Here are pictures of an old vellum document that I picked up form an antique dealer. He has no idea what, where and when this is from. I thought I could at least figure out some "W"'s but I have totally struck out. Any one have a clue as to what this is ?
Looks like old English mixed with Latin. I think your best clue is the name that is visible on one of the fragments: Robert Forbes. There was an Anglican bishop by that name in Scotland in the first half of the 18th century. As i also seem to see the word Edinburgh in one of the top lines that might be a lead ?
Step 1 is to figure out the hand style. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manusc...ance/medievaldocuments/handwritingstyles.aspx https://www.english.cam.ac.uk/ceres/ehoc/intro.html https://collation.folger.edu/2017/07/i-learned-to-read-secretary-hand/ Do you think the document is in English? Could be Latin or French.
The first page appears to be old English. The opening line appears to be a place and date ("In Edinburge ? this twentie first ? day of Apryle" or something like that). The word "parchment" or "parliament" (not sure which) is used several times. There is a date in the last two lines - I can make out the words "One Thousand" in the year. From my experience reading and transcribing old English wills for genealogical purposes, the handwriting style looks like 15th-16th century. @jamesicus is who you need to look at this. His calligraphy background might help. I think some of the other pages may be in Latin.
At least some of it is in Latin~ “In Dei Nomine”- In the name of God. “Ego Vero” - I seek truth, are the only phrases I can make out.
Nice acquisition @NormW. I used to encounter documents like this occasionally at coin shows (but more likely in Antique shops) years ago - but not often in recent years. Prior to modern times, Vellum (meticulously and painstakingly prepared calf or goat skin) was used to hand write (pen and ink) official documents such as deeds, wills, apprenticeship indentures, writs …………… and legal documents of all kinds, due to its wearability and survivability. Eventually all but especially important documents were rendered on paper using typewriters - when necessary, old Vellum documents were frequently copied this way - storage was much easier and took up far less space - and large quantities of the old Vellum documents were discarded in various ways. Many ended up as collectible Antiquities - just like yours. I retained a few myself as nice collectibles, but my own usage was (and still is on occasion) for making Palimpsests - scraping off existing writing and resurfacing the Vellum and then reusing it (Vellum is very expensive these days) for especially important calligraphic renditions. This whole fascinating subject was discussed in great detail in the following Coin Talk thread: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/just-fyi-roman-document-writing.301166/#post-2821967 Edit - that link is to just one post - you will have to scroll the posts to find specific Vellum references.
Here is snippet from one of my posts in that thread: An example (scrap portion) of an old document that I made into a palimpsest:
Here is the post relating specifically to Vellum and it’s re-use: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/just-fyi-roman-document-writing.301166/#post-2823065
It would be very helpful if when you post pics of it, they are not oriented sideways. Reading the old language is not truly difficult in all cases, but it makes it so when the orientation is off. I might could help you (sometimes I do read some of this type of old writing.... not always as well as others, but ....) but not if I have to manipulate images to get there....
Following is a snapshot of an old Vellum document that I just dug out of my Scriptorium document box …………… this is the kind of old document (of no particular historical significance) that I often prepare/repurpose as a Palimpsest:
It's English, called an indenture, al legal document. The vast majority of them relate to the renting of property. Yours is written primarily in Latin which places it (along with the style and handwriting) early 17th Century. Most likely you will be able to puzzle out the names and locations.
Yes, that's a very cool Latin document, though I had to turn my head ninety degrees to read it. Thank you for sharing!
Here is an enlargement of the lead-off segment of the document I posted. It is an indenture, and is written mostly in old English with occasional Latin, circa. Mid 1600s to the mid 1700s.
Thanks for all the feedback. By the way, I didn't intened for the pix to be sideways. They looked "not sideways" when I uploaded them. Here are a few that I am trying again. Also; It's one document with writing on both sides. [/FLOAT_RIGHT]
Okay, I still don't know why two of the pix are sideways. They were not sideways when hit "post reply"