Abbreviation at Cambridge University Alumni

[Gillian]

Could someone please confirm for me that the 2. S. in the following means 'second son'. It's essential I get this right. And if it doesn't mean second son, then what does it mean?

 

[Tim]

Hi Gillian,

Looking further down (on the Matric line) you can see it says 1715-6 which looks like years. So is that also a year in the bit you circled? 1711-2?

I quote "in the period between 1582 and 1752, businesses in countries still using the Julian calendar might date their records "February 14, 1714/15", which signaled they were using a Julian calendar, and thus the Gregorian date could be calculated as February 25, 1715."

I believe it's called double dating.

 

[Gillian]

What a disappointment; I wanted it to mean 2nd son so much that I had blinded myself to the obvious. I'm sure you're right, particularly, as you suggest, looking at the following dates 1715-6 and 1716-7. What a good thing I asked.

 

[Tim]

It never hurts to ask

 

[Tony]

As well as being name-searchable on Ancestry, Alumni Cantabrigienses is available online from Cambridge University itself as A Cambridge Alumni Database. There are some notes accompanying that database project, which include this: "No attempt is made to modernise dates, so 1584–5 may mean either the range of years 1584 to 1585, or part of the old-style year from 1 January to 24 March 1585". However, the database output includes an "Enhanced version of original printed entry", in which date ranges and double-dating are written differently (- or /). Reading your entry there might help.

 

[Gillian]

Actually it does hurt - just a little. But never mind, the main thing is I have the right answer.

 

[Gillian]

As well as being name-searchable on Ancestry, Alumni Cantabrigienses is available online from Cambridge University itself as A Cambridge Alumni Database. There are some notes accompanying that database project, which include this: "No attempt is made to modernise dates, so 1584–5 may mean either the range of years 1584 to 1585, or part of the old-style year from 1 January to 24 March 1585". However, the database output includes an "Enhanced version of original printed entry", in which date ranges and double-dating are written differently (- or /). Reading your entry there might help.

Thank you, Tony. However ... I clicked on the link you give but it timed out (that would have been via Firefox). So then I tried via Chrome and although something opened, it wasn't very helpful as the first sentence was "The requested URL /banner.html was not found on this server." Then followed a short introduction to Venn, ending up with the ominous words
At present, the whole system is experimental. Data may alter or disappear without notice. We can accept no responsibility for your use of the system or the data contained here. So then I googled 'alumni cantabrigienses' and got to the correct place, the search form, straight away; try here. I don't know why your link didn't take me there. Anyhow I found my William Pemble (5xgreat-granduncle) and there the dates were written only too clearly, on two separate lines. :
Adm. pens. (age 18) at ST JOHN'S, 04 Mar., 1711/2.
S. of William, gent. B. at Shoreditch, Middlesex .
So, once again, thank you very much, Tony. I'm glad to have the direct link to Alumni etc, for other relatives as well, e.g. my grandfather, who was at the same college, St John's, 150 years after William P. (his 3xgreat-granduncle).

 

[Tim]

I've corrected the the web address in all locations.

 

[Tony]

For completeness, Gillian, a scanned copy of the original book containing your entry, Part 1 Volume 3, is available at Archive.org.

 

[Gillian]

Better and better. Once again, many thanks, Tony.