A-Z of Genealogy – All about the G’s

This week it’s all about words and phrases found in genealogy, family and house history research beginning with the letter G.

GABLUM – Rent/tax

GAIR – An outcrop on limestone on uplands; a bright green grassy ares surrounded by bent (stiff wiry course grass) or heather; an irregular strip of green land running down side of a moorland hill

GALILEE – A porch or chapel at the entrance of a church

GANNER/GANGER – Beggar or poor hawker or a combination of both

GAN-WIFE – Female pedlar selling pins, laces, nick-nack, tin ware, brushes and othr domestic items from a basket

GARBA – Sheaf of corn

GARCIO – Boy, servant, groom, page

GARDINUM – Garden

GARNER – A small barn for storing corn

GARTH – Enclosure, yard or garden attached to a house

GAUDEO/IRE, GAVISUM SUM – to use, to possess, to enjoy the use of, to enjoy, rejoice

GAVELCORN – service for redering a bushel of produce such as corn, for each VIRGATE

GAVELKIND – System of inheritance under which property was inherited equally by all sons, a widow receiving half instead of one third of her dower and under which a tenant could alienate his land at the age of 15 years

GELDUM – Tax, geld

GEMINI/E – twins (m./f.)

GENER – Son in law

GENEROSA – Lady, gentlewoman

GENEROSUS – Gentleman

GENITUS – Begotten

GERMANUS – Close blood relative, sibling

GERSUMA – Fee paid on inheritance of freehold land by a daughter

GESTUM – guests portion; allowance of meat and drink

GIBBETING – Hanging of executed criminals on public display as a deterant to others

GIRDLER – Maker of leather belts and girdles

GIRSOME – Fine payable on renewal of a lease

GLEBE – Land within a parish for the use of the parish priest

GNOTHUS – Bastard, illigitimate

GORA – Gore, Triangular piece of land

GRAMEN – Grass, pasture

GRANA/GRANUM – Grain

GRANARIUM – granary

GRATIA – Favour, grace, mercy, pardon

GRATOR – to acknowledge, to give thanks

GRATUM – Goodwill, consent

GRAVA – Wood, grove

GRAVAMAN – Injury, oppression, grievance, accusation

GREAVE – Another term for Bailiff

GREENSMITH – A metal worker specialising in copper and copper alloys

GREGARIUS – Drover, cattle man

GRENA – A Green, village green

GREY BEARD – A brown stoneware spirit bottle

GROAT – A silver coin worth 4 pence in use between 1351 and 1662

GROINGES – Growings; land let out for arable use

GULA – Throat, gulley, watercourse

GULE OF AUGUST – Lammas Day aka Loaf Mass day, 1st August, making the start of harvest

I would love to hear what obscure words and phrases you have found in your research – sarah@spfhhistory.co.uk

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.