Ab Nepos
a
great-great-grandson
Ab Neptis
a
great-great-granddaughter
Abcpsia
blindness
Abeyance
a
condition of undetermined ownership, as of an estate that has not yet been
assigned
Abstract
a
statement summarizing the essential facts contained in a document or record
Abtstract Book
record
books containing abstracts of the information contained on deeds or land
entries, usually listed in alphabetical order by surname of the purchasers
Accelerated
an index
prepared by computer, such as a census index
Accomptant
accountant
Action
a
proceeding in a court of law
Administration
management
and settlement of an estate
Administrator
an
appointee of the court who settles the estate of a deceased who died without
leaving a will
Administrator's Bond
a bond
posted by an administrator to guarantee the proper performance of his duties
Administratrix
a female
administrator
Aegrotantem
illness,
sickness
Affidavit
a written
and signed statement sworn in front of a court officer
Ague
recurring
fever and chills of malaria
Ahnentafel
a table
of one's ancestors, from the German Ahnen (ancestor) and Tafel (table or list)
Amanuensis
secretary
or stenographer
Annus
year
Apoplexy
stroke
Archives
reference
to the storage of older records
Artificer
soldier
mechanic who does repairs
Ascendant
ancestor
Ashman
shipman
or sailor
Assignee
the
person to whom a privilege or some property is signed over to by the court
Assignor
the
person who signs over a right or property to another
Assistant Marshall
the
census taker prior to 1880
Bad Blood
syphilis
Banns
publication
or posting of the announcement of a coming marriage, a period of time before
the actual marriage to allow advance notice to those that might have reason to
protest. In most churches the banns were read aloud on three successive
Sundays.
Baptizavi
I
baptized
Barrister
lawyer
Bequest
legacy;
usually a gift of real estate by will
Bilious fever
fever
caused by liver disorder
Black Death
typhus
Black Lung
disease
from breathing coal dust
Bloody Flux
dysentery
Boluter
a sieve
Bond
a written
promise by a borrower to pay a lender a fixed dollar sum of interest for a
prescribed period of time and to repay the principal on a stated date
Boniface
innkeeper
Borough
a
self-governing incorporated town, larger than a village
Bounty Land
public
land given by the government to induce young men to join the military
Bounty Land Warrant
a gift of
bounty land due to a person entitled by military service, or to his heirs or
assignees
Brand Iron
the cob
irons or fire dogs which confine the brands on an open hearth
Brazier
works
with brass
Bright's Disease
kidney
disease
Brightsmith
metal
worker
Brother
a male
sibling, can also be used to show close friendship
Brownsmith
copper or
brass smith
Bundling
to sleep
in the same bed while fully clothed, a practiced commonly by engaged couples in
early New England
Burnisher
polishes
or shines metal
Cadastral
a public
record, survey or map for tax purposes showing ownership and value of land
Cals
Certified
American Lineage Specialist - a certification of competence in genealogy
Canon Law
a law of
the church
Capitation Tax
tax on
people, also called a head tax or poll tax
Carner
granary
keeper
Carter
maker or
driver of carts
Catarrh
Inflammation
of mucous membrane or cerebral hemmorage
Census
periodic
official tally of the population with details as to ages, sexes, occupations,
etc., U.S. Federal censuses have been taken every 10 years since 1790.
Census Index
alphabetical
listing of names enumerated in a census
CG
Certified
Genealogist
Chaffer
a
chaffing dish
Chandler
makes or
sells candles; retailer of groceries
Chattels
personal
property, both animate and inanimate
Chiffonier
wigmaker
Chilblain
swelling
of the extremities caused by exposure to cold
Chin Cough
Whooping
Cough
Chorea
disease
characterized by convulsions and contortions
Circiter
about
Civitate
the city
of
Clan
a social
unit in the Scottish Highlands, consisting of a number of families claiming a
common ancestor and following the same hereditary leader
Clarke
cleric or
scribe
Coat of Arms
shield
with certain distinctive symbols or emblems painted on it in definite fixed
colors identifying one person and his direct descendants
Codicil
a
supplement to a will
Collateral Ancestor
an
ancestor not in the direct line of ascent, but of the same ancestral family
Collier
a coal
miner or a coal ship
Colporteur
peddler
of books
Common Law
a man and
woman living together in a marital status without legal action. In some states
living together for a specified period of time constitutes a legal marriage,
even without benefit of legal action.
