[Michlib-l] Historical Question

[Cameron Crawford]

Dear Elizabeth,

Love questions like this! Looked up this MJ Monfore on Ancestry, on the
off-chance he *was* a doctor (and they simply would have put the dr. at the
end rather than before a given name) - but he was definitely a farmer.

Quick search on wiktionary indicates this abbreviation is used to indicate
a debtor? That seems to align with the following sentence after each
instance ("Debtor to Amelia Monfore...")

Hopefully this helped!

---
Cameron Crawford
he/him/his
Library Assistant III - Page Supervisor
Baldwin Public Library
248-554-4692
cameron.crawford at baldwinlib.org


On Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 1:58 PM Elizabeth Campion via Michlib-l <
michlib-l at mcls.org> wrote:

> Hi! This is perhaps slightly off-topic but seems a great place to likely
> find an answer.
> A woman in California recently sent a very old composition book to our
> library because there is writing in the book referencing the village that
> was once where our library now stands. I have been transcribing and
> digitizing the book for historical records. There is an abbreviation used
> frequently throughout the book that I can not interpret.
>
> It is 'Dr.' but it is not used in a common usage like Doctor or Drive. I'm
> including a picture of a page in the book where the abbreviation appears
> frequently. The transcription is as follows:
>
> M. J. Monfore                            Dr.
> Mary D. Monfore for pasture of horses + cow. Sometimes more cows + horses.
> M. J. Monfore                            Dr.
> To A. J. M. Gillespie + Mary Amelia Monfore for pasture of horse + cow
> M.J. Monfore                             Dr.
> to Amelia Monfore + A. J.M. Gillespie for pasture of horses + cow.
>
> Maria wants but never worked like us. She has been stronger than we but
> did not want to work. Amelia has a lame arm from infancy.
> Judson lost money in machinery and she knew it before marriage.
>
> She is very deceitful.
>
> If anyone has any thoughts about the meaning of Dr. in this context, I
> would love to hear them.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Elizabeth Campion, Librarian
> Shelby Township Library
> 52610 Van Dyke
> Shelby Township, MI 48316
> 586-739-7414
>
>
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> Michlib-l at mcls.org
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