Glossary of Terms
Definitions of Old English Words
- Agricultural Labourer
- Related on the Father’s side.
- Is Latin for ‘otherwise’. Sometimes shown as
‘als’ or ‘otherwise’. If a mother
re-married, her children might take the name of their new
step-father with one of the surnames as an alias.
Illegitimacy was also a cause of the use of an alias. A
child might have the maiden surname of the mother and the surname
of the father. When a couple were not married, the common-law
wife may have her maiden surname entered in the records, with the
surname of her partner as an alias. Therefore, any children
born to them might have a ‘double’ surname, i.e.
Williams alias Larder.
- Pauper. Taken from the badge a pauper had to wear in order
to receive parish relief. Also a licensed peddler, hawker or
Banns of Marriage
- A proclamation of intended marriage, repeated 3 times at weekly
intervals, (usually on consecutive Sundays) in the parish churches
of the bride and groom. Banns being read and recorded,
however is not always proof that the marriage went ahead.
Buried in Woollen
- This refers to the Burial in Woollen Acts of 1667 &
1678. These Acts were attempts to protect the English Wool
Trade, and required that all bodies should be buried in Wool with
the exception of those who died from the Plague. A Five pound
fine was imposed for burials which did not comply with the
Acts. By 1814 the Acts were repealed.
- A buyer/seller (often both) of various goods.
- Related on the Mother’s side.
- Pronounced ‘cordner’. A worker or trader in leather
goods. Generally means a Shoemaker or Cobbler.
- Tenant of a cottage, with or without a small piece of land.
- Likely in old records to mean a step-daughter. Also a
daughter-in-law may be referred to as ‘daughