Testament Dative of Stephen Downie, died 1773
Stephen Downie died, without leaving a will, in 1773. He was a horse hirer at Woodhaven. This is his testament.
There is a commentary in Jottings (the blog).
The original can be purchased & viewed at the ScotlandsPeople website, Wills and Testaments, CC20/4/23, Stephen Downie 1773.
This page has both a translation into modern vocabulary and a transcript of the original Scots further down.
First, a modern translation of the document:
The testament dative [he left no will] and inventory of the goods, gear and debts of the deceased Stephen Downie, horse hirer in Woodhaven in the parish of Forgan and Sheriffdom of Fife at the time of his decease which was on the [blank] day of [blank] 1773 faithfully made and given by Rev James Burns, minister of the gospel at Forgan and other members of the Kirk Session as executors of the deceased after due citation [public announcement] and as decreed by the Commissary of St Andrews 14 July 1773.
The executors gave up for confirmation the sum of £3 - 6s - 3½d sterling as the amount of the deceased's belongings which have been auctioned by the executors for payment of the deceased's funeral expenses and other privileged debts.
The total of the inventory is clear.
The foregoing testament is confirmed on the 14 July 1773 and George Hutton, session clerk of Forgan, has stood security for the executors.
Secondly, a transcript of the original Scots:
[in the margin] Testament dative umqle Stephen Downie
The testament dative and inventory
of the goods gear and debts of umqle
Stephen Downie horsehyrer in Wood-
haven within the parish of Forgan and
Sheriffdome of Fife the time of his decease
which was upon the [blank] day of [blank]
jajvii and seventy three years faithfully made and given
up by the Reverend Mr James Burns minister of the gos-
pell at Forgan and remanent members of the Kirk
Session of said parish executors dative decerand to
the said defunct after due citation by publick edict
by decreet of the Commissary of St Andrews dated
the fourteenth day of July 1773 years.
The said executors gave up for confirmation
the sum of iij lib & vj s & iij ½ d sterling as the
amount of the defuncts moveables & effects
which have been rouped and sold by said exers
for payment of the defuncts funeral expenses
and other privileged debts
Summa inventary patet
The foregoing testament is confirmed upon
the 14th day of July 1773 years and George Hutton
session clerk of Forgan is become cautioner
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