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Archiver > GEN-MEDIEVAL > 1999-09 > 0936218577


From: Tim Powys-Lybbe <>
Subject: Re: Translation advice for 1554 Queen Mary document (Latin) NEEDED !
Date: Wed, 01 Sep 1999 21:42:57 +0100


In message <>
wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I have had a document in my possession for some time for which I have
> never been able to translate. I am given to understand by the source
> (who died in the last century) that it is of some interest- although
> he did not say what that might be! All I can tell is that it was given
> by "Dona Maria" in St. Heliers (Jersey?) in 1554 and that it somehow
> pertains to the PAYN family (hence my interest in it).
>
> Can anyone recommend someone that would be able to translate this for
> me? I have called on several "translation services" but they all tell
> me the same thing- "we cannot translate that item. Our focus is Latin
> for legal purposes." I guess Latin, like English, has seen its changes
> since 1554 :-}
>

I once gave my brother a document of that period for him to translate.
he explained both that he only graduated in classical latin and that the
best people in this area were the archivists of some Libraries and
Record Offices in England. I then took it, and a few more, to the
Archivist at Oxford Record Office who proceeded to read it out as if it
was plain English. I did have to leave it with him on permanent loan and
hope to get a written translation sometime in the next five years. But if you
offer a fee you might get something marginally quicker.

--
Tim Powys-Lybbe
For a patchwork of bygones: www.southfrm.demon.co.uk

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