Lease from 1874--Can You Read?

This is part of the text of an 1874 lease found in my ancestor's estate papers. The landlord wanted the balance of the payments and this was part of his proof. The property was in Prairie Township, Hancock County, Illinois. The parties were Jesse Quimby and Mimke Habben. Habben died in 1877 before the terms of the lease were completed.

Think you can read it?

I'm pretty certain what it says. It's not often one finds this kind of a record. Leases during this time period are not typically part of any record.

Can You Read It?

This handwriting was written by the testator in his will from Hanock County, Illinois. The German native was born in approximately 1795 in Thuringen, Germany. The will is undated, but was filed for record on 6 October 1862 in the Hancock County, Illinois Probate Court.

This will was obtained from the microfilm of the original will at the Family History Library in Salt Lake. Those who think they can read the name of the testator can post their suggestions to this blog entry.

Can You Read It?

This is the signature of my German-born ancestor, born somewhere in the Germany of the 1820s. This signature for her comes from her husband's estate papers and is a last name she barely had for a few months.

The digital image of the estate papers was made while at the Family History Library in Salt Lake this week.

German word I cannot quite make out.

I'm working on a Casefile Clues column and cannot quite make out the word in yellow on this baptismal entry from the Bethany United Church of Christ in Tioga, Illinois.

I can make out the rest of the entry for Luisa Trautvetter. I just can't make out the word in the box where the names of the parents Michael Trautvetter and the "hausfrau" Franciska geb. Bigert. appear.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a court case in Champaign County, Illinois in the 1860s. It really is not too difficult to read. The individual who signed this document (he was brought up on charges of disturbing the peace or something like that) married a cousin of my wife.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a census entry. Interestingly enough, Ancestry.com has the name interpreted "correctly"and it doesn't appear that the right rendering is from a user submission. We'll post the correct version of this name after we've had some guesses or interpretations.

For now, I'm not saying the census year or the location as I don't want anyone using Ancestry.com to find him that way.

Can You Read It?

It has been a while since we did one of these. This comes from a will ca. 1906 in Champaign County, Illinois. This one should not be too hard.

Ideas can be posted below. I do know what this one is supposed to be.

More Can You Read it?

This one (twice on the same page) comes from a court document in 1904 in Hancock County, Illinois. This individual probably learned to write in the German script.



Go ahead and post a guess as to the name. The typewritten letters should not be a problem.

Can You Read it? One more from the same guy

This is from the same person as the previous post.

Just to give a comparison.

Can You Read it?

It has been a while since we have posted one of these. This comes from an 1870 era set of estate papers in Illinois. The writer was a German native, born in the 1820s. Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This signature comes from an estate record in 1917-1918 in Hancock County, Illinois.
Any thoughts?
(I do know the answer to this one.)

I really cannot read this one...

This is one where I really do not know what the first name is. The last name is clearly Adams. The first one I am not so certain of.

The first image is the signature of Mr. Adams. I am assuming it is a Mr. because the person signing this document mentions attending school with the children of Elam Blain in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in the early 1800s and only mentions the male children of Blain. My assumption about the gender could be incorrect.

The second rendering of Adams' name comes from the document itself where the scribe has written the name.

I'm taking guesses on this one. The document is from testimony provided by Adams in the Revolutionary Pension application of Katharine Blaim/Blain, widow of Elam. The testimony was given on 6 January 1848 in Delaware County, Ohio.

These images were taken from the digitized Revolutionary Pension files at Footnote.com.

Can You Read It?

This is an entry from an 1841 census entry in County Cumberland England.

Any thoughts on what it actually is supposed to be?

Can You Read It?

This comes from the "father's name" column in a mid-nineteenth century Catholic Church christening register in Beberstedt, Germany.

Do you think you know what it is?

Can You Read It?

This comes from an estate receipt in Illinois in the 1870s. This German native was probably in her thirties at the time she signed this receipt.

Can you read it?

Who Is It?

This signature comes from an 1870s era will and is written by a German native born in the 1820s.

Can you read it?

Who is it?

This signature comes from a mid-nineteenth century will written in Illinois by a German immigrant born in the 1790s.

Go ahead and post a guess.

What is that Name?

This is an ancestor of mine in the 1920 census. This censustaker had wonderful penmanship. We'll allow reader comments on this name and the name of her son below. It took me a while to find this great-great-great-grandmother in 1920. In fact, I only have two great-great-great-grandparents alive in 1920 and both were deceased by the 1930 enumeration.

Can You Read It?

This also comes from an early 18th century Amherst County, Virginia deed.

However, this is not exactly someone's name, but a phrase that one will often see on old deeds that describe property in metes and bounds.

It is not all that hard to read.

Can You Read It?

While not a signature, this name comes from an early eighteenth century deed in Amherst County, Virginia. The tail on the first letter of the name got a little long, hence the inclusion of the "said."

This one should not be too hard.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a 1860s era probate in Chariton County, Missouri. It is the listing of a person who purchased property at the estate sale.

Can You Read It?

