THE WILL OF EDWARD COFFEY

Examining the name "Anstes Coffey"

One of the issues regarding the will of Edward Coffey is whether one of the children he names is a female (Anstes or Austes), or a male (Austen or Austin).

My opinion (Fred Coffey) is the same as that of John Chenalt. We believe the name is "Anstes".

John has provided copies of two versions of the will. Unfortunately, it is a copy of a copy of a non-white document, and there is a lot of "noise". But the writing can still be pretty well made out. (There still remains the problem of reading the fancy text made with a quill pen using old and inconsistent spellings.)

John believes that "Version 1" is the original draft, and "Version 2" is what was copied from that draft into the Essex County, Virginia, Will Book. (My impression is the versions were written by two different people, although it could be that the same person simply becomes "neater and fancier" when he is copying his work into the formal "will book".)

Following is (1) a transcript of the will (to help read the very difficult copies), with certain words underlined, followed by (2) a comparison of certain letters in the underlined words, and (3) a discussion of that comparison:

Essex County, Virginia Records

Deeds & Wills No. 14, Page 669

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I Edward Coffey being in bedd of sickness but in perfett sense & emmbrey thanks bee to God; I Edward Cofey do bequeath this to bee my Last Will & Testament, -

I leave all my Land to my two Suns John Cofey and Edward Cofey Equall to be divided at Sixten Ears of age if the mother of them be ded otherwayes att Eighten Years of Ages.

I also give one Cowe & her increase to my daughter Marther Cofey att ye Ears of Sixten or at her mothers deth allso one Cowe yerlen to my Sun John Coffey & her increase

All the tenebles Stock & Bock I give to my wife Ann Cofey till her deth but if she marys then every one of my Children to have their parts as they come of age, and after ye Deces of my wife all tenables to be Equall devided between my Six children John, Edward Cofey, Marther Cofey, Ann Cofey, Anstes Cofey, Elisabeth Cofey.

As witness my hand & Seall this 14th day of Febry 1715/16

Samel. Edmondson

Themety (mark) Selemon

Edward Cofey (his mark) Cofey

Compare:	Will Version I (the draft?)	Will Version II (Will Book)
The name "Anstes Cofey" (Compare with following:)
The "nn" in "Ann"
The "un" in "my Sun"
The "u" in "daughter"
The "n" in "Land"
The "te" in "Sixten" or "Eighten"
The final "es" in "tenables" (or "tunbles"?)
The final "s" in "Sickness"

Now, let us discuss each of the letters in A N S T E S :

The "A" is not a problem - it looks perfectly normal.

The next letter, "N" looks line an "n" in version 1, but looks more like a "u" in version 2. So on the next 4 lines we have compared various forms of "nn", "un", "u", and "n" from the two documents. In version 2 these letters are absolutely indistinguishable, and the reader can only guess at the meaning based on context. However in version 1 I perceive that there are differences between "n" and "u", and the second letter in Anstes name is most likely an "n".

The "S": Now, to a modern reader the next letter looks exactly like an "f". However in the 18^th century this is how the "s" sound was written. Thus there is no doubt that the third letter is "S".

Now lets take two letters together, the "T" and the "E". In Anstes name: We would read it as "to", or maybe even "ro", since our writer doesn't cross his "t's" and makes a funny "e". But look at the "te" that occurs in "Daughter", and also in the words "sixten" and "eighten". I'm convinced the writer did indeed mean "te"!

And then the final "S". It's not clear if the writer is using the "f" form, or is putting a fancy tail on a conventional "s". We could read it as a "j", or maybe even as a "d". But if we look at the final "es" in "tenables", or the final "s" in "Sickness", then it seems clear that the writer means to make an "es" at the end of the name.