Congestive Fever
Malaria
Conjugi
a
husband, wife, or spouse
Connubium
marriage
Consanguinity
blood
relationship
Consumption
Tuberculosis
Convey
transfer
property or the title to property
Conveyance
a written
instrument that transfers title to property from one party to another
Conveyor
grantor
or seller
Cooper
makes and
repairs barrels and casks
Coppice Keeper
one who
takes care of small wood
Cordwainer
shoemaker
Cousin
In
colonial usage, it most often meant nephew or niece. In the broadest sense, it
could also mean any familial relationship, blood or otherwise (except mother,
father, sister, or brother), or the modern-day meaning of a child of one's aunt
or uncle. Modern usage includes qualifiers such as first, second, third, once
removed, twice removed, etc.
Cramp Colic
appendicitis
Crayman
driver of
a cart carrying heavy loads
Cretinism
congenital
hypothyroidism
Crop Sickness
overextended
stomach
Croup
laryngitis,
diphtheria, or strep throat
Crowner
coroner
Cui
of whom,
of whose, of whatever person, of what place/country
Culler
gelder of
male animals
Currier
tans
leather; uses curry comb on horses
Curtesy
the life
tenure which by common law is held by a man over the property of his deceased
wife and has by her issue born alive who is capable of inheriting her estate;
in this case, on the death of his wife, he holds the lands for his life, as
tenant by courtesy
Cutler
one who
makes or sells knives, etc.
Dareman
dairyman
Decedent
the
deceased individual
Decem
ten
Declaration of Intention
document
filed by an alien in a court of record declaring his intention to apply for
citizenship after fulfillment of the residency requirement. It may also be used
to refer to an intent to marry, usually filed with the town clerk.
Deed
document
signed, sealed, and delivered according to the law conveying title to real
estate
De Jure
legal
term for "by law" or "lawfully"
Delirium Tremens
hallucinations
due to alcoholism
Demography
the study
of the characteristics of human populations, such as size, growth, density,
distribution and vital statistics
Denizen
a
foreigner permitted certain rights of citizenship
Deposition
a written
testimony by a witness for use in court in his or her absence
Descendant
an
immediate or remote offspring
Devise
to
transmit property by will
Devisee
one to
whom a devise is made
Die
day
Diptheria
contagious
disease of the throat
Direct Heir
one who
is in an individual's direct line of ascent or descent
Distributee
one
entitled to a share in the estate of a person who died intestate (without a
will)
Diviner
one who
finds water under the ground
Domo
to master
or subdue a home, residence, or family
Dornix
linsey
wolsey; also a heavy damask linen having a diaper figure (flowered or figured)
formerly much used for church vestments, altar hangings, etc.
Dowager
a widow
who holds title or property derived from her dead husband
Dower
the part
of interest of a deceased man's real estate alloted by law to his widow
Dowry
property
a bride brings to her husband for the duration of a marriage
Dowser
finds
water under the ground
Draper
dealer in
cloth and dry goods
Drayman
drives a
cart carrying heavy loads
Dresser
surgeon's
assistant in a hospital
Dropsy
edema,
congestive heart failure
Dropsy of the Brain
encephalitis
Drover
drives
animals to market; dealer in cattle
Drummer
traveling
salesman
Duffer
peddler
Dysentery
Inflammation
of intestinal membrane
Dyspepsia
Acid
indigestion
D.S.P.
died sine
prole - died without offspring
Eadem
same
Eam
she
Ecclescia
church
Ego
I
Ejus
he
Ejusdem
of the
same
Encephalitis
swelling
of the brain, aka sleeping sickness
Enteritis
inflammation
of the bowels
Enumeration
process
by which persons are counted for purposes of a census
Enumerator
census
taker
Eodem
to the
same place/person/day
Episcopus
bishop
Escheat
property
reverted to the state when no legal heirs or claimants exist
Est
is
Estate
the whole
of one's possessions; especially all the property left by a deceased person
Et
and -
both
Etiam
also,
besides, again
Et Ux, Et Uxor
and wife
Ex
from
Executor
the
person named in a will to carry out the provisions of the will
Executrix
a female
executor
Farrier
horse
doctor, blacksmith who shoes horses
Fatty Liver
cirrhosis
Fee Simple
estate of
land which the inheritor has unqualified ownership and power of disposition
Filiam
daughter
Filium
son
Final Papers
petition
for citizenship with supporting documentation filed by an alien in a court of
law
Firelands
a tract
of land in northeastern Ohio reserved by Connecticut for its own settlers when
it ceded its western lands in 1786. The State of Connecticut deeded land there
to its citizens whose homes were burned during the Revolutionary War,
therefore, the terrirory became known as "fire land."