From an estate settlement in the 1860s in Chariton County, Missouri.

Feel free to post a guess--it's not too hard.

Can You Read it?

This comes from a deed

in Kentucky in the early 1800s. Hopefully it's not too hard.

Can You Read It?

This signature comes from a late nineteenth century Civil War Pension file. This Ohio native, born in the 1840s, was testifying for her sister-in-law.

Go ahead and post a guess...

Can You Read It?

This name comes from a mid 1740 era estate settlement in Orange County, Virginia. This is a name, but not a signature.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This comes from the name of a godparent on a 1860 christening record in Wiesens, Ostfriesland, Germany...it's not too hard.

Can You Read It?

This is a name of a child from a birth record in Wiesens, Ostfriesland, Germany in the 1820s.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This name comes from an early 1900s probate file in Chariton County, Missouri. This name appears on the list of heirs.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This name comes from the 1885 agricultural census for Dawson County, Nebraska. For those who want to give it a try, the last name is written first, then the first name.

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1853 passenger list manifest of a German immigrant arriving in New Orleans.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a early twentieth century pension file in Hancock County, Illinois. This individual was born in the 1820s in New Jersey.

Go ahead and make a guess...

What is the point of the handwriting site?

A few have asked what is the point of guessing at the writing samples on our handwriting site and do I know the answers? To answer the last question, I do know what the names are supposed to be and will be posting those after each image has remained up for a little while and those who want to guess have made their guesses.

The answer to the first question is just partially fun--some of us (myself included) like to try our hand at reading various types of handwriting. The other point is the importance learning how to read writing with which we are unfamiliar. All of us have occasionally encountered a name or a phrase that we have had a difficult time reading and we perhaps had no clue what script it was written in. Sometimes we can read the word from the context of other words on the document, particularly on a census or a deed book, etc. The problem comes in when an ancestor signs a document, and none of the other writing on the document is in his handwriting. Sometimes his name will be written on the document elsewhere and once in a while it will not be. Hopefully posting the images along with the answers will help those who are having difficulties.

And I'm open to suggestions as well.

Can You Read It?

This entry comes the record of baptisms in Tjarstad, Ostergotland, Sweden in 1822.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This name comes from an early nineteenth century marriage record from Nevele, Belgium.

Feel free to post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a mid-nineteenth century marriage record in Nevele, Belgium.

Feel free to post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a nineteenth century declaration of intent filed in Adams County, Illinois by a native of northern Germany born in the 1820s or 1830s.

Feel free to post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1830s era deed in Hawkins County, Tennessee. This is from the text of the deed transcribed by the clerk, not any actual signatures.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1882 marriage record in Lee County, Iowa.

Feel free to post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This was written on a 1901 marriage application in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

Can you make out the name of the father from this 1895 birth certificate in Hancock County, Illinois? We've included more than "just the name" because there was some overlapping writing.

Go ahead and post a guess.

Can You Read It?

This actual signature comes from an 1856 Declaration of Intent in Adams County, Illinois. This German native was born in the 1820s.

Go ahead and post your guess...

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1830s era marriage record in Aurich, Germany.

Feel free to post your rendering of the writing.

Can You Read It?

This was written by a German born Lutheran minister in the 1870s.

Feel free to post your guess as to what the name is. The first name is pretty easy...

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1850 christening entry in Tjarstad, Sweden (the 21st entry in 1850 for those who want to know where it came from).

Can You Read It?

This signature comes from an 1810 era document from Maryland, written by an English native born in the 1740s.

Can You Read It?

This entry comes from a 1851-1856 era Household Clerical Register from Tjarstad, Sweden. It is NOT a signature.

Feel free to comment with your interpretation.

Can You Read It?

Another Civil War veteran born in the midwest, writing this ca. 1898.

Feel free to enter a guess...

Can You Read It?

Another signature from an 1890 era Civil War Pension. This person I believe to have been a French immigrant.

Feel free to post a guess...

Can You Read It?

This comes from an 1820s era set of court papers in Kentucky. It is the signature of a Virginia native, born in western Virginia in the late eighteenth century.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a court document in Fleming County, Kentucky, in the early 1800s. This is the signature of the Justice of the Peace on a affidavit.

Can You Read It?

This one also comes from a German native and was written on a late nineteenth century naturalization.

Can You Read It?

This German native's signature comes from his late nineteenth century naturalization.

Can You Read It?

This one was also written in 1913 in a Civil War Pension application.

Can You Read It?

This one is from a 1913 Civil War Pension affadavit. It is a signature.

Can You Read It?

This comes from a late nineteenth century naturalization...written by a German immigrant.

Any guesses?

Can You Read It?

This handwritten signature comes from a White County, Indiana probate case in the 1860s. For a point of reference, this individual was born in either Kentucky/Indiana and grew up in a family that operated a small farm.

We are now allowing reader comments to the signatures and will be posting the answer in a few days.

Could You Read It?

This comes from a late 19th century church document in the United States.

Can you guess what it says?

Guesses can be emailed to me at mjnrootdig@gmail.com

Michael