This week’s poser is a difficult one. It is taken from the minutes of Jedburgh Presbytery in 1606 (National Archives of Scotland reference CH2/198/1 p17). The biggest issue with the hand is the number of abbreviations. The clerk also (correctly) uses quh- for words we would expect to begin with wh- and contracts them. In addition a few words start on one line and are continued on the next. The minute itself tells rather a tragic tale for which the main protagonist appears to get little sympathy.

From the minute, can you tell:

1. Who the woman was?
2. Who reported her story to the presbytery?
3. Why she was being reported?
4. Who was William Scott?
5. What happened to him?
6. Where did the woman have to be ‘one day’?

Help
For help with reading the poser, use our coaching manual. The following areas may be of particular assistance.

Abbreviations
Letter y
Letter p
Letter q
Letter s
Letter thorn




Answer