Handwriting in will of Thomas Baker 1604

and bequeath to ?* Baker my wife the

* my first thoughts are Victoria, but with so little of the writing to compare the letters with, I am not convinced
 
I agree with MollyMay:

... and bequeathe to [...] Baker my wief the ...

However, I think the name might be dorathie, though the 1st and 3rd letters aren't quite the usual form. Are there any other examples to compare them with? Post another or a bigger clip if you need.

However, given that it says 'wife' do you have her name from somewhere else?
 
I can't help but smile as I am torn between Dorathie & Victoria myself. Here is an image of the whole first page, but it is 3 pages & honestly, I'm not sure if I can post the entire document due to copyright?

From what I can read these are the other family members:
Thomas Baker of Cranfield, Bedfordshire, England – b. ?? Bur. 26 Apr 1604 St Peter & Paul

Wife: Voctoria/Victoria? or Dorathie?
Children:
1. Thomas Baker b. c1590-1604
2. William Baker b. c1590-1604
3. George Baker b. c1590-1604 d 24 Oct 1615?

Brothers named:
John Baker
Edward Baker
William Baker had son Thomas Baker [minor in 1604]

Thomas also names these w/out noting the relationship:
Izabell Baker [minor]
Michael Baker [minor]
William Underwood
Suzanna Baker [minor]
Thomas Ring [minor]
Alice Ring [minor]
Richard Wheeler
Thomas Wheeler
William ?oot
William Anglesay
 

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It's not William ?oot but William D?e - it could be Doe or even maybe Dre (Drew?). The scribe is using a slightly different capital d than the one in Dorathie but the middle letter is tricky. I'm inclined to Dre.
 
Steve Bumstead said:
It's not William ?oot but William D?e - it could be Doe or even maybe Dre (Drew?). The scribe is using a slightly different capital d than the one in Dorathie but the middle letter is tricky. I'm inclined to Dre.
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The phrase "I do assigne and appointe" crops up a few times (including on the line above this William), and the second letter of 'do' is more or less identical to the one in this name. So I'd go for Doe.
 
Thank you all so much! Unfortunately, I did not find a marriage to Dorathie. The Bedford Archives have this will listed as c1625 but it clearly says 1604. I suspect this Thomas was the son of Michael Baker & his wife Agnes, she having after married William Angelssaye of Stevington, but I am not positive. I also think my ancestor William Baker (of New England d. 1679) is either his son, or a nephew.

Reference X68/12 Title Will of Thomas Baker senior [?of Cranfield] Date free text
c.1625 [error] Production date From: 1620 To: 1630 Scope and Content Bequests to Thomas and Alice Ring, and to William Anglesaye junior. Remission of debt to nephew Thomas Baker (son of William Baker). Overseers: friends William Dove, Thomas Wheeler and Richard Wheeler, and brother John Baker (trustees for George Baker, youngest son of testator) Executors: sons Thomas and [?John] witnessed: John Baker and William Anglesay [lower half of this membrane only] [see also X68/1-3] Level of description item Persons/institution keyword Baker, Thomas, Ring, Thomas, Ring, Alice, Anglesay, William, Baker, William, Dove, William, Wheeler, Thomas, Wheeler, Richard, Baker, John, Baker, George

Keywords wills, Thomas will: Baker, family/personal financial affairs, debt, trustees
 
Amylynne said:
Thank you all so much! Unfortunately, I did not find a marriage to Dorathie.
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Bedfordshire is one of our smallest counties, so that will increase the chances of needing to look in other counties for a marriage. However, going back beyond 1600 you're into the time from which some registers haven't survived.
The Bedford Archives have this will listed as c1625 but it clearly says 1604.
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It was certainly written in 1604, but the usual practice is to catalogue wills by their date of probate.
 
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