First Papers
declaration
of intention filed by an alien in a court of law
Fletcher
makes
bows and arrows
Flux
discharge
of fluid from the body
Forebear
an
ancestor, a forefather
Fortnight
14 days
Framar
farmer
Freeborn
born as a
free person
Freedman/woman
a man or
woman who has been freed from bondage or slavery
Freeholder
one who
holds land by fee simple. In colonial times, a freeholder had the right to vote
and hold public office.
Freeman
one who
held the full rights of citizenship, such as voting and engaging in business
(as opposed to an indentured servant)
Friends
correctly
called "The Society of Friends", the correct term for the Quakers
Fuere
were
Fuller
cleans
and thickens cloth
Gaoler
jailer
Galloping Consumption
Pulmonary
Tuberculosis
Gentile
a person
who is not Jewish
Gentleman
a member
of the gentry, a descendant from an aristocratic family whose income came from
the rental of his land
Ginerr
joiner
Glandular Fever
mononucleosis
Glover
dealer or
maker of gloves
Godfather
a man or
woman who sponsors a child at baptism, also called a Godparent
Goodman
a solid
member of the community who ranked above a freeman but below a gentleman on the
social scale
Goods and Chattels
personal
property, as distinguished from real property
Goodwife
a woman
married to a "gentlman." Often the title was shortened to
"Goody." If you come across names such as Goody Cook or Goody Loomis,
they are not first names but the abbreviation of a title
Grant
to
transfer property by a deed
Grantee
one to
whom a grant is made
Grantee Index
index to
grantees of deeds recorded in a deed book
Grecher
grocer
Green Sickness
Anemia
Gregorian Calendar
the
calendar in use today. Pope Gregory XIII ordered the replacement of the
previous Julian Calendar in 1582, although it was not adopted by England and
the American Colonies until 1752.
Gripe
Influenza
Guardian
an
appointee of the court who cares for the property and rights of a minor or
someone incapable of handling his or her own affairs
Guilder
makes
gold or silver coins
Gutte
gutter or
drain pipe
Haeretica
heretical
Hansard
weapon
maker of seller
Hawker
peddler
Headborough
constable
Headright
right to
a certain number of acres (usually 50) of land guaranteed in advance for each
settler in a new territory
Head Tax
tax on
people, also called a poll tax or capitation tax
Heir
a person
who inherits, or is entitled by law to inherit, the estate of another
Hereditaments
property
that can be inherited
Heraldry
the
practice of devising, blazoning, and granting armoral insignia (coats of arms)
Hibernia
Ireland
High Sheriff
the
highest ranking sheriff, as opposed to deputy sheriffs. This term was popular
in England and Colonial America.
Hillard/Hiller
one who
covers houses with slate
Hind
farm
laborer
Holographic Will
a
document written entirely by the hand of the person whose signature it bears
Hostler
takes
care of horses at an inn
Huc
here, to
this place
Huckster
sells
small articles
Hujus
of this
Hujusidem
of this
month and year
Husbandman
a person
whose occupation is in husbandry; a farmer
Hutch
a chest,
box coffer, or bin
Immens
to be
near
Imminens
eminent,
immediate
Impositum
the name
bestowed
Impressment
the act
of seizing people or property for public service or use
Indenture
a deed,
contract, or sealed agreement executed between two or more parties; a contract
by which a person is bound over for services
Indentured Servant
one who
was voluntarily or involuntarily committed to working for someone for a fixed
number of years (usually 4 to 7) in exchange for passage to America or some
other financial advantage (i.e., learning a trade). An indentured servant had
few, if any, rights, but people without skills or money accepted this position
in order to emigrate. After the period of work was over, the servant usually
became a freeman. It was also common practice for parents to indenture their
children with the intent of having their child learn a trade or craft.
Infant
a minor
Infantem
child
Infantile Paralysis
polio
Infra
down,
below
In-Law
colonists
used this term for any familial relationship that occurred from a marriage.
Thus, a woman's father-in-law could be her husband's father or her stepfather.
Her son-in-law could be her daughter's husband or her own stepson.
