Interpreting handwriting

[Daniel]

Dear all,

Could you kindly help me to make out what the handwriting says before the name? Thank you very much.

Nicolo Blundo 2.JPG (11.17 KiB) Viewed 806 times

[PippoM]

I read "Messier".
As to what it may mean, it depends on the context.
Can you post the whole image? Where is it from?

[Daniel]

Thank you for you reply and your kind assistance. Excuse me for not replying sooner, I've been traveling.

Of course, I'll attach the complete image. It's from Calatafimi, Sicily in 1585, a marriage registry. It's in the second column of the attached image.

Thank you very much for your help! It's very much appreciated.

[PippoM]

I can just make some guess...

"Messier", in French, means "guardian of the harvest". But in 1585 Sicily was under Spain, not under France.

Also "messer" is used in the sense of "Sir", meaning an upper class person. That was used in Tuscany, for sure. In Sicily, I don't know.

[Daniel]

Thank you. Anyone else have any insight into the meaning of ”messier” in this context of the Blundo surname in Calatafimi, Sicily in 1585?

[darkerhorse]

I doubt it's a proper name. I would guess it just means "mister" for a respected person.

You could scan other pages to see if the word occurs again as a title.

[Daniel]

Does anyone have any insight to what meaning messere had in Sicily in 1585? I've stumbled across references in different parts of Italy in different times where the word seems to have degenerated from a sign of respect for members of a certain social class to a title for bankers and notaries, and finally to fall into disuse.