Two Neck of Male

[Oakum Picker]

Does anyone know what '2 neck of male' is/are?

I was looking at Overseer's Records from 1757 last week & found an ancestor in receipt of it/them.

[LorraineJ]

Sounds as if it refers to payment being received for two male slaves. Illustrations show slaves being chained or tied together at the neck. Horrible thought by todays standards, but we are not responsible for what our ancestors did.

[Phoenix]

Um, I don't think that a pauper would be given a slave, Lorraine!

People tend to be given bread, petticoats, shoes, medecines etc.

What part of the country, Glen & what sex is the recipient?

[Just Barbara]

Something misspelt?

[Just Barbara]

As I went of to look at something else I had this daft thought, could it be refering to shirts or smocks?

[Katarzyna]

What was the overseer overseeing LOL
Sounds like a brace of some sort of bird?

[KiteRunner]

Are you sure that's what it said, Glen?

[Oakum Picker]

This was in Gosbeck Suffolk & the writing was fairly clear.

Michaelmas 1756 to Easter 1757 12th April
Two neck of male to HAGGER 3/7 1/2d(sorry, can't remember where my fractions are)

This was William HAGGER -my 5xg-gf.

There was no actual date for the entry. William had baptised a son in February.

[Phoenix]

It couldn't be 2 peck of meal, could it? If the downstroke of the p was faint, it could look like an n and meal in a mummerset accent could be rendered (& spelt) as male.

[Oakum Picker]

It couldn't be 2 peck of meal, could it? If the downstroke of the p was faint, it could look like an n and meal in a mummerset accent could be rendered (& spelt) as male.

That sounds like a possibility but I don't remember it being too difficult to read. I wanted a photocopy but the book was too dilapidated.

Another interesting entry in 1760 was:
Paid to HAGGER for ORSBORNE's being 15/-

The other entries were more straightforward
......in times of smallpox
.......paying nurse
......Doctor for child/wife
......4pairs of stockings

Annoyingly someone else took over the entries about 1765 & stopped itemising the disbursements.

[LorraineJ]

Um, I don't think that a pauper would be given a slave, Lorraine!

People tend to be given bread, petticoats, shoes, medecines etc.

What part of the country, Glen & what sex is the recipient?

Sorry I missed the point of the recipient being a pauper, I was thinking of slavery.

[Oakum Picker]

Thanks everyone for your input.

Phoenix -Yours sounds reasonable - I think I'd better check it again next time.