A number of ‘youths’ of various ages. To our ancestors a youth was anyone aged between the ages of about nine and 21!
INTERPRETING OUR ANCESTORS
Understanding a written document about an ancestor can catch us out when conducting family history research, not least because we may not immediately understand the vocabulary. I recently read an 18th century account of how a man had been treated by a physician. It said that following a referral to an expert, his troublesome medical condition ‘had been discussed by Dr Parsons’. On the face of it, merely having a conversation about the patient’s symptoms may not seem the most helpful approach. Until, that is, you realise that the word ‘discuss’ formerly meant to ‘dispel’. So the good doctor had done what was required and cured his patient.