Dunlop Letters: Letter 1 - Take The Test
Background Information
William Dunlop is in Dordrecht (Dort) in the Netherlands in May 1681. This first letter is written fairly neatly, with well formed Secretary Hand letters (although he reverts to his more natural hand, Italic, when he signs off at the end).
Several placenames are mentioned:
| Scots | English |
|---|---|
| Barastones | B'oness, a Scottish port on the river Forth |
| Dort | Dordrecht, a Dutch port |
| Edinbruch | Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland |
| Rotterdam | Rotterdam, a Dutch port |
Although phonetic spelling may cause a few problems, most of the vocabulary is straightforward. Exceptions are:
| Scots | English |
|---|---|
| Billies | friends |
| Cephering | ciphering, in the sense of bookkeeping and arithmetic using arabic numerals |
| Pile-grass | a crop of some kind, possibly used as livestock fodder |
Images reproduced with permission of Glasgow City Council, Mitchell Library (Mitchell Library reference DC14/2).
Take The Test
The document has been divided into 4 sections. Read the section shown in the image and transcribe the word you think is missing from the text below by typing in the appropriate blank space. The text will be red as you type and will turn black when you have transcribed the word correctly.
01. Dort May 21 1681
02. Loving father I thought it fit to lat you knou th[a]t I am com to Dort to
03. schoul & th[a]t Mr Russell by John stirlings ordors given me an letter of re-
04. commendation & I thanck god I was in better helth in my lyfe then
05. at this time & ther ar only tuo men in schoul who cam from Edin-
06. bruch & I my self & we are nou learning somwhat of the language & to write
07. & within 10 or 12 days we shall to cephering Nether John stirling
08. nor John Miller is come to Rotterdam for ought th[a]t I knou as yet & James Bell
09. when I cam from Rotterdam to go home w[i]t[h] Andreu Burnsyd
10. therfor if nether John stirling nor John Miller com to Rotterdam befor
11. Burnsyde go out of it I thing it fit to home the calf w[i]t[h] the pile-grass w[i]t[h]
12. Andreu Burnsyd to Barastones Loving father we hear at get
13. very good dayet & have our stomoch wery weel our dayet being alwayes
14. flesch, , butter, & syllets S[i]r I am to hear from
15. you if ye be all in good helth being desyrous of nothing mor in the
16. then to hear th[a]t ye ar all weel; I cam to Dort I have dreamed
17. of my mother 3 or 4 therfor I intreat you ernestly w[i]t[h] the first occasion
18. to let me certanly knou if she be in good helth having to you from
19. Rotterdam the 8 day of this moneth I expect to hear from you shortly & when
20. you your letters direct them to Mr Russell & he will have a
21. th[a]t they com to my hand, pen & ink cannot the love of my hert to you all
22. express therfor I shall say no mor bot having my humble service presented to you
23. my loving father & to my dear mother to my tuo & billies
24. James & John to my good brother & to his wife my sister Jean & to all the
25. rest of my & sisters to my Ant & to my Ant Jean Blair being
26. very desyrous to hear from you I rest
27. Your Loving and obedient son
28. till death
29. William Dunlop
30. S[i]r
31. Hawe my presented to James Robertone to patrick Bell & to
32. all friends & in Glasgou