This week it’s all about words and phrases found in genealogy, family and house history research beginning with the letter D.
DAME SCHOOLS – small primary schools run by women before the setting up of board schools
DAMPNUM/I – damages
DARE – To give
DATA APUD – dated at/in
DEANERY – a group of parishes forming a district within an archdeaconry overseen by a Dean
DEBEO/ERE – to owe
DECENNA/AE – TITHING(S)
DECENNARIUS/I – tithingman(men)
DECESSUS/MORTUUS/DIES ULTIMA CLAUSIT – dead
DEDI, CONCESSI ET HAC PRESENTI CARTA CONFIRMAVI – have given, granted and by this my present charter have confirmed
DEFALTA/AE – default
DEFAULTER – Tenant who fails to attend a court without good reason, liable to be amerced
DEFECTUS REDDITUM- defect of rent
DEI GRATIA ANGLIE SCOTIE FRANCI ET HIBERNIE – by the grace of god, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland
DEMESNE – the property held by the lord or lady of the manor themselves
d DENARIUS – penny
DENIZATION – entitling foreign nationals to certain UK rights but not full British citizenship
DE PLACITO DEBITI – in a plea of debt
DE PLACITO TRANSGRESSIONIS – in a plea of trespass
DEPONENT – someone who make a written or spoken statement (deposition) under oath
DE REDDITU TERRE – of the rent of the land
DIE SEQUENTI – on the next day
DIE VERO – on this very day
DIMITTO/ERE – to demise/lease
DISSEISIN – Dispossession of an estate
DISTRICTIO/ONIS – distraint(s)
DISTRINGO/ERE – to distrain
DISTRAINT – impounding of goods/chattels until a payment is made
DOMESDAY BOOK – strictly speaking, only the EXCHEQUER DOMESDAY OR GREAT DOMESDAY, but this is often termed Volume I, LITTLE DOMESDAY being Volume II; the final product of the DOMESDAY INQUEST.
DOMESDAY INQUEST – the inquiry started in January 1086, in which England was divided into CIRCUITS surveyed by sets of COMMISSIONERS whose returns, after checking and at least two stages of abbreviation, became the EXCHEQUER DOMESDAY.
DOMINA/AE – lady
DOMINICUS – demesne
DOMINIUM/I – lord
DOMINUS/I – lord
DOMUS – house
DOWAGER – widow with title/property derived from her late husband
DOWTER – daughter
DUCAT/DUCKETE – gold coin of varying value
DUFFE HOUSE – Dovecot
DUM VIXIT – while living
I would love to hear what obscure words and phrases you have found in your research – sarah@spfhhistory.co.uk