Translating Cursive

[HudsonJD]

I just found this awesome forum, I deeply apologise if this is the incorrect section, but here goes.

 

I am trying to do my family tree and managed to get hold of some old documents, issue is I am 22, and never learnt cursive and haven't trouble reading it, the documents are also quite old and not the best quality, I was hoping someone could tell me what it all says?

 

https://ibb.co/ev7Wt5

https://ibb.co/cdnmRQ

 

[LizEF]

Top image, first line:

Joseph Hudson

Head

36

Married

Iron Turner (with 200 above it and 180 scratched out by it)

Block Manufact

Worker

Bolton (not certain on that - I hate uncrossed "t" s) Lancashire

 

Second line:

Sarah Hudson

Wife

39

Married

15

8

5

3

(can't read what's under Industry or service...) urer wier (neither makes sense)

 

Line 3

Ada Hudson

Daughter

14

Single

 

Line 4

Annie Hudson

Daughter

10

School (but different ink, probably written separately)

 

Line 5

Joseph Hudson

Son

5

Single

 

Line 6

Norman Hudson

Son

2

Single

 

Line 7

Thomas Hudson

Son

( I can't tell what this says - probably something about being an infant, but that's not what that text looks like - maybe someone from the area will know)

Single

[ac12]

Here is the first page

 

The 2nd page has a LOT of stuff, so will take longer to do.

 

BTW the handwriting is nice.

Edited May 9, 2017 by ac12

[LizEF]

Image 2 is a lot harder. I'm assuming you're looking for these same Hudson folk? they're there, but hard to read. Starting with #209 in the left column

 

43 Do (I assume that's for "ditto" but I can't make out the street name at the top of the column - "larston"?)

1

Joseph Hudson

Head

M

26

(no idea)

Worker

Do (ditto - I assume of Lancs. from the top of the column) Bolton (?) Boltors

 

next line

Sarah "

Wife

M

28

 

next line

Ada

Dau(?)

S

4

 

next line

Annie

Dau(?)

S

6mo

 

that's the end of the Hudsons.

[praxim]

That line for Thomas Hudson says "7 months" (after "Son" before "Single".

 

I can not decipher Sarah's occupation either, unless it is "none"

[praxim]

The "Dau??" in the second document is an abbreviation for "Daughter", using superscript at the end

[LizEF]

Good work, ac12. I never thought about putting it in a spreadsheet. Your translation looks more correct than mine.

[praxim]

Yes, it is Bolton Lancashire. Bolton is printed at top left of the second document, crossed t or not.

[LizEF]

good deciphering, Praxim!

[ac12]

It wasn't so hard after following Liz to look for just the Hudson's

 

The "Do" appears to be like a " signifying, duplicate from line above.

 

In column 2, the Do seem to reference "Ceriston St" on the first line. At least I think that is the street name.

 

In column 16 the first Do for the father seems to reference "Lances" on the first line

Edited May 9, 2017 by ac12

[praxim]

What looks like "Lances" will be "Lancs", abbreviation for Lancashire.

 

 

edit: when one hand-wrote everything, abbreviations such as the several above were more common.

Edited May 9, 2017 by praxim

[elpenguino]

I believe that on the first link, column 11 row two (the "Industry or service with which worker is connected" for Sarah Hudson) or row 2 column 11 in ac12's spreadsheet is in fact "urer" as it is a continuation of the line above making Joseph Hudson's "Industry or Service with which worker is connected" fully read as "Block Manufacturer."

[HudsonJD]

This is the best forum I have ever visited, on other forums, I would just get abuse about being lazy! Damn, I love this community, I am going to fill out my tree now! Thank you!

[LizEF]

I believe that on the first link, column 11 row two (the "Industry or service with which worker is connected" for Sarah Hudson) or row 2 column 11 in ac12's spreadsheet is in fact "urer" as it is a continuation of the line above making Joseph Hudson's "Industry or Service with which worker is connected" fully read as "Block Manufacturer."

 

Brilliant!

 

This is the best forum I have ever visited, on other forums, I would just get abuse about being lazy! Damn, I love this community, I am going to fill out my tree now! Thank you!

 

Now, how can we help you with your first fountain pen?

[Wandering Man]

Thank you for posting.

 

I am now thoroughly scared. Is this the first generation of adults who will be unable to interpret cursive?

 

Frightening!

[HudsonJD]

Quick update, the second document is stupidly unreadable, I have had a search of the reference number and got in touch with The National Archives to hopefully get a new copy.

[HudsonJD]

I found the document online! It is a little bit better but not great sorry

https://ibb.co/gPudqk

[elpenguino]

Administrative County Lancashire BOLTON

 

Civil Parish of BOLTON

 

Eclesiastical Parish of St George the Martyr

 

County Borough, Municipal Borough, or Urban District of BOLTON

 

Ward of Municipal Borough or of Urban District of Rumworth Ward

 

Rural District of ---------

 

Parliamentary borough or Division of BOLTON

 

Town Part of Bolton, known as Daubhill or Rumworth

 

That should get you the written portions in the heading. The Street looks like "Croston St" (which matches up with a current Street in Bolton). I think the occupation says "Iron \fg turner in foundry" (can't tell with the large mark) or "Manufacturer in Foundry". My problem here is a lack of familiarity in possible trade terms. Otherwise ac12's spreadsheet looks pretty spot on to me.

 

It looks like the neighbor at 41 Croston (Charles Booth) was a cotton Spinner. His Daughter Martha was a Cotton Weaver, his three sons were Cotton Piecers.

 

On the other side at 45 Croston Arthur Smith was a "Railway Passenger Guard" his daughter Henrietta Was a Cotton Weaver, his other daughter Mary was her Tender, and his two sons were Cotton Piecers.

 

At 47 Croston you had the Mary Hurst a 44 year old Widow. Her three older daughters were "Cotton card room Hand"s. Her 13 year old son had something to do with coal Mining and she had the Jones Family (husband John, wife Ellen and 1 year old son Robert) it looks like Mr. Jones was also involved in Coal Mining.

 

ac12's guess that Ada is 4 in this document seems reasonable since the 1911 census (the first document) appears to be 10 years after the second document and it shows Ada as 14.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, how can we help you with your first fountain pen?

 

I hear they are great for making family trees.

 

Edited for the more glaring typos.

Edited May 10, 2017 by elpenguino

[LizEF]

@elpenguino:

[janemh]

At a multi-generational family gathering this past weekend, one of the mid-40s-aged daughters commented that neither of her daughters can read cursive writing. The family genealogist was appalled that they won't be able to read genealogical records. It occurred to me that I may not need to worry about what do do with my 30 years' worth of handwritten journals, because the grands may not be able to read them anyway!