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  1. #1
    Joe Lyon
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    Default 1735 Will

    I am in posession of an 1735 parchment will, of "Charles Eaton", which I am trying to learn more about.
    The will is 2 pages of what I have been told , are sheepskin/parchment. The pages are about 30 inches by 24 inches.
    The writing is very beautiful, so I do not like to handle it or expose it to light, as it might have some effects on the lettering.

    I will attempt to determine the Town,City ,or any other information that might help, but the writing is so fancy, it is hard to determine the letters. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Colin Moretti
    Guest

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    Hello Joe

    Welcome to the forum

    The UK National Archives (TNA) gives guidance on handling documents here:
    https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/document_handling/
    and here:
    https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/caringrecords/

    You are unlikely to cause significant damage by photographing your will, but don't use flash, just ambient lighting, and don't expose it to direct sunlight. Once you have the photographs you can use them and take your time to transcribe the will, posting images to this forum for advice if you have problems reading it. See this thread about the best way to make images available:
    https://www.british-genealogy.com/fo...ead.php?t=20142

    Good luck

    Colin

  3. #3
    Joe Lyon
    Guest

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    Colin:
    Thank you for your reply and advice for attempting to trace the 1735 will I have. I wonder if it would be any help to see if Charles Eaton immigrated to the US for any period of time, which would could explain why the Will ended up here. The next possibility would be simply, someone purchased it in England and sent or brought it here, or family brought it here. In any case, finding the family might just be an interesting search and something to learn, especially if I could locate present day family.
    Thank you again and sorry for the delay in answering you post.
    Joe

  4. #4
    Guy Etchells
    Guest

    Default

    It may have been exported in the 1950s with thousands of others when there was a craze for making lampshades out of old parchment.
    Cheers
    Guy

  5. #5
    Joe Lyon
    Guest

    Default 1735 Will

    Guy:

    Thank you for your response and information.

    It seems really "stupid" in my mind that anything of special value, such as any article that shows history in any manner, could be used in such a manner. Nothing should be a suprise these days we live in, but they still do.
    I would hope to see if I can trace some ancestor of Charles Eaton, I'm sure distant relatives would appreciate the information.I'll try researching him in England, which is propably my best bet.

    I also have a will written in the 1700's, 1 page, nothing compared to the Eaton will. I also have some 1776 era military pay vouchers, one appears to have a signature of one of the signers of the Declaration on Independance. I would hate to see them on a lamp shade.

    Thank you again.

    Joe Lyon

  6. #6
    susan-w
    Guest

    Default

    If you list the people mentioned in the will, you might find that someone will Google and happen upon you.

    A few weeks ago, I was idly Googling the name of my ggggg uncle, and I came across a letter to him that had been transcribed by a keen philatelist in Australia – the letter had an interesting postmark.

    It turned out it had been written by my ggggg aunt in 1800, and contained fascinating details about a will and other family matters.

    She could never have dreamt that the letter would have gone all the way from Devizes to London, then on to Australia, before being beamed around the world on the internet

    I'm glad that didn't end up as a lampshade.

    PS Have you tried Genes Reunited to see if someone has him in their family tree?

  7. #7
    Guy Etchells
    Guest

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    I agree with you Joe but that does bring up an interesting point.
    Just what is worth keeping?
    I tend to hoard everything and have to force myself to throw away old telephone directories etc.
    Newspapers could be a valuable source in 50 or one hundred years but how many of us keep today's paper?
    No matter how big your storage there comes a time when things have to be discarded.

    Parchment wills etc. often come from solicitor's offices where they had been stored for years after they had been proved. Sometimes this is a result of the solicitor being taken over or retiring etc.
    The family very often have no interest in the old wills as the estate has been divided years previously so the will to most is waste, taking up valuable space.
    Cheers
    Guy

  8. #8
    Joe Lyon
    Guest

    Default

    Susan-W
    Thank you for your reply. Sometimes the most simple things work. I Googled Charles Eaton, and low and behold, there are quite a number of references to the name and some mention of relatives ring a bell. I will have to inspect the will and take note of the other names mentioned. The other thing I have to do is learn how to navigate this web site. I have a friend who is writing a book about the rebuilding of Fort Ticonderoga, here in upstate New York, and his wife is an Attorney. This is how the recent interest came about, thru her, she said to try and find a geneology site in England. I told him of the help I have gotten and said mabye he should see if any of the people he is researching might have relatives in England who might wish to add to his information. Does this sound like a snowball beginning to roll down hill ?
    Thank you again.

    Joe Lyon

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