Dear Becky,
If you're still seeking answers about this passage, you might want to spend
some time considering the multiple possibilities raised by the
cross-references from such "kess-" spellings in the *Middle English
Dictionary* [the big, multi-part one from U. Michigan, that is]. For
example, it was apparently not unprecedented to use "kess-" for words that
began with "quess-", "quiss-", or even "quass-" in Latin or French-- raising
the possibility [if the mysterious "kesset-" could be a participle related
to "quassatio" or "quashen"] that it just refers back to what's already been
said about the woman's candle. Alternatively [if you don't like that one],
there are several occupational terms in "qu-" [including a cook's helper and
a maker of leg-armor] that could have been spelled this way . . . and
other possibilities, too. Good luck, in any case. It's a nice puzzle!
Sherry Reames (English Dept., Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison)
At 02:26 PM 6/30/98 -0400, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>Hello,
>
>I've been away from the list for quite a while. I have been wrestling with a
>puzzle and thought someone on the list might have the answer, or know
>someone who might. I have been treating the 'Kessetes' in this consistory
>court record as a name. It has been pointed out to me that that is
>problematic because it is a very unusual name, besides, the woman in
>question is referred to as 'cuiusdam mulieris' rather than by name earlier,
>and the construction is awkward. It has been suggested to me that it might
>be an epithet of some sort--'kess' being 'to kiss' in middle English. In the
>original it is truncated with an ambiguous sort of mark: Kesset'. I've
>checked the obvious sources, i.e. lists of names, and dictionaries, with no
>luck.
>
>Transcribed in Richard M. Wunderli, London Church Courts and Society on the
>Eve of the Reformation (Cambridge, MA: Medieval Academy of America, 1981),
>p. 151:
>
>"Katerine Colman: Dominus Willielmus Flete extinxit candelam cuiusdam
>mulieris venientis ad purificacionem et hoc fecit apud hostium ecclesie et
>quando lavavit manus suas tempore misse dixit aperte Kessetes in anglice,
>"Kessetes it is a fair joy that we most tend to you for a candel a peny and
>a clowte" et publicat confessiones parochianorum suorum. capellanus
>comparuit 5 die Januarii, negat articulum et continuatur ad diem veneris."
>
>I would appreciate any suggestions. Please forgive the duplication; I've
>also sent this to medfem-l.
>
>Thanks,
>Becky
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>Becky R. Lee
>Centre for the Study of Religion
>University of Toronto
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
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