Historical Translations : 200 year old letters

[nsheedy]

Can someone please advise me where I might find a translator who would be willing and capable of translating 200-year-old letters from Spanish to English. This is for historical and genealogical research, and translations do not need to be perfect. The letters I have are from Spanish officials in colonial Louisiana and mainly date to 1798.

Part of the difficulty is reading the old handwriting... most of the letters are in a clear bold hand, but it is helpful to be familiar with old writing styles... I can transcribe much of the letters, but am stuck on some words because I do not know much Spanish, and so cannot try to figure out words using context. I have practically no translation skills.

I am willing to pay reasonable fees for translation services. Any suggestions?

Thank you!

You can respond here or to my e-mail below.

--Nick Sheedy
nsheedy@yahoo.com