| accoutrement maker/accoutre |
supplier of military accessories
| ackerman/acreman |
ploughman, an oxherder
| acknowledgement |
a formal statement at the end of an instrument, especially a deed, after the signature of the person(s) who executed the instrument -- the grantor(s) -- where an authorized official, such as a notary public, certifies that the person(s) who executed the instrument declared to him that he/they signed the instrument and that it was his/their own free act and deed. Sometimes called a certificate. |
| acre |
43,560 square feet; 4,840 square yards; 160 square rods |
| actuary |
kept public accounts of business
| acute |
(adj.) disease of sudden onset, severe, not chronic |
| acute mania |
insanit |
| ad litem |
legal term meaning "in this case only". Example, "George Thomas, duly appointed by the court, may administer ad litem the settlement of the estate of Joseph Thomas, deceased." |
| AD or A.D. |
anno domini , in the year of the Lord |
| Addison's Disease |
a disease characterized by severe weakness, low blood pressure, and a bronzed coloration of the skin, due to decreased secretion of cortisol from the adrenal gland. Dr. Thomas Addison (1793-1860), born near Newcastle, England, described the disease in 1855. Also called Morbus addisonii, bronzed skin disease |
| adema |
see anasarca, see ascites, see drops |
| adm. |
administrator, administration |
| admin. |
administrator, administration |
| administration (of an estate) |
the collection, management and distribution of an estate by proper legal process |
| administration |
a court action used to manage or settle the estate of a person who died without leaving a will, or a person who left a will that the court disallowed, or where the executor appointed by the deceased refuses to serve in that capacity |
| administration bond |
a bond posted by the person selected as administrator of an estate to ensure that his administration will be satisfactorily accomplished. Such a bond requires sureties. See testamentary bond. |
| administration cum testamento annexo (C.T.A.) |
means with will annexed, it is an administration granted by the proper court when the decedent has left a valid will but has either failed to name an executor, or, has named someone incapable of being an executor, or, the executor refuses to act. Such an administration is carried out according to the terms of the will as if done by the executor. |
| administration de bonis non (D.B.N.) |
means administration of the goods not administered, basically it is for administering goods by one administration that were not handled by a previous administrator |
| administration de bonis non cum testamento annexo |
administration granted by the court when the executor of a will has died leaving a portion of his estate still administered |
| administrator (of an estate) |
person appointed to manage or divide the estate of a deceased person |
| administrator |
an appointee of the court who is responsible for the welfare of the property of someone else (who usually has deceased or is no longer able to take care of the property themselves) |
| administratrix |
a female administrator |
| admon. |
letters of administration |
| adnepos |
third great grandson, male descendant in the fifth degree |
| adopted |
a person or a couple bring someone else's child into their family by legal means and raise the child as if it were their own |
| adoptive |
refers to the relationship between a person or couple and their adopted child |
| advertisement conveyancer |
sandwich board man
| advocate depute |
Scottish law officer who could act a public prosecutor
| advowee |
normally a nobleman, who had the right to present a clergyman to a benefice
| aegrotantem |
sickness, illness |
| aegrotat |
is sick from |
| AEOS |
Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots (Masons) |
| aeronaut |
balloonist or a trapeze artist in the circus or music halls
| AF |
Ancestral File, database maintained by the LDS FHL |
| AFAM |
Ancient Free and Accepted Mason |
| affeeror |
official in the manorial courts who assessed the monetary penalty and also collected taxes and dues and were also called Assessor
| affidavit |
a statement, usually written but sometimes oral, confirmed by oath, for use as evidence in court |
| affines |
relatives by marriage, in-laws |
| affinitas |
relationship by marriage |
| affinity |
see affinitas, also see consanguinity |
| AG |
Accredited Genealogist, an LDS genealogists credential |
| AGBU |
