Illustrated manuscript reading
1685-03-25 (court proceeding; death February 1685)
National Records of Scotland, Lanark Commissary Court, CC14/5/12, images 67-68
Second manuscript pass · 10 September 2026
New readings and unchanged uncertainties are both recorded. A confirmed name or role does not by itself confirm a WikiTree identity or a relationship.
image 67, opening
images 67-68, widow/executor clauses
image 67, fiscal request
image 68, court opening
image 68, caution clause
image 68, following entry
Follow the handwriting
Four image-led steps separate John Glasgow's identity and widow from the damaged inventory, the procurator's request and the court confirmation. Heavy show-through is visible and is treated as a source limit, not silently repaired. National Records of Scotland, Lanark Commissary Court CC14/5/12, images 67-68, Crown copyright; accessed through Scotland's People wills and testaments.
Follow the writing line. Ascenders rise above small letters; descenders fall below them. A neighbouring line can cross the word you are reading.
Count the short strokes. These are called minims. Joined i, m, n and u shapes can be ambiguous; compare a clear repeated word by the same clerk rather than guessing from a modern alphabet.
Separate reading from expansion. A contraction is not a fully written modern word. Square brackets retain doubtful letters or editorial additions. A familiar legal formula is a clue, not permission to fill a gap.
Then assess the relationship. Reading a name securely is not the same as proving kinship. Look for the actual role words and who they refer to.
Learn with the archive: Secretary-hand tutorial · Testament vocabulary.
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The reading desk
Choose a name or relationship below. Compare the original ink, a paper-free view and the same spelling in a secretary-hand teaching font. Open the reasoning only when you need it.
Proposed readingJohn Glasgow
The walkthrough's identity step concerns the deceased John Glasgow. This small study does not resolve Jonet's uncertain surname, William Watson's place, or any unexpressed kinship.
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John Glasgow
The white-background view suppresses paper colour; reviewed focus boundaries exclude separable neighbouring fragments where available. It does not restore missing strokes. Colour follows retained source pixels inside proposed letter groups, not a reconstructed pen path. Ambiguous crossings remain neutral where reviewed; other crossing ink may still belong to another line.
The font repeats the proposed spelling, not this clerk's handwriting. Similarity is a teaching aid, not confirmation; uncertainties remain in the reading above.
Expansion: John Glasgow
Confidence: high for the deceased's name
Evidence boundary: These visible name features support the maintained John Glasgow reading, but do not convert administrative roles into family relationships.
Teaching typeface: Joscelyn by Peter S. Baker, based on a different Renaissance secretary hand. SIL Open Font License. Source images remain separate and unchanged.
National Records of Scotland, Lanark Commissary Court CC14/5/12, image 67; Crown copyright
Choose a phrase to locate it in the manuscript. Only its outline is shown, so overlapping strokes stay readable.
On the page
umq[uhi]le John Glasgow in Quothquan within the paroch of Libberton ... deceist intestat in the moneth of ffebruary ... Jonet [Kinnie?] relict and executrix dative
In modern English
The late John Glasgow in Quothquan, Libberton parish, died intestate in February 1685. Jonet [Kinnie?], his widow, served as executrix dative.
Box 1 follows the deceased's name into Quothquan. Box 2 carries the parish wording. Box 3 contains the intestacy and February phrase. Box 4 contains Jonet's name and the adjoining role words. Relict proves widowhood; executrix dative describes a court-appointed estate office. The surname remains qualified because show-through crosses its minims.
John's record-defined residence and death month, plus Jonet's explicit widow and executrix roles.
It does not name a child or parent, and it does not bridge John to the 1608 Mid Calder baptism.
High for identity, locality, month/year and roles; moderate-low for Jonet's surname.
Slow reading
Compare the original strokes with the proposed reading. Tall or trailing strokes from neighbouring lines may enter a sample; the notes distinguish what is visible from what remains uncertain.
