<div dir="ltr">Wow! Thank you so much. I got a lot of responses in a very short amount of time. The consensus is that it is an abbreviation for debtor, which also makes sense in context in the rest of the document. The writer feels cheated by Maria and much of the composition book is citing all the ways in which Maria transgressed. Much of it is financial so the debtor word seems most accurate. <div>Thanks so much for everyone who helped me solve this little mystery. </div><div>Elizabeth </div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px">Elizabeth Campion, Librarian</span><br style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px">Shelby Township Library</span><br style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px">52610 Van Dyke</span><br style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px">Shelby Township, MI 48316</span><br style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;font-size:14.6667px">586-739-7414</span><br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Fri, Apr 19, 2024 at 1:52 PM Elizabeth Campion <<a href="mailto:campiee4@gmail.com">campiee4@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><img src="cid:18ef7768d3d40c3c72a1" style="max-width: 100%;">Hi! This is perhaps slightly off-topic but seems a great place to likely find an answer. <div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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:<br><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">M. J. Monfore Dr. <br>
Mary D. Monfore for pasture of horses + cow. Sometimes more cows + horses.<br>
M. J. Monfore
Dr. <br>
To A. J. M. Gillespie + Mary Amelia Monfore for pasture of horse + cow<br>
M.J. Monfore Dr. <br>
to Amelia Monfore + A. J.M. Gillespie for pasture of horses + cow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">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. <br>
Judson lost money in machinery and she knew it before marriage. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">She is very deceitful. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">If anyone has any thoughts about the meaning of Dr. in this context, I would love to hear them. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Thanks, </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Elizabeth Campion, Librarian<br>Shelby Township Library<br>52610 Van Dyke<br>Shelby Township, MI 48316<br>586-739-7414</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"> </p></div></div>
</blockquote></div><br clear="all"><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:small">A library is a miracle. A place where you can learn just about anything for free. A place where your mind can come alive." Josh Hanagarne, <i>The World's Strongest Librarian</i></div><div><i><br></i></div></div></div></div></div>