In this poser, taken from the testaments of Orkney and Shetland Commissary Court (Crown copyright, National Records of Scotland, CC17/2/1 and 2), we tested your knowledge of dates and the Latin used in dates. We asked you to work out the dates and put them in chronological order with the oldest date first.

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Answers: The dates should have run in the following order:
1. 17 November 1612
4. 24 December 1612
2. 4 June 1613
5. 7 July 1613
3. 30 December 1618

Transcription

(The transcription of each date is followed by a loose translation.)

1.Apud Kirkwall Decimo septimo Novembris
a[n]no d[omi]nj Millesimo sexcente[si]mo Duodecimo
At Kirkwall 17 November the year of our lord 1612

2. Apud Kirkwall die Quarto mensis Junij
a[n]no d[omi]nj millesimo sexcente[si]mo decimotertio
At Kirkwall the fourth day of the month of June the year of our lord 1613

3. At Kirkwall the Penult day of de[cembe]r 1618
At Kirkwall the penultimate day or 30th of December 1618

4. Apud Kirkwall vigesimo quarto Decembris 1612
At Kirkwall the twenty fourth of December 1612

5. Apud Voisgairth in Vnst septo July 1613
At Voisgairth in Unst 7th July 1613

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