Sunday 27 December 2009

27th: Got a spare year or two?

That's how long I think it will take me to decipher the 1610 testament I've just downloaded from ScotlandsPeople!
While researching some early FAIRBAIRNs in the Earlston Old Parish Registers (OPRs) I noticed that there were contemporary families surnamed FLAEBAIRN, rather than FAIRBAIRN, so became intrigued as to what had happened to them, and whether or not they were, or would eventually become, FAIRBAIRNs.
Noone seems to be currently researching anyone of this surname (FLAEBAIRN, and variants), and several appear as patron submissions on the IGI as FAIRBAIRN instead.
The document I refer to above is a 1610 testament of one Michaell FLAIBAIRNE, merchant, burgess of Edinburgh, which I have published on the Originals section of my web pages.
Any hints as to what all it says would be most welcome!
It will take me a long time to work through it methinks, and makes the occasional word I cannot decipher in the Earlston OPRs a doddle by comparison.
e.g., what would you make of the occupation or designation of James fairbairn father of the Barbara baptized 11 Feb, second entry from the bottom of this extract from the Earlston OPRs? (they appear to have lived in fan(n)s, and I am assuming that the word I cannot decipher is James' occupation).

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