William Glasgow, mealmaker in Leith: testament dative, 1646
National Records of Scotland, Edinburgh Commissary Court, CC8/8/62, images 461-462
Reviewed: 2026-09-10
LLM-assisted working reading. Brackets/ellipses mark uncertainty or omissions; not a diplomatic edition.

IMAGE / PASSAGE 461, opening
1. [Margin:] Wm Glasgow xxij of July 1646
2. The testament dative and Inv[entar] of the goods geir
3. soumes of money and debtis perteining to umq[uhi]le Wm
4. Glasgow Meilmaker in leith [wording unresolved] the tyme of his deceis quha
5. deceissit in the moneth of september the yeir of god 1644
6. yeiris faithfullie maid and givine up be Archibald glas-
7. gow sone lawfull to the defunct and onlie ex[ecuto]r dative
8. decreit to his said umq[uhi]le father be decreit of the commissaris of
9. Edinburgh [decree wording/day partly unresolved]

IMAGE / PASSAGE 461-462, inventory and debts
1. [household goods, clothing and receivables; sums omitted]
2. Followes the debtis awine to the deid
3. [several debtor names and amounts unresolved]
4. Item be Jon[e?] [surname unresolved] [debt wording unresolved]
5. [a further associate, possibly Alexander, and bond/rent wording unresolved]
6. Summa of the debtis awine to the deid [amount unresolved]
7. Summa of the Inventar wt the debtis [amount unresolved]
8. To be divydit in twa pairtis

IMAGE / PASSAGE 462, confirmation
1. We Jon Nisbit [colleague/title unresolved]
2. [confirmation formula]
3. Williame Craufurd [occupation/locality unresolved] [administrative role/caution wording unresolved]
4. [closing formula unresolved]

MODERN INTERPRETATION
William Glasgow was a mealmaker in Leith and died in September 1644.
Archibald Glasgow is expressly William's lawful son and sole executor dative. The next line calls William his late father, reinforcing the direct relationship within the same source.
The testament is dative and its July 1646 proceedings are not William's death date.
Names in the debt and confirmation sections, including a possible John debtor and William Craufurd in an administrative role, do not establish a brother or other kin.

EVIDENCE
Confirmed: William Glasgow, mealmaker in Leith, died September 1644.
Confirmed: Archibald Glasgow is sone lawfull to the defunct and sole executor dative.
Confirmed: his said late father independently restates William's relationship to Archibald within the entry.
Confirmed: no John Glasgow is named as William's brother or executor.
Unresolved: a possible John in the debt continuation is an account party, not a stated relative.
Probable: William Craufurd occurs in the confirmation/caution procedure; exact occupation/locality and role remain unresolved.

CHANGES
Old: Archibald's lawful sonship and sole executorship were maintained. New: confirmed unchanged from the opening and reinforced by the following father wording.
Old: supposed brother/executor John was rejected. New: confirmed unchanged; any possible John on image 462 belongs to the debt list and carries no kin term.
Old: William Craufurd's occupation/locality was unresolved. New: still unresolved after enlargement; no kinship is assigned.
No walkthrough text or geometry changed because the core sonship conclusion remains unchanged.

UNRESOLVED
Complete names and roles of the debt parties on images 461-462.
William Craufurd's exact occupation/locality and administrative role.
Internal executor-decree day distinct from the marginal 22 July confirmation date.
William's spouse, parents and any children other than Archibald.