Apologies if I’m doing this wrong: First post and new to forums in general. Please instruct if I should do something differently.
I am transcribing a Belgian (French) marriage record and cannot read the handwriting of one phrase describing the age of one of the witnesses: “àgé de trente ? ans.” The word I’m missing is 3 letters, so one would think “six” is the only options, but it doesn’t look like s-i-x. One might think “des,” but the first letter doesn’t resemble the writer’s other “d” exemplars. Could it be “les,” with the “l” unnecessarily capitalized? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Merci! - Colette
Welcome. The posting is good.
It has been moved to the French language section so native speakers are more likely to see it.
Honestly? The forum rarely has postings about specific genealogical records. It is mostly about how to make Gramps do a particular task or asking about the most effective workflow.
You would probably have a much, much larger audience that reads Fench in cursive on Geneanet.
Hello,
I read «trente six ans» , with little doubt.
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I read too “trente six ans”. The dot over the “i” might have ben shifted over the next “a”. Handwriting is somehow slanted to the right and if words were written fast …
Try to compare with other words containing “i” in the text. The loop for “e” in “trente” is much wider. Consider that “six” was drawn in single stroke, requiring a sharp change in direction between the connector in “s” to “i”.
I can’t guess the date. Around 1800-1820, “technology” transitioned from bird-feather quills to metallic quills, allowing for thinner writing and more control on letter shapes due to increased stiffness. I’d say we’re in this time frame.
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@emyoulation Thank you for the move and the Geneanet tip…much appreciated, as I’m sure I’ll have more of these questions!
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@jmichault Merci beaucoup!
@pgerlier Merci beaucoup! The document is from May 1902; I did not know the quill-change history…very interesting!