Inprimis
in the
first place
Inqus
repeat,
maintain
Ipsius
in
person, of own accord
Instrument
a formal
document such as a deed or a will
Intestate
having no
legal will; not disposed of by legal will
Inventory
a list of
goods in the estate of a deceased person
Ironmonger
dealer in
iron goods
Issue
offspring
or children
Jail Fever
typhus
Jaundice
condition
caused by blockage of the intestines
Journeyman
craftsman
hired day by day
Julian Calendar
the
calendar in use prior to 1752 (see Gregorian Calendar), created by Julius
Caesar
Junior, Senior
these
terms were used in early times to differentiate between men (and sometimes
women) with the same name whether they were related or not. These titles were
not permanent, but rather conveniences in colonial families and communities.
Keeler
a cooler,
a broad shallow wooden vessel, where milk was set to cream or wait to cool
Keller
salt
keeper
Kellogg
slaughter
man
Kilderkin
a small
vessel, the eighth part of a tun or vat
Kindred
a group
of blood-related persons
Kith and Kin
friends
and neighbors
Lands and Tenements
real
property, as opposed to personal property
Lardner
official
in charge of pig food
Legacy
money or
property bequeathed to someone by will
Lineal Descendant
being in
the direct line of descent from an ancestor
Lock Jaw
tetanus
Loco
to place,
establish, give in marriage
Locus
place
Loyalist
a Tory
(person who remained loyal to England during the Revolutionary War) who later
moved to Canada or to another British possession
Lung Fever
pneumonia
Lung Sickness
tuberculosis
Malster
brewer of
malted beverages (beer)
Mania
insanity
Manumission
a formal
written act to free slaves
Marriage Bond
a
document executed to guarantee that no legal or moral impediments existed to an
intended marriage
Master
today
would be known as The Captain
Mayer
physician
Mensis
month
Miasma
poisonous
vapors thought to infect the air
Milk Sickness
disease
from the milk from cattle which had eaten poisonous weeds
Millwright
one who
designs or builds mills
Mockadow
moccado -
stuff made of wood and silk and apparently a mixture of either with flax, a
substitute for more expensive velvet
Morsal
Gangrene
Mortaility Schedule
the
enumeration of deaths during the 12 months preceding census day, Mortality
Schedules were included in the U.S. Census from 1850 - 1900 (1890 and 1900
schedules have been destroyed)
Mortis
death
Mr.
a title
that could only precede the names of gentlemen, clergymen, or government
officials
Mrs.
a
feminine equivalent of Mr., it did not denote marital status, but social
position (women of the aristocracy)
Mulierem
woman
Myelitis
inflammation
of the spine
Myocarditits
inflammation
of the heart muscles
Natum
born
Naturalize
to grant
full citizenship to one of foreign birth
Necrology
register
book of deaths
Necrosis
mortification
of bones or tissue
NEHGS
New
England Historic Genealogy Society; the oldest genealogical society in the
United States
Nepritis
inflammation
of the kidneys
NGS
National
Genealogical Society
Nuncupative Will
an oral
will declared by the deceased before dying, in the presence of witnesses
Notary
a person
officially authorized to draw up or attest to contracts, wills, deeds, or similar
documents
Novem
nine
Now Wife
exclusively
found in wills, this term implied that there was a former (or ex-) wife
Nupr -A -AE
bride,
wife
Nuber Huc Adventis
recently
arrived here
Oath of Abjuration
sworn
statement renouncing a former allegiance
Ob
before,
in front of, because of, on account of
Obit
died
Octo
eight
Oppido
town
Ordinary
public
house or tavern
Osler
bird
catcher
Outrider
mounted
attendant riding before or behind a carriage
Packman
itinerant
peddler
Paleography
the study
of ancient forms of writing
Palatinate
the area
west of the Rhine River in West Germany
Palsy
paralysis
or loss of muscle control
Parochus
rector,
pastor
Paroxysm
convulsion
Patritius
paternal
Patronymic
a name
derived from a paternal ancestor, such as "Johnson, the son of John"
Paucis Hebdomadibus
a few
weeks
Pedigree
recorded
ancestry or line of descent
Pedigree Chart
a
standard genealogical form for recording several generations of ancestry
Peel
a long
handled broad shovel used for putting bread into an oven
Peever
pepper
seller
Per
for
Personal Property
