1729 hand written (what else?) document.

Approx 8 by 12 inch document of a legal nature, dated January 1729, not all that easy to read, a scrivener's scribble with a good few blots. If I feel the brain come back online I'll try to read it all later. There is an untweaked picture of the item and link to what should be a larger tweaked picture that may be easier to read.

As usual, first name out of the hat in a week gets it. It's a nice physical link with ordinary folk best part of 300 years ago.

 

I have a difficult time reading early 18th-century handwriting, but it might be a court summons, served to three people?

I'll be interested to see what you can make of this, AF.

Fig

 

That was the gist I had had reached casually, but I skipped a fair bit.

 

As did I.

 

That looks cool Af I'm in, please.

 

Oh yes, toss my name in the hat please.

 

Looks to me like someone is being told to show up in court and defend their position or summary judgement will be made against them.

 

Hi AF,
Toss my name in the hat please. I am a sucker for old documents. I love to see them framed and hung.
greg

 

Please toss my name in, too, AF, but don't tell DH -- I'm on a "import no clutter" leash at the moment, but I don't think a piece of paper will be noticed! I love stuff do with penmanship, calligraphy, copperplate, etc.

 

I don't want to be in the drawing, but do want to know what it says.

 

I've tried to read it but keep getting stuck. It looks to me like an attestation under oath that legal documents have been served to 3 (possibly 4) people, specifying who received the papers (I read "wife" and "servant" in a couple of places), where and when. Due diligence having been done, those people are required to appear in a particular court at a particular time, or summary judgement will be made against them. But I'm not seeing what the fuss was all about.

The fourth person might be the process server.

 

Perhaps an eviction or other property dispute? I see that the people served are described as "tenants in possession." There's also several references to "a fourth part" - the person bringing the action wants his piece of some mutual deal?

 

Hi Af, could you please add my name to the hat?
Interesting and thanks for offering it to us!

 

I thought I saw the word "possession" but wasn't sure. If it was possession, I thought it must refer to being in possession of the documents served. But "Tenants in possession" makes sense. Could very well be an eviction notice.

 

Please put my hat in the ring too....now to try to decipher what it says,

 

I could only make out a bit as my eyes are seeing double. Yo all have better eyes than me.

John Hauser ? I BLANK? in the County of BLANK? maketh oath that on the fourteenth day of ??17? January to this Dept

part thereof with copy of something?

Copy of declaration ,,,,,.true copy and proof.....someting by default and obey

 

I was a process server so I tried to act like I was reading a writ or unlawful detainer,etc. but nothing like that popped out at me.

 

Please add my name to the drawing, cool item!

 

Please add my name to the hat af. would also love to have it framed and hanging in my den.
Mikey

 

I'm new here, but I would appreciate if I could get my name in the hat as well. Would make a nice wall hanger.