Thursday, January 11, 2007

Any handwriting experts out there?

I'm trying to transcribe a letter that was written by some Scotch-Irish ancestors of mine in the 1850's and am having a bit of trouble deciphering the handwriting. I've gotten pretty good at reading the handwriting from old documents, but there are a few places in the letter where I'm thrown for a loop. If you happen to have some experience reading old Scotch-Irish handwriting, or even if you don't but want to take a stab at it, I'd love some help and a second opinion. They're also writing from a place that I think is called Laughries Caus (I THINK the letter says: "When you Rite Direct Letters to the Care Mr James Moor Mohill Street grween newtown was Cunty Down Irland for William Mcgimpsey of Laughries Caus, farmer."), but I can't find any Laughries in Ireland, so if you know where they are writing from, that'd be great too. Thanks!

And as soon as I have what I think is a pretty accurate transcription, I'll post the letter here. It's from William and Marget McGimpsey to their son Henry and is dated April 2, 1854.

*****

Update: I'd like to thank all the folks who offered help! I also wanted to pass on a few really useful links that people sent me.

2 comments:

Charley "Apple" Grabowski 1/16/2007 2:54 AM  

I'm not much good at hand writting but try this link for Loughries:
http://www.detini.gov.uk/cgi-bin/downutildoc?id=1030
pg 8, listed as a ward in Ards. From Wikipedia: Ards Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Of course I guess there could be more than one Loughries.

Christina | AmiExpat.com 1/16/2007 8:53 AM  

I think you're right about Loughries, the nearest city in Ards is Newtownards (New-Town-Ards) and family tradition had it that the McGimpseys came from New Tonards, Ireland. Thanks Apple!

(And you're my first commenter ever!)

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