Welcome to my first post of 2023. My intentionin the first half of this year is run a series of blogs on the A/Z of genealogy, family history and house history in which I will highlight and define a selection of perhaps some of the more obscure words or phrases. This will also include some more common/obvious words and phrases and some latin.
So, starting with the letter A, of course it has to be ANCESTOR and ANCESTRY (not just the company but ones own ancestry). I would hope these take no explaining?
AB HINC/ABHINC – from here, hence
AB INDE/ABINDE – from that time, thereafter
ABSTRACT – often found in relation to wills and administration records , these are a summary of the salient points of the will or administration (inc. names, relationships, place names, property, legacies, witness details etc)
ACCOMPTANT – An accountant (now obsolete)
ACCOUCHEUSE – A midwife
AC ETIMA – and also
ACRAS TERRARIUM – acres of land
AD HANC CURIAM VENIT – at this court comes/to this court comes
ADMITTO/ADMITTERE – to admit (in manorial court records admitting to land)
AD OPUS ET USUM – to the use and behoof of
ADVERSUS – opposite, against, towards
ADVACO – to claim, to confirm, to appeal against
AETAS/AETATIS – age, period of time
AFFEER – to settle/assess the amount of an AMERCEMENT (see below)
AFFEERER/AFFERATORE – the officer of the manorial court who assessed AMERCEMENTS
AFFIRMA – to let to farm, to lease out
AGER/AGRI – field/fields
AGIST – to pasture/pay for pasture
AGNATE – a male ancestor on the fathers line
AGUE – acute fever (largely obsolete now but may be found on death records/inquest records etc)
AGNUS – a lamb
AISIAMENTUM – EASEMENT, right over another’s property
ALDERMAN – a senior councillor whose rank is just below the Mayor
ALIENO – to transfer by sale, to alientate (usually of land)
ALLEGATION – A formal statement setting the names, ages, marital status, places of residence of parties to marry along with an oath confirming there is no impediment to marriage, which would be required by the church, along with a BOND, in order to obtain a marriage licence (pre civil registration)
ALLOTMENT – the allocation of parcels of land under an ENCLOSURE AWARD
ALMERYE – a cupboard
ALMSHOUSE – Charitable organisiations which offered the poor and elderly accomodation
ALTERA DIE – on the next day
AMANUENSIS – someone who took dictation, a copier of manuscripts
AMERCIAMENTUM – Fine, AMERCEMENT
AMERCIO – to fine, to amerce
AMERCEMENT – Fine/monetary penalty of a manorial court
AMITA – aunt
AMITTO/AMITTERE/AMITTMISI/AMITTMISSUM – to lose, surrender, handover/
ANILEPMAN – a small hoder or sub-tenant of a manor
ANNO DOMINI – in the year of our Lord
ANNO REGNI REGIS (DOMINUS NOSTRIL) (DOMINA REGINA) – in the year of the reign of (Our Lord King) (Our Lady Queen)
ANNOQUE – and in the year
ANNUATIM – every year, annually
ANNUS – year
ANNUUS – yearly, annual
ANTEDICTUS – aforesaid
APPARENS/APPERENTIS – clear, certain
APPENDANT – common land to be used only for grazing animals which was attached to an arable holding
APPENNE/APPTENCE/APPURTENANT – common land attached to a house
APUD – at, by, near, to, towards
AQUILO – North
ARABILIS – arable land
ARATRUM – Plough, plougland, measure of land
ARKWRIGHT – A skilled worked who makes chests or coffers
ARMIGER – someone who is entitled to bear heraldic arms
ARRERAGIUM/ARRERAGI – arrears
ARRIAGE – an office or futy which a tenant would carry out
ASCERTACIONES SEDILIUM – Pew rents
ASSIGNATUS – assign, assignee
ASSISA – assize, standard (usually of price/quantity), action, claim, tax, cahrge
ASSIZE OF BREAD AND ALE / ASSISA PANIS ET CERVISIE – Statutory regulation/setting of the price of bread and ale with reference to the price of a grain
ASHMAN – a dustman
ASSISUS – fixed, assessed
ASSUMPTIO – feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (15th August)
ATTAINDER – forfeiture of someone’s estate by reason of there sentencing to death for treason or felony
ATTORNMENT – the tranfer of tenant’s HOMAGE and service to the new Lord of the Manor following the death of the previous Lord which would be entered in the court roll of the new Lord of the Manors’ first court after their inheritance/acquiring/succession to the manor
AURUM – gold
AUSTER – South
AUT – or
AUT…..AUT – either ….. or
AUTEM – but, moreover, however
AVA – grandmother
AVERIUM – cattle, livestock, draught animal
AVERUS – farm horse, drought ox
AVUNCULUS – uncle
AVUS – grandfather
And lastly favorite I came across which is frequently still used today, but of which I never knew the origin, is AFTERMATH – herbage or herbaceous vegetation which was left after a hay harvest.
I would love to hear what obscure words and phrases you have found in your research – sarah@spfhhistory.co.uk