Phrase 01
John Glasgow in Quothquan
Compare in this hand: John Glasgow recurs in the procurator's clause in step 3, helping distinguish name strokes from show-through.
Reading limits: The name and Quothquan are secure; several overlying reverse-page strokes cross the line.
Phrase 02
within the parish of Libberton
Compare in this hand: The following line adds the presbytery of Lanark, keeping this a geographic designation.
Reading limits: Libberton is legible despite bleed-through; the exact spelling is preserved.
Phrase 03
died intestate in the month of February
Compare in this hand: The 1685 year appears on the next line; step 4 supplies the later March court date.
Reading limits: The month is clear; no February day is stated.
Phrase 04
Jonet [Kinnie?], widow and court-appointed executrix
Compare in this hand: Jonet's appointment is carried into the court confirmation in step 4.
Reading limits: Relict and executrix dative are secure. Reverse-page ink crosses the surname, so Kinnie remains provisional.
National Records of Scotland, Lanark Commissary Court CC14/5/12, image 67; Crown copyright
Choose a phrase to locate it in the manuscript. Only its outline is shown, so overlapping strokes stay readable.
On the page
Inventar ... Item two kyne ... the abulzement of the defuncts bodie ... Summa of the Inventar
In modern English
The inventory includes livestock, farm produce or fodder, household/farm goods and the deceased's clothing, but most exact quantities and prices remain obscured.
Box 1 is the large heading. Box 2 pulls the clearest livestock phrase. Box 3 marks the clothing valuation, and Box 4 the total heading. The heavy dark lines crossing these entries are show-through and overwriting; the walkthrough therefore stops short of invented item totals.
The estate included livestock and ordinary farm/household property.
The damaged list cannot support exact wealth calculations or family relationships.
High for the inventory structure and broad classes; low to moderate for individual quantities and valuations.
Slow reading
Compare the original strokes with the proposed reading. Tall or trailing strokes from neighbouring lines may enter a sample; the notes distinguish what is visible from what remains uncertain.
Phrase 01
Inventory
Compare in this hand: This large display heading contrasts with the smaller same word in Summa of the Inventar below.
Reading limits: The heading is clear even though reverse-page writing crosses it.
Phrase 02
Item: two cows
Compare in this hand: Geillis's earlier hand writes the related cattle word ky in step 3 of her walkthrough.
Reading limits: Two kyne is legible; the milk/follower description and price alongside it are less secure.
Phrase 03
clothing/personal apparel of the deceased's body
Compare in this hand: This conventional personal-apparel item follows the agricultural property entries.
Reading limits: The phrase is substantially legible; its appended valuation is obscured.
Phrase 04
Total of the inventory
Compare in this hand: The total heading closes the inventory before the separate debt account.
Reading limits: The words are legible; the numeric sum at the right is not dependable.
National Records of Scotland, Lanark Commissary Court CC14/5/12, image 67; Crown copyright
Choose a phrase to locate it in the manuscript. Only its outline is shown, so overlapping strokes stay readable.
On the page
I William Wilkie procurator fiscall of this court ... goods and geir of the said umq[uhi]le John Glasgow
In modern English
William Wilkie appears as procurator fiscal in the court request concerning the late John Glasgow's estate.
Box 1 is the officer's personal name and Box 2 his title. Box 3 returns to John Glasgow as the deceased whose goods are in process. The role label controls interpretation: William is conducting procedure, not being introduced as kin.
William Wilkie's official participation in the estate process.
It does not make William Wilkie a brother, son or other relative of John or Jonet.
High for William Wilkie and procurator fiscal; moderate for the surrounding legal formula.
Slow reading
Compare the original strokes with the proposed reading. Tall or trailing strokes from neighbouring lines may enter a sample; the notes distinguish what is visible from what remains uncertain.
Phrase 01
William Wilkie
Compare in this hand: The second W is smaller but shares the same angular downstroke pattern as the first.
Reading limits: The name is clear; reverse-page text intersects but does not replace its strokes.
