Monday 12 May 2008

Somerset Curiosities

An interesting trip to the Record Office...

Just one or two oddities I found in the parish records:

I'm a little puzzled over 'Collick Puffin' buried 7th Jul 1704 in Bridgwater St Mary's. The writing was readable and this does seem to be what it says. But it can't be, can it?

And the death of John Tailor, buried on 2nd Dec 1716 with his two children must have been the talk of the town for some time, as the three of them were "blown up with gun powder."

And I've now made my first proper venture into 17th Century parish registers and so far, they've proved to be a lot more legible than most 18th C efforts. I had been wondering if it would be worth pursuing any further if I had to stare at yet more and more faded microfiche copies of terrible handwriting, but it seems I won't have to give up in order to save my eyesight and sanity yet.

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