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NOTE:- Letters of Administration: When a person died intestate [i.e. leaving no will] the next of kin or a close friend would often have to apply to the probate court for Letters of Administration to enable them to take possession of and distribute the estate. The applicant had to swear that there was no will, that the applicant would pay all funeral expenses and debts, administer truly, and submit a true inventory and account of his/her stewardship. The Court then granted Letters of Administration and might require the administrator to enter into a bond to administer the estate faithfully, in which case a copy of the act was endorsed on the document. A Bond is a binding agreement with a penalty for non performance. A bond deed is in two parts, the Obligation and the Condition. Before 1733 the Obligation, which records the penalty, was written in Latin. The Condition describes what the bonded person has undertaken to do, or otherwise committed himself or herself to (e.g. administer an estate), and was always in English. This is clearly what we have here. My Latin is not good enough to do a proper translation of the first paragraph so I have confined myself to a summary of key facts to help make sense of the document. As with the great majority of seventeenth century records the document is written in Secretary hand which takes some getting used to and I have used the “Dictionary of Genealogy by Terrick VH Fitzhugh as my guide. As with medieval Latin some words are abbreviated. I have done the best I can with the translation adding some punctuation to help with clarity but would welcome a full translation by someone versed in Mediaeval Latin & Secretary Hand. I am the OPC for the Parish of Fordington and can be contacted in the usual way through the OPC site. words I am unsure of are highlighted in red |
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Latin Key facts: ---obligation to Richard BAYLIE ---3rd day in the month of October in the 14th year of the reign of Charles II King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King defender of the faith in the year of our Lord 1662 The Condition is that if the above bound Ruth FORD the relict and Administratrix of the goods, chattels and credits of Thomas FORD late of Fordington in the County of Dorset deceased and peculiar Jurisdiction of Mr DEANE of Sarum do well and truly Administer the goods chattels and credits of the said deceased (that is to say) in paying his debts, if any be due, so far as his goods chattels & credits will thereunto extend and the law charge her
Then this obligation to be void or else to abide in full force & virtue by William BUN & Henry HOLMAN on the 29th September 1662 as follows:- In the First Place : In the Hall, two table boards; three joined stools, one amry; two trencher cages, three chargers, one form, and one little stool appraised at 20 shillings. Item: (In the) Kitchen, nine pewter pottingers, two pewter dishes, one little tin pot, one warming pan, and a small burding piece appraised at: 11 shillings and eight pence. Item: One pair of tongs, two old firedogs; one hanging crook and one old frying pan appraised at two shillings Item: Two old Bibles and two other old books appraised at three shillings Item: in the room within the hall: four trendels, one cowbell, two skillets, two little bottles, one little brass pot, one serch(2) and a range appraised at twenty shillings Item: in the Chamber over the Hall one standing bedstead with cushions, one trundel bedstead, two flock Beds, two feather bolsters,one flock bolster, two feather pillows, one flock pillow,one rug, one coverled, two pair of blankets, four pair of sheets, three pair of pillowties, two table cloths And four napkins appraised at £6. 13s. 4d. Item: his wearing apparel appraised at £4 Item: one chest, two trunks, two little Boxes, And one desk appraised at £0.10s.0d Item: in the Barn the wheat, barley and peas appraised at £13. 6s. 8d Item: one peck, three bags, And two flasks, appraised at £0.3s. 4d Item: in the backside one little wheat Reeke(3) appraised at £5. 3s. 4d Item: one hog And the poultry (appraised) at £1. 3. 4d Item: two barrels, two old fates And other lumber appraised at £0. 6s. 8d Sum is £34. 4s (I make it £34. 3. 4d so perhaps they rounded up?) William BUN Hen: HOLMAN [Note:- Short entry in Latin - Rough translation:- ] --this Inventory was held at Fordington 3rd day in the month of October 1662
(retaining original line structure spelling and superscript ) The Condition is that if thabove bounden Ruth fford the relict and Administratrix of the goodes chattles and creditts of Thomas fford late of ffordington in the County of Dorset deceased and peculiar Jurisdiction of Mr DEANE of Sarum doe well and truly Administer the goodes Chattells and Creditts of the said deceased (that is to say) in paying his debts if any be due soe farr forth as his goodes Chattels & Creditts will thereunto extend and the lawe charge her Alsoe doe make or cause to be made A true and pfect Inventory of all and singular such goodes Chattels & Creditts as the said deceased died possessed of and Exhibite the same into the Registry of this Courte at or before the ffirst day of December next ensueing the date hereof And alsoe make atrue and pfect Accompt of & upon her said Administration when she shalbe thereunto required & such ptr & porton of ye residue of the said goodes upon such accompt left unadministred shall distribute & dispose in such manner as by the said Mr DEANE his surrogate or any other competent judge in ye behalfe shalbe limited and appointed & Lastly doe now and att all times hereafter save defend & keepe harmelesse ye said Mr DEANE & all others his officers & Ministers for graunting of l'ttes (letters) of Administration in this behalfe & for all other causes ensueing by reason of ye same Then this obligation to be voide or els to abide in full force & vertue Signed sealed & dd in ye prdts of Wa: JOHNSON Noty pub The marke of X Ruth FFORD William [X] BASCOM his marke Jurat Thomas fford late of ffordington deceassed taken & praised by Will: BUN & Henry HOLMAN ye 29th Sept: 1662 as follweth Impremis: In the hale (hall): two tablebords; three joynestools one Amery; two trencher Cages, three Chargers, one fforme and one little stoole praised att: xxs Itm: Cusheng nine pewter pottingers. two, pewter dishes one; little tining (i.e.tin) pott one, one warming pan, And a smale burding peece praised att: xjs viijd Itm: one payre of tongs two old ffiredoggs; one hanging crooke And one old frying pan praised att ijs Itm: two old Bybles And two other old Books praised att iijs Itm: in the roome wthin ye hale: ffoure trendels, one Cowbell, two skillets, two little bottels, one littell brass pott, one serch(2) And a range praised att: xxs Itm: in the Chamber ovr ye hale: one standing bedsteed wth cushions one trubell pedsteed: two fflock Beds, two ffeather bolsters one fflock bolster, two ffeather peeles (pillows?), one flock peele (pillow?) one rugg, one Coverled, two payre of Blankets, ffoure payre of sheetes, three payre of pillowties, two table cloaths And foure napkens prasied att vil xiijs iiijd Itm: his wearing apparrell praised at: iiijl Itm: one Chest, two trunkes, two little Boxes And one Deske praised at xs Item:in the Barne: the wheate Barley And Pease praised att: xiijl vjs viijd Itm: one peck, three Baggs, And two fflasks, praised att iijs iiijd Itm: in the Backside one littell wheate Reeke(3) praised att: vl iijs iiijd Itm: one hogg And the pultery att xxiijs iiijd Itm: two Barrels two old ffates And other Lumber praised att vis viijd Sum is xxxiiijl iiijs William BUN Hen: HOLMAN [Note:- Short entry in Latin - Rough translation:- ] --this Inventory was (approved?) at Fordington 3rd day in the month of October 1662 Genealogical Notes:- (1) Ruth FORD was buried in Fordington on 23rd Octoberb 1714. Parish Registers have not survived for 1662 when Thomas would have been buried. (2).This might be a reference to a Serce or searce which was a sieve or strainer (3). I have not been able to identify what this is yet but it was expensive and as it was situated in the back yard outside the house and associated with wheat it was likely to be some sort of vehicle or container |