As a means of supporting and funding the website, the Bridgwater Heritage Group is pleased to offer a specialist historic Somerset Document Transcription and Translation service. This service is designed for anyone who owns, or has access to, historic manuscripts and finds difficulty in reading or interpreting them.
We are able to transcribe old documents written in either English or Latin, and we have considerable experience with a wide variety of handwriting styles. These range from the challenging medieval and early modern scripts, through to the more familiar hands of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Our particular expertise lies in property documents, wills, and related legal or administrative texts, though we are happy to look at almost any type of manuscript. They need not focus on specifically on Somerset, we’re happy dealing with anything from England or Scotland.
Many clients use this service to uncover hidden family history, trace ancestry, or better understand the background of property and land ownership. Old wills and deeds can often reveal fascinating stories about past generations and local communities.
If you possess an original document, or even simply photographs of one, but cannot make sense of the handwriting, please get in touch. For ease and peace of mind, we can work from good-quality photographs or digital scans, meaning your original documents never need to leave your possession.
A message can easily be sent using the contact form on this website. We will be glad to provide further information and a quotation. Costs vary depending on the length of the text and the complexity of the handwriting. Our service is flexible and tailored to individual needs, whether you require just a few lines deciphered or a full translation of a lengthy manuscript. All work is carried out with accuracy, confidentiality, and respect for your documents.
Latin documents are very much a speciality. If we cannot assist directly, we will do our best to recommend someone who can. Do also take time to explore the Heritage Group Collection on this site, where you can see examples of our past work, including nineteenth-century letters and property records.
Get in touch today for a no-obligation quote and take the first step towards unlocking the past hidden in your documents.
This extract text is from a document of 1675:
Translation: Charles the Second by the Grade of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc