This is a genius piece of work, I have shared it on the ‘Roots Chat Forum‘ and had some great suggestions as to what it is, huge thank you to Andrew Tarr and Millipede for their input. Essentially you make it to be whatever you want it to be! The words in normal text are the actual lines of the poem, the bits in italics is where you add words, probably the ones in the larger font. It is probably a ‘Skill and Judgement’ exercise. It is all rather confusing, but undoubtedly brilliant and as one forum user said ‘No doubt it can be made as saucy as one wants’!
This is my first attempt at it (using just the large font words)!
Wit and Folley in Amaizement
Had both wit and a friendof whom I thought great store
Lent my money to my friendand took his word therefore
Asked my friendof my money and nothing but word I got
Lost my friend and my moneyfor sue him I would not
But at length, with wit came my friendwhich pleaded me wonderous well
Got my moneybut my wit away quite from me fell.
But if I had money and a friend as I had once before
Would keep my friend and my money and play the foul no more
****
Update 3rd May 2020
Holding the paper up to the light I have just spotted a really interesting watermark on the paper.
In the chest is the blessing of Mary Elisabeth who was born on May 18th 1852. The blessing took place on May 28th 1882 and was conducted by Elder A.M. Harmon who was the Pastoral Charge of the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Hull and Carlisle Conferences for the Church of the Latter Day Saints. He originally came from the Great Salt Valley (Information on Elder A.E. Harmon was found here: https://archive.org/stream/halfyearlyreport00newc/halfyearlyreport00newc_djvu.txt).
Blessing of Mary Elisabeth Telford (p1)Blessing of Mary Elisabeth Telford (p2)
A transcription of the blessing is as follows (spellings as originally written):
Mary Elisabeth daughter of Robert and Hannah Telford, born May 18th 1852 in South Shields County of Durham and was blessed May 26th 1882 by Elder A.M. Harmon as follows.
Mary Elisabeth
In the name of Jesus of Nazareth I take you up in my arms, according to the pattern shown by our Lord and Saviour and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood bless you because thy parents desire it. I pray God my Heavenly Father through Jesus his Son to bless the(e) with health and strength and with a long life may she grow up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and become a pattern of piety to those with whom able may associate.
Grant Heavenly Father to perserve her from all the snares of the wicked one from all the plagues of the last days, from pain disease and death and may she grow up in the Faith of Christ . be gathered to the Mountains of Ephraim and there be an ornament of Society, and be numbered with the Daughters of Zion. And as much as she is trained up in a right manner and in faithfulness by her parents she shall receive all those blessings upon thy head to be realised through the faith of thyself and parents. The destroying angel shall pass by thee and not have power to lay his Iron grasp until thy work is done upon the earth and thou shalt be perserved by the power of the Great God and your name is
Mary Elizabeth
Amen
Currently I do not know why this is in the chest, or if there is any relation to the Charlton/Caswell families. It is a bit of a mystery!
Within the documents in the chest is a curious thing called ‘The Rule of Three’. I have looked it up, and it seems to some from ‘A new and complete system of arithmetick: composed for the use of the Citizens of the United States by Nicholas Pike and Nathaniel Lord. It is available to read at https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=fxNRAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en_GB&pg=GBS.PP1 This version was published on the 1st January 1816. It starts with the words:
Be it remembered, that on the seventh day of November, in the thirty-fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Thomas and Andrews of the said district, have deposited in this office, the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit: “A new and complete system of Arithmetic’.
According to the book:
The Rule of Three
If more require more, or less require less, the question belongs to the Rule of Three Direct.
But if more require less, or less require more, it belongs to the Rule of Three Inverse.
Rule of Three transcribed as it was written – spelling included!
Rule of Three
The Rule is called the Rule of Three, beause in it there are three numbers given, to find a fourth
Rule._1 Observer that of thee three given numbers two are suposed and on the other lies a demand.*
2 The number on which the demand lies, must always be the third term of the stating; of the other two, you will find one of the same kind, make it the first, consequently the remaining number will be the second or middle term, and of the same kind with what is required.
3 Reduce each number to its lowest denomination, and the first and third to the same name;
4 Consider whether more of less than the middle term be required; if more make the less extreme, the division; if less the greater exterm and the product of the other two terms the dividend: divide and the quotiend will be the answer in the same name as the second number.
On the reverse of ‘The Rule of Three’ is the costings for groceries ‘Bought of William Charlton’. What is odd about it is the first costing is from 1840 and the one underneath is from 1834. There is no date on the document to indicate when it was actually written. I wonder why he has a copy a book ‘for Citizens of the United States’? Maybe it was sent to him by his brother John. I also wonder if he understood what he was transcribing? It means nothing to me! He certainly seems to ave been an astute businessman, so must have had a head for figures.
Bill
I looked up what bohea was and according to Wikipedia – Wuyi tea, formerly known by the trade name “Bohea” in English, is a category of black and oolong teas grown in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian, China.
This is quite an unusual Christmas card. It is addresses to Madge – who ‘could’ be Margaret Charlton nee Hedley (Esther’s mother). From an Aunt Mary – Not entirely sure.
However, what makes it somewhat unique is that it is an envelope marked:
Safe Custody
Martins Bank Ltd 18 Oct 1951, Consett
Although I do suspect that the two were not paired together initially.
Inside the Christmas card is a lovely verse:
To Madge
A Happy Christmas
Gladness be with you
And sunshine o’er you
Love light the pathway
That stretches before you.
From Aunt Mary
Slipped into the card is a photograph of a grave and a tiny slip of newspaper which reads:
Our darling child has gone to sleep,
Her little head is free from pain,
And now for her we mourn and weep
On earth she’ll never wake again.
Ever remembered by her loving father and mother.
Unfortunately, I don’t really know anything about Aunt Mary or her lost daughter – but I shall endeavor to try to find out.
