This week, our poser was taken from the minutes of Jedburgh Presbytery in 1606 (National Archives of Scotland reference CH2/198/1 p17). Did you manage to navigate through the sea of contractions to get to the answers?

From the minute, were you able to tell:

1. Who the woman was?
The woman was Geni Achmutie. (lines 1-4)

2. Who reported her story to the presbytery?
Mr Thomas Abirnethy reported her. (line 3)

3. Why she was being reported?
She was with child with William Scott. (line 4)

4. Who was William Scott?
William Scott was Geni’s betrothed. (line 5)

5. What happened to him?
He died of the plague. (line 6)

6. Where did the woman have to be ‘one day’?
In the public place appointed for penitents. (lines 9-10)

Transcription

1. Geni
2. achmutie
3. The q[uhi]lk day mr thomas Abirnethy declard that Geni
4. Achmutie wes w[i]t[h] chyld to vmq[uhi]le W[illia]m Scott to quho[m] she
5. wes co[n]tracted and w[i]t[h] quho[m] thyrse [pro]claimed in the kirk
6. before he wes taikin away by the plague. Thairfoir requy
7. rit th[a]t repentans sould be Injoynit hir
8. Ordaines Mr Thomas to cause Geni Achmutie to mak
9. satisfactio[n] for hir sinne off fornica[tion] one day in the pub
10.lik place appointed for penitentis.

Last week’s poser