I provide a specialist service in the transcription and translation of historic documents. If your text is written in Scots, English, or Latin, I can help by deciphering challenging handwriting, translating Latin sections where needed, and carrying out additional background research.
Although my speciality is sixteenth and seventeenth century Scottish documents, I have extensive experience with English local history through my Bridgwater work (from 1200 to 1945!). This means I’ve lots of experience with a range of documents and handwriting styles, from medieval scripts to Victorian scrawl.
My experience includes everything from early charters, early modern manuscripts and secretary hand account books to eighteenth and nineteenth-century legers, letters and deeds.
I’ve worked extensively with records from the Edinburgh Commissary Court, particularly Wills and Testaments
See a sample transcription here for the 3rd Earl Marischal 1581.
See a sample here for John Arnot 1604.
I’ve also deeply explored Kirk Session minutes, searching for specific surnames, and extracted key details such as names and property information from charters and legal indentures spanning many centuries.
If you’d like more details or an estimate, please get in touch via the contact form — pricing varies according to the number of pages and the complexity of the script.
For examples of some of my work, especially relating to English documents, have a browse of the Bridgwater Heritage Group website, although I’ll be including more materials here soon.
Sample Transcription
Letter to George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal 27 March 1603 from King James VI. This letter is signed by James, but is not in his handwriting. Although it is addressed to Marischal, it is essentially a copy-and-paste circular sent to all the major nobles of Scotland, hence being so impersonal. It confirms to the earl that Queen Elizabeth of England is dead, and that the earl should prepare himself to attend the king on his progress into England. In the event the earl stayed at home, while his son, William Lord Keith, accompanying James as far as Berwick. Although the Earl Marischal’s letters are now in the National Library of Scotland, at some point before they were deposited, all the letters with royal connections were removed, sold, and are now scattered into private collections. This one passed through auction in 2022.
Richt truist cousing and counsallor we great you hertlie wele. having be our servand laitlie gevin you adverteisment of the newes of the death of our umqle dearest sister the quene of England And desirit you to prepair your self for our service and accompanying as the wechtines of the mater requirit We have now ressavit the certanetie of hir deceis, and that we ar proclamit thair kinge of England Scotland France and Ireland with all solempintie. And therefoir have thot guid to gif you adverteisment therof and to desire you to addresse your self hither to us in your maist cumelie and dereit maner to attend upoun and accumpany us, And incais yee can not in dew tyme be ready and preparit befoir our taking journay thither, That yee faill not to follow us with all diligence As yee tender our plesur and service, Sua we commit you to god from halyruidhouss this xxvij of Marche 1603
James R
Modern England Translation
Right trusty cousin and councillor, we greet you heartily well. Having by our servant lately given you advertisement of the news of the death of our late dearest sister the Queen of England, and desiring you to prepare yourself for our service and accompanying [us] as the weightiness of the matter requires, we have now received the certainty of her decease, and that we are proclaimed king of England, Scotland, France and Ireland with all solemnities. And therefore [we] have thought good to give you advertisement thereof and to desire you to address yourself hither to us in your most comely and direct manner to attend upon and accompany us, And in case you cannot in due time be ready and prepared before our taking journey thither, that you fail not to follow us with all diligence as you tend to our pleasure and service. So we commit you to God, from Holyrood House the 27 of March 1603.