involved. unfortunately the right side of the document is not part of the photo.
- Know all men by these presents that — Garner Mayes
- John Gill Craddock______– — ————
- —– —– Beverly ——- Governor of Virginia
- the sum of fifty pounds —– money of Virginia
- the which payment will and —- to be ———
- our ————————————————–
- then ——— sealed with our seal and dated this 5 day
- July_____1789
- Whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be ——–
- —– between Garner Mayes and Judith
- Morris
- The condition of the above obligation is such that if
- —- ——- —- to obstruct the —- Marriage then
- the above obligation to be void otherwise to remain in —
- — and —-
- Sealed and Delivered__________________Garner Mayes
- In Presence of _______________________ John Craddock
At this time the mystery has been solved in the comments.
1917 Marriage Certificate from NY
In the next document is an example of the exact opposite. In this certificate I know everything except for the names or the grooms Parents. I know the groom is a Toy Maker from Cadiz, Spain. The name of his father and mother are not so clear cut. What do you all think?