Accredited Genealogist (FHL credential); Armenian General Benevolent Union |
| agister |
official of the Royal Forests or in the New Forest it is the title for the one in charge of the ponies
| agnati |
paternal relations |
| agnation |
relationships by blood on the male side |
| agnatus |
related by blood on the male side |
| ague |
malarial or intermittent fever characterized by stages of chills, fever, and sweating at regularly recurring times and followed by an interval or intermission of varying duration. Also called fever and ague, chill fever, the shakes, and swamp fever |
| ague-cake |
a form of enlargement of the spleen, resulting from the action of malaria on the system |
| ahnentafel |
from the German Ahnen (ancestor) and Tafel (table or list); a numbering system used to identify all known ancestors of a given person. the formula states that an individual's father is twice that individual's number, and that an individual's mother is twice that individual's number plus one. If your ahnentafel number is 1, your father's is 2, and your mother's is 3. The word comes from the German "ahnen" meaning ancestor, and "tafel" meaning table or list. An ancestor table that tabulates the ancestry of one individual by generation in text rather than pedigree chart format. A comprehensive ahnentafel gives more than the individual's name, date and place of birth, christening, marriage, death and burial. It should give biographical and historical commentary for each person listed, as well as footnotes citing the source documents used to prove what is stated. |
| ahnentafel numbers |
numbering system used to identify each individual in a family tree. The numbers follow the format that an individual's father is twice that individual's number, and that an individual's mother is twice that individual's number plus one. Used in pedigree charts |
| AHOJB |
Ancient and Honorable Order of the Jersey Blues |
| AISB |
Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria |
| alabasterer |
worked with alabaster
| alblastere |
crossbow man
| alchemist |
medieval chemist who claimed to be able to turn base metals into gold
| alderman |
senior councillor one position down from Mayor in the local council
| ale draper |
seller of ale
| ale taster |
tested ale and beer for quality first recored in 1377 in London. Appointed by the Manor and forerunner of the Inspector for Weights and Measures
| ale tunner |
employed by the brewery to fill ale casks (tuns} with ale
| ale-conner/ale founder |
official who tested quality and measure of ale served in public houses
| alewife |
woman tavern-keeper
| alien |
(1) To transfer property; as in a deed the seller "does grant, bargain, sell, alien, enfeoff, release, and confirm unto [the buyer]" certain property. (2) a foreigner or a citizen of another country |
| alimenta/o |
provision made for made for younger sons or unmarried daughters |
| alius/a/ud |
other |
| all spice |
name for a grocer
| allied |
families that are related by marriage only |
| almanac man |
official appointed by the Court of Sewers who warned the inhabitants of the Trent River area of higher than normal tides
| almoner |
giver of charity (alms) to the needy |
| almsman |
received alms
| alnager |
official who examined the quality of woolen goods and stamped them with the town seal of approval
| alter/era/erum |
the other of two |
| altm |
at liberty to marry (Quaker) |
| Am. Rev. |
American Revolution, American War for Independence |
| amanuen(sis) |
secretary or stenographer |
| amanuensis |
secretary or stenographer
| amber and jet cutter |
cut and polished amber for jewelry
| amber cutter |
cut ambergris
| ambler |
officer of the Royal Stable who broke in horses
| ambo/ae/o |
both |
| amen man |
parish clerk
| American Plague |
also called Yellow Fever, is a viral disease transmitted to man by a specific type of mosquito, Aedes aegypti. This mosquito type is commonly found in the tropical forests of South America and Africa. Both the Aedes mosquito and the yellow fever virus must be present together to spread the disease |
| American Revolution |
U.S. war for independence from Great Britain 1775-1783 |
| amita |
father's sister, aunt |
| amita magna |
grandfather's sister, grandaunt |
| amita uxoris |
wife's father's sister |
| AMORC |
Ancient Mystic Order Rosae Crucis |
| AMOS |
Ancient Mystic Order of Samaritans (Odd Fellows) |
| AMVETS |
American Veterans |
| an. |
ante or before |
| anasarca |
