Genealogy Chat

I have a copy of a will dated 1720, I can understand all but these terms: a bink, a pair of noisets, two young open (I think) and two others coming two yrs old, a quay great with calf. The chap, whose will it is, was a farmer so they are words related to farming I think. There is so much expertise on this board maybe someone can help me. Moira.

A guess - but is a 'quay great with calf' just a strange spelling of cow? Seems right in context. Are the 'two open' two oxen? I'm certainly no expert, so if there is anyone who knows better I'm sure they will answer shortly!

What a lovely will to have! Why dont you change your heading to WILL 18th century - can anyone translate please. I know Ive had kind souls who I have sent a scan of wills and who can read them straight away when Ive spent an hour on the first para.

Hi - seeing that open/oxen thing - I remember that an old lower-case x could have a hanging tail, so it could look like a p. Christine PS - have you tried googling the phrases in inverted commas, so that google recognises that they're single items not lots of separate words?

I wss just looking at the 'bink' and wondering if it were bank which was an old term for a sort of bench.

I'm no expert but someone on the boards once told me, when I queried the spelling of a name, that they used to write down what they heard. Sounds realistic and I suppose it depends on the local accent. I agree that it sounds like a cow with calf and it could be oxen. As for a pair of noisets - could that be fillet of beef/lamb or whatever? Just a guess. As for bink - that's scuppered me. I'll ask my husband when he comes in as he was a farmer - though not that old. LOL. He's just come in and he doesn't - sorry. Have you tried saying the words out loud? Y'know, and trying them in different accents? Sometimes works. You've got me at it now !!!!!

Heather- think you could be right with bink.

Surely, th cow 'great with calf' means it was pregnant. When a woman was pregnant it was often said she was 'great with child' Dea x

Moira - Do you want to e-mail me a copy and I will take a look for you? I have pm'd you my address but won't be offended if you want to keep it to yourself. I may not be able to spend too much time on it until this evening though. Dea x

According to Chambers bink is a northern form of a bench. Unless it is Scottish in which case it means a bench a bank a plate-rack a shelf or a wasps` or bees` nest. For noiset there is nothing only for noisette which is the medallions of meat or a hybrid rose. Take your choice! Sylvia.

Thanks everyone. Knew you would come up trumps. I think 'bank ' could be right..... suddenly recalled an old relative referring to the 'bank' which was a bench used as emergency seating for children at family does. Will be in touch Dea. Moira.

Moira Whereabouts in the Will do 'noisets' appear? I mean, what two other objects do they appear between? May be a clue, as people usually list their possessions in linked order, if you see what I mean. Olde Crone

Gawd knows how I knew about the bink (I wonder if its inherited memory) but now that Im eyeing the pair of noisets I cant help but see two sort of cups in my minds eye. Could they be some sort of eating/drinking utensil??? Help, am I possessed by ag labs past?????

Could the pair of noisets be nutcrackers? Just a guess. Roger

That sounds reasonable, doesnt it!

Hi All, Sylvia my ancester came from the border region of Northumberland so the scottish meanings suggested by you could well be right. Old Crone thanks for your idea. Here is the relevant bit-'a little white cupboard, a bink, a pair of noisets and four ewes'- so do we go with the household goods or the livestock? Keep the ideas coming folks, they will all be useful to someone. Cheers, Moira.

Well now, as I too have inherited ag labs memory, LOL - just wondering, as noisets come before ewes, whether this is a description of baby sheep (durh! lambs!) on the grounds that noisettes of lamb (nowadays) should come from very young lambs? Olde Crone

Well it does say a pair of noisettes and 4 ewes as if they are connected doesnt it. But thats not a lot of lambs for 4 ewes - and when the will was written, how did he know there would be this number of lambs?? and that it would be the right time of year for lambs to be about? Same with the calfs - strange - was this a death bed will?

Just a thought. as the noisets are next to the ewes on the list maybe it is a Northern word for ram? Any Northumberland farmers out there? Sylvia.

Just a thought. as the noisets are next to the ewes on the list maybe it is a Northern word for ram? Any Northumberland farmers out there? Sylvia.