property
other than land
Per Stirpes
a method
of dividing an estate so that children act as a group, rather than
individually, taking what their deceased ancestor was entitled to
Pleurisy
Inflammation
of the lung
Podagra
gout
Population Schedule
a
completed population census questionnaire
Posthumous
born
after father's death
Porcher
pig
keeper
Porter
gate-keeper
or door-keeper
Pott's Disease
tuberculosis
of the spinal vertebrae
Pox
Syphilis
Praecende
previous,
preceeding
Prae
in front,
before, through
Pridie/Priede
the
previous day
Primary Record
a record
created at the time of the event (birth, marriage, death, etc.) as opposed to
records written years later
Primogenitor
the
earlies known ancestor or forefather
Primogeniture
the right
of the eldest child (especially the son) to inherit the estate of both parents
Probate
legal
establishment of the validity of a will
Procurant
stand
instead of, proxy
Procuratorem
in behalf
of
Progeny
children
Progenitor
an
originator of a line of descent, frequently used in reference to the immigrant
ancestor
Purrell
made of a
lace called purl
Putrid Fever
diptheria
or typhus
Quaker
a member
of the Society of Friends
Quarryman
stonecutter
Quarta
four
Quearne
a
handmill for grinding grain or seed
Qui
who,
whereby
Quinque
five
Redemptioner
a
colonial emigrant from Europe to North America who paid for his voyage by
serving as a bondservant for a specified period of time after arrival
Relict
widow,
sometimes a widower
Revenuer
federal
officer enforcing the law against illegal manufacturing of whiskey
Rickets
disease
of the skeletal system
Rower
builder
of small wagon wheels
Sawyer
sawer of
wood
Scarlet Fever
disease
characterized by a red rash and sore
Screws
Rheumatism
Scrivener
scribe or
clerk
Scrofula
tuberculosis
of the neck lymph nodes
Secondary Record
or
secondary source; a record created some time after the event
Septem
seven
Sepulchered
buried
Servus/A Servarum
servant/servants
Sewer
tailor or
shoemaker
Sex
six
Ship's Fever
Typhus
Sibling
a brother
or sister
Softening of the Brain
apoplexy
Soundex
a filing
system, usually for recording surnames, using one letter followed by three
numbers. The Soundex system keeps together names of the same and/or similar
sounds, but of variant spellings.
Spotted Fever
typhus,
cerebrospinal meningitis fever
Spouse
a husband
or wife
St. Vitus Dance
Nervous twitches,
chorea
Standard
a chest;
the upright stem or support of a lamp or candlestick
Stupuet
a stew
pan or skillet
Sutler
accompanies
troops in the field or garrison and sells food, drink, and supplies
Sweating Sickness
infectious
& fatal disease common to the UK in the 15th century
Taper
candlewick
maker or seller
Tarletan
a thin,
stiff, transparent muslin
Testament
the
disposition of one's personal property by will
Testate
having
made or left a valid will
Testator
a man who
died leaving a valid will
Testatrix
a female
who died leaving a valid will
Thirdborough
tithing
man or deputy constable
Thoro
marriage,
union
Tinker
itinerant
mender of kettles and pans
Tithable
person
subject to a tax
Tolvet
a
measure, holding half a bushel
Tory
a
resident of the American Colonies who remained loyal to England during the
Revolutionary War (see Loyalist)
Toxemia of Pregnancy
eclampsia
(high blood pressure & seizures)
Transientibus
in
transit form, traveling
Tres
three
Tribus Mensibus
three
months
Tripper
dancer
Truckle Bed
trundle
bed with casters to run under a higher bed
Trug
a basket
with fixed handle like an old american woven wooden grape basker
Trustee
a person
or agent holding the legal title to property
Tunnel
a funnel
Turnout
an
equippage, a carriage with horses, attendants, and equipment
Ultimo
last
Unus
one
Uxor
wife, the
married state
Venesection
Bleeding
Vero
certainly,
to be sure
Vincinitate
neighboring
area
Viper's Dance
St.
Vitus' Dance, chorea
Visitation
a visit
for the purpose of making an official inspection or examination. This term was
used to describe census activities.
Vitner
wine
merchant
Wheelwright
a person
who builds wagon wheels
Whitcher
maker of
chests
Whitlow
Boil
Will
the legal
document containing the statement of a person's wishes regarding the disposal
of his or her property after death
Winter Fever
pneumonia
Yellow Jacket
Yellow
Fever