generalized massive dropsy, also called adema. It is the accumulation of fluid in the body. It may affect all parts of the body although it commonly occurs in the feet and ankles. The bloating and swelling causes muscle aches and pains. Edema may be caused by allergies or disorders of the kidney, bladder, heart, or liver |
| ancestor |
any of one's parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great great grandparents, etc., especially one earlier in a family line than a grandparent; forefather; forebear |
| ancestor chart |
report or chart that shows a person and all of their ancestors in a graphical format. As opposed to the Ahnentafel which is more of a narrative report |
| ancestral |
of or inherited from an ancestor or ancestors |
| ancestral file |
a database of names in linked genealogies on CD-ROM. Contains names and addresses of people that have submitted information. Maintained by the LDS FHL |
| ancestry |
family descent or lineage; ancestors collectively; estimates suggest that everyone has approximately 65,000 traceable ancestors, meaning ancestors whose existence can be documented in surviving records |
| anchor smith |
made anchors
| anchoress |
female hermit or religious recluse
| anchorite |
male hermit or religious recluse
| anchylosis/ankylosis |
abnormal stiffening and immobility of a joint by fusion of the bones |
| ancillary administration |
an administration of property located in a state other than the resident state of the deceased |
| anemia |
occurs when the blood's ability to carry oxygen is reduced. A low red blood cell count will manifest as weakness, dizziness, paleness, depression, instability, soreness of mouth, and amennorhea. The mineral iron is critical because iron makes hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-carrying component of blood. Without sufficient iron intake, the function of rbc's will be impaired. Anemia can be difficult to recognize but the first symptoms might include loss of appetite, headaches, constipation, irritability, and difficulty with concentration |
| angina |
pain in chest brought on by exertion; intense constricting pain especially of the throat, can lead to suffocation; quinsy |
| angle iron smith |
made angle iron ie. flat iron bars bent at right angles lengthways
| anilepman |
smallholder (tenant of the manor)
| anima |
soul, spirit |
| ankle beater |
young person who helped to drive the cattle to market
| annatto maker |
worked in the manufacture of dyes for paint or printing
| anno |
in the year |
| anno Domini |
in the year of the Lord |
| annotation |
interpretation, explanation, clarification, definition, or supplement. Many types of genealogical presentations contain statements, record sources, documents, conclusions, or other historical information that require an annotation. Generally, annotations appear in footnotes, end-notes, or in the text itself. Genealogical software provides a field for documentation, comments, notes, and analysis. Genealogists use annotations to explain discrepancies between two or more documents, to add information from another source to support a statement or conclusion made in a different record, and other difficult to interpret situations. |
| annus |
year |
| anon. |
anonymous |
| ante |
prefix meaning before, such as in ante-bellum South; The South before the war |
| antenuptial contract |
though an antenuptial contract or agreement is not a probate document, it does have substantial effect on the probate proceedings whenever it exists. It is a contract made between a man and the woman he is about to marry wherein certain property rights of one or both are secured and delineated. Such contracts have been made by persons who have been previously married and who want to preserve their properties and wealth for the issue of their previous unions in case of their own deaths, rather then to each other. Such contracts, in probate court, have precedence over laws of descent and distribution. They have been quite common, especially in states with community property laws and with the Dutch in New Netherlands (a.k.a. New York). Another name is marriage settlement. If the contract is made after the marriage then it is called a postnuptial contract. |
| antigropelos maker |
made waterproof leggings
| anvil smith |
made anvils and hammers for blacksmiths
| AOB |
Air Order of Battle |
| AOD |
Ancient Order of Druids |
| AODC |
Ancient Order of Degree Coopermen |
| AOF |
Ancient Order of Foresters |
| AOH |
Ancient Order of Hibernians |
| AOUW |
Ancient Order of United Workmen |
| APCWS |
Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites |
| apd |
