This week it’s all about words and phrases found in genealogy, family and house history research beginning with the letter F.
FABER – smith
FABRIFER – blacksmith, iron-worker
FALL GATE – gate across a public road
FALSO – falsley
FALSARIUS – counterfeirter, forger
FAMILIA – household, (religious) community
FARTHING – quarter of a penny
FATHOM – unit of measurement of six feet
FEALTY – allegiance or fidelity; oath of loyalty sworn by a VASSAL to his LORD after the LORD had accepted the VASSAL’s HOMAGE.
fecit finem pro ingressu – he paid an entry fine
FEE – the area of jurisdiction of a lord of the manor whis was subject ot feudal obligations; IN FEE means hereditarily
FEE SIMPLE – freehold estate in which land passed on death to the common law heir
FEET OF FINES – court copies of agreements over property until 1833, held at The National Archives (TNA)
FELONY – a serious crime
FEMINA – woman. wife
FENUM – hay
FEOFFMENT – the act of granting a FEE
FERIA – fair, holiday
FEUDAL SERVICE – duties rendered by a VASSAL to his LORD in return for the land granted by means of ENFEOFFMENT, which could be military (knight service), administrative (serjeanty) or ecclesiastical (frankalmoign or free alms).
fidei defensoris – defender of the faith
FIEF – a MANOR or Manors granted to a VASSAL by his LORD by means of ENFEOFFMENT to be held in return for FEUDAL SERVICE.
FIFTEENTH – occasional tax levied by the crown for special purposes (eg waging war etc) being one fifteenth of annual income
FILIA – daughter
FILIOLA – small daughter
filee mee et heredibus eius de propro corpore – to my daughter and the heirs of her own body
filio meo– to my son
filius son
FILIOLUS – small son
FILIUS/FILIA NULLI – the son/daughter of noone, illigitimate child
filius/FILIA populi – the son/daughter of the people, illigitimate child
FINE – Money payment to the lord made by an incoming tenant
FIRMA – farm: rent, fixed payment
firmarius/i – farmer/renter(s)
FIRMO – to farm; to farm out
firmiter teneri et obligari – firmly bound and obliged
FIRST FRUITS AND TENTHS – a form of taxes placed on clergy
FLEET MARRIAGES – Clandestine marriages which took place in churches/chapels in and around the Fleet prison before 1754
FLEET REGISTERS – register of fleet marriages found in series RG 7 at TNA and at online resaerh sites
Forisfacto – Forfeited
FORNACIUM/FORNAX – bake-house
FOSSA – dike, embankment, ditch
FRANKPLEDGE – old english law; a pledge or surety of freemen, a pledge taken by all the inhabitants of a tithing vouching for the good behaviour of each other over the age of 14 years and answering to any infraction of the law
FRATER – brother; monk, friar
FREEHOLDER – Held land “for-ever” free from the customs of the manor
fregerunt assisiam panis et cervisie – they broke the assize of bread and ale
FRUMENTUM – Corn, grain
FUIT – he, she, it was, has been
FULLINGDAY – day when those newly of age (14 years) were drafted into a tithing
I would love to hear what obscure words and phrases you have found in your research – sarah@spfhhistory.co.uk