Phrase 02
procurator fiscal
Compare in this hand: Unlike relict and executrix in step 1, this title belongs to a court officer.
Reading limits: The title is clear; spelling fiscall is literal.
Phrase 03
the late John Glasgow
Compare in this hand: The repeated John Glasgow form confirms that this clause still concerns the same deceased.
Reading limits: The name is secure; the conventional expansion of umqle is editorially supplied.
National Records of Scotland, Lanark Commissary Court CC14/5/12, image 68; Crown copyright
Choose a phrase to locate it in the manuscript. Only its outline is shown, so overlapping strokes stay readable.
On the page
At Carnwath the 25 day of March 1685 ... compeired personallie Jonet [Kinnie?] ... William Watson ... cautioner ... goods ... furthcoming to all parties haveand interes
In modern English
At Carnwath on 25 March 1685, Jonet personally presented and swore the inventory; William Watson acted as cautioner for the estate goods.
Box 1 is the dated court opening. Box 2 follows Jonet's personal appearance and oath context. Box 3 isolates William Watson with the cautioner wording, and Box 4 follows the guarantee that goods be forthcoming to interested parties. These are distinct procedural acts, not family descriptions.
The proceeding date, Jonet's personal estate oath and William Watson's security role.
It does not identify William Watson as kin and adds no child or parent for John.
High for the date and role distinction; moderate for Jonet's surname and William's place designation.
Slow reading
Compare the original strokes with the proposed reading. Tall or trailing strokes from neighbouring lines may enter a sample; the notes distinguish what is visible from what remains uncertain.
Phrase 01
At Carnwath, 25 March 1685
Compare in this hand: The same 25 March date is docketed on image 67; this full clause identifies the proceeding place.
Reading limits: Carnwath and the date are clear; this is a court date, not John's death date.
Phrase 02
Jonet appeared personally
Compare in this hand: The same given name and J form appear beside relict and executrix in step 1.
Reading limits: Jonet is secure; her surname follows elsewhere and remains uncertain.
Phrase 03
William Watson, cautioner/surety
Compare in this hand: William Wilkie in step 3 is procurator fiscal; William Watson here has the different role cautioner.
Reading limits: The name and cautioner role are readable; the intervening place designation is not.
Phrase 04
made available to all parties having an interest
Compare in this hand: This obligation explains the practical purpose of Watson's cautioner role in Box 3.
Reading limits: The core phrase is legible; adjoining legal words are obscured by show-through.
Modern interpretation
John Glasgow lived at Quothquan in Libberton parish and died intestate in February 1685.
Jonet, probably surnamed Kinnie, is expressly his relict or widow and executrix dative. The surname remains qualified because crossing ink prevents a secure letter-by-letter reading.
William Wilkie is procurator fiscal, John Wyllie is commissary of Lanark, and William Watson is cautioner. These are three separate court roles and none supplies kinship.
No child, parent, or sibling is named, so the testament does not bridge this John to the 1608 Mid Calder baptism or to either earlier Quothquan John.
Evidence and limits
Still open
LLM-assisted working transcription
Square brackets mark uncertainty, editorial expansions or missing text. Ellipses mark omitted or unresolved wording. Numbering identifies lines in this working reading, not official manuscript line numbers. This is not a complete diplomatic edition.
High for John, Quothquan/Libberton, February 1685, Jonet's widow and executrix roles, William Wilkie's fiscal office, John Wyllie's commissary office, and William Watson's caution. Moderate-low for Kinnie and low for the two place designations and damaged financial detail.
Reviewed: 2026-09-10. Method: Codex fresh original-image name, role, and locality audit.
The full originals remain in the local research archive. Selected unaltered crops are shown above for reading and commentary, with separate switchable highlights. Image credit: Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland / ScotlandsPeople. Duplicate downloads are not independent evidence. Consult the original using the reference above through ScotlandsPeople.
The record proves the widow relationship to Jonet [Kinnie?]. Her surname is provisional; the testament names no child or parent.