attending places of diversion; appointed; appealed (Quaker) |
| APG |
Association of Professional Genealogists |
| aphonia |
also called laryngitis, exists when a person has no voice or has lost their voice due to an inflammation of the larynx |
| aphtha/aphthae |
see thrush |
| aphthae |
a disease characterized by whitish spots and ulcers on the membranes of the mouth, tongue, and fauces caused by a parasitic fungus. Also called sore mouth, aphthous stomatitis, thrush |
| aphthous stomatitis |
these are painful mouth ulcerations that appear on the tongue, inside the cheeks, and on the lips and gums. They have white centers with a red border, and their size can be as large as a quarter. They usually appear and leave quickly (four to twenty days). Triggers include: stress, food allergies, poor dental hygiene, and fatigue. See canker |
| apiarian |
beekeeper
| apoplexy |
results in a sudden loss of consciousness followed by paralysis caused by hemorrhage into the brain, formation of an embolus or thrombus, that occludes an artery, or rupture of an extracerebral artery causing subarachnoid hemorrhage. Symptoms: onset is acute, unconsciousness, labored breathing due to paralysis of portion of the soft palate, expiration puffs out the cheeks and mouth. Pupils sometimes unequal, the larger one being on the side of the hemorrhage. Paralysis usually involves one side of the body, with eyeballs turned away from the affected side, skin covered with clay sweat, surface temperature of the skin is often subnormal, speech disturbances. Onset more gradual if caused by a thrombosis |
| apothecary |
prepared and sold medicines or drugs; pharmacist
| apparitor |
official who summoned witnesses in the ecclesiastical courts
| appr. |
appraisal; appraisement |
| apprentice |
one bound by indenture or by legal agreement or by any means to serve another for a prescribed period with a view to learning an art or trade; one who is learning by practical experience under skilled workers a trade, art, or calling |
| appurtenance |
that which belongs to something else such as a building, orchard, right of way, etc |
| Aprilis |
April |
| aproneer |
term used in London for a shopkeeper
| apronman |
mechanic
| apt |
appointed |
| AQM |
Assistant Quartermaster (US Civil War) |
| aquarius (ewar) |
waterman
| aquarius |
ewer; waterman |
| aquavita seller |
sold alcohol
| arbor consanguinitatis |
family tree |
| archiator |
physician
| archil maker |
made a violet dye from lichens, used in the textile industry
| archive |
collection of public or corporate records; place where such records are kept |
| arkwright |
skilled craftsman who produced "arks" (wooden chests or coffers)
| armiger |
squire who carried the armour of a knight
| armourer |
made suits of armour or plates of armour for buildings or ships etc.
| ARSS |
Antiquariorum Regiae Societatis Socius (Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries) |
| artificer |
maker or fixer of intricate objects; soldier mechanic who does repairs |
| arty. |
artillery |
| ascendant |
ancestor; lineal ancestors |
| ASCII |
American Standard Code for Information Interchange - type of file on a computer that is usually readable/writeable by most word processors |
| ascites |
another term for dropsy, also called adema. It is the accumulation of fluid in the body. It may affect all parts of the body although it commonly occurs in the feet and ankles. The bloating and swelling causes muscle aches and pains. Edema may be caused by allergies or disorders of the kidney, bladder, heart, or liver |
| ASFD |
American Society of Freedmen's Descendants |
| ASG |
American Society of Genealogists |
| ashman |
dustman
| ashmanshipman |
sailor |
| asphycsia/asphicsia |
cyanotic and lack of oxygen |
| assay master |
determined the amount of gold or silver to go in coins
| assayer |
determined the proportions of metal in ore
| assignment |
grant of property or a legal right, benefit, or privilege to another person |
| assignment of dower |
This is the document by which a widow's dower is assigned to her as part of the administration. It is also called a dower division, setting off of the dower, and, widow's dower. |
| assn |
association |
| asthenia |
abnormal bodily weakness or feebleness, decay of strength. This was a term descriptive of a patient's condition and of no help in making a diagnosis. Also called asthenia and debility |
| atavus |
third great grandfather, male ascendant in the fifth degree |
| atrophy |
wasting away or diminishing in size |
