Citing a manuscript item obtained from an archive

Dear Editor,

I was wanting to ask for your opinion on a citation I have crafted for a 5 page document that are all part of the one marriage settlement. On the back of one of these pages, it shows:

                       Mr John Cowlen

                             and                            Marriage Settlement

                Miss Elizabeth Chave

                                                Dated 22nd Day of September 1797

The 1st page starts: This Indenture of Four Parts made...

The 2nd page starts: Title Interest Also Trust...

The 3rd page starts: Agreement And for the considerations…

The 4th page starts: Writing or Writings with or without power….

The 5th page starts: Same Respectively according to the true interest….

 

I have read EE “The Basics: Manuscripts & Online Images” and I also received these as images of the original record from the Archive; they are not published and only available at or from the archive.

So, this is what I have come up with:

"Mr John Cowlen and Miss Elizabeth Chave: Marriage Settlement," 22 September 1797; Indenture of Four Parts, Title Interest, Agreement and Writings; Reference number: 4920M/F1, Tiverton Deed, 1797; Devon Heritage Centre, Exeter.

F.Y.I. This is the URL to the record in the Archive's online catalogue. https://devon-cat.swheritage.org.uk/records/4920M/F1

Should I be using the Title that the archive uses? i.e. Marriage Settlement: Cowler [Cowlen] and Chave, Tiverton, 22undated September 1797 (I am unsure why they say 22undated September 1797 as the document clearly has the date written on it).

I have also sometimes seen a reference to MS when people are citing manuscript items.

Anyway, I would appreciate any thoughts, when you have time to answer.

All the best,

Robyn

 

Submitted byEEon Thu, 03/24/2022 - 19:59

Robyn, I'm making one major, major alteration in your draft citation—the substitution of parentheses for a semi-colon <g>:

"Mr John Cowlen and Miss Elizabeth Chave: Marriage Settlement," 22 September 1797 (Indenture of Four Parts, Title Interest, Agreement and Writings); Reference number: 4920M/F1, Tiverton Deed, 1797; Devon Heritage Centre, Exeter.

The phrase "Indenture of Four Parts ..." is a description of the marriage settlement. It's not a different unit in the organizational heircharchy, units that are separated by semicolons.  If the description did not have internal commas of its own, you could have just used a comma here; but given the complexity of the description, the use of parentheses makes for clearer punctuation.

Submitted byRobynRon Thu, 03/24/2022 - 20:51

I like that alteration very much!

It looks nicer (and tidier) and I think it describes/clarifies what I have. Thank you (again).