| att |
attached to; attended (Quaker) |
| attest |
to affirm, to bear witness, to certify by signature or oath |
| auger maker |
made the carpenters augers (used for boring holes in wood)
| Augustus |
Augus |
| aulnager |
see Alnager
| auncle |
an "invented" word, it can represent either an aunt or an uncle since there is no known "real" word that makes such as designation such as "parent" does for both mother or father or "child" does for son or daughter. Note that the first three letters of this new word are taken from "aunt" and the last three letters from "uncle". [apologies to Daniel Webster!] |
| aunt |
sister of either parent, or, the wife of either parent's brother. See also "uncle". |
| aurifaber |
goldsmith |
| authenticate |
prove a document is not a forgery |
| avenator (plantifene) |
hay and forage merchant
| avenator |
plantifene; hay and forage merchant |
| avi (pl.) |
grandparents |
| avi relicta |
grandfather's widow |
| avowry |
term for the lord of the manor
| avunculus |
mother's brother, uncle |
| avus |
grandfather |
| axel tree maker/axel tree turner |
made axels for coaches and wagons
| B |
black, Negro; indicating race |
| b-i-l |
brother in law |
| b. |
born |
| back washer |
employed to clean the wool in the worsted manufacturing industry
| back'us boy |
kitchen servant (from "back of the house")
| backmaker |
made "backs", vats, tubs, a Cooper
| backmann/backster/baxter/beck/becker |
baker
| bad blood |
an old term for syphilis, which is an infectious venereal disease. Untreated, it can ultimately lead to the degeneration of bones, heart, nerve tissue, etc. In earlier centuries syphilis commonly reached the third stage, which is rare today, and caused brain damage, hearing loss, heart disease, and/or blindness occur |
| badger |
licensed pauper who wore a badge with the letter P on it and could only work in a defined area (the term "Badgering comes from this"). A corn miller or dealer or an itinerant food trader
| badgy fiddler |
boy trumpeter in the military
| bagman |
travelling salesman
| bagniokeeper |
n charge of a bath house or brothel
| bailie |
bailiff |
| bailiff/bailie/baillie/baillee |
officer of the sheriff, a land steward acting on behalf of the Landowner or Landlord and in Scotland a magistrate of the burgh, also looked after the fishing rights on certain rivers
| bairman/bareman |
pauper or beggar
| bal maiden |
female mine worker who worked on the surface (also a Pit Brow Lass)
| baler |
bales hay and in the mills one who bailed wool or cotton goods
| balister |
archer most commonly a crossbowman
| ballard master |
in charge of loading the ballast into the hold of empty ships
| ballast heaver |
loaded ballast into the hold of empty ships
| baller/baller up |
assisted the potter by measuring out the balls of clay
| band filer |
metal worker in the gun making industry
| bandster |
bound the wheat sheaves after harvest
| bang beggar |
officer of the parish who controlled the length of stay of any stranger to the parish
| banker |
dug trenches and ditches to allow drainage of the land, placing the surplus earth in banks around the edge
| banksman |
gives instruction or assistance to driver; overseer at a mine pit |
| banni |
marriage banns |
| banns |
see "marriage banns" |
| bapt. |
baptized, baptism |
| baptisatus/a |
baptized |
| baptisatus/a est |
he(or she) was baptized |
| baptisavit |
he baptized |
| baptism |
usually a religious ceremony or sacrament to formally accept the person (usually a child) as a member of the religion. The ceremony may also represent some act of purification or cleansing often done by dipping the person in water or pouring or sprinkling water on them. See also "christening". |
| baptism name |
see "given name" |
| baptisma |
baptism |
| baptismal certificate |
a formal document normally kept by a church of baptisms that occurred in their congregation. It typically contains the names of the individuals baptized, the date of baptism, where it took place, the clergyman's name, and possibly the names of sponsors and place of residence. |
| BAR |
Brigade of the American Revolution |
| barber/barber surgeon |
a barber also also a surgeon (an Act was passed that limited Barbers to hair-cutting, shaving, dentistry and blood letting in the 18th century)
| bard |
poet or minstral
| BARE |
Benefit Association of Railway Employees |
| bareman |
beggar or pauper
| barge mate |
Naval officer
| bargee/bargeman |
worked on or owned and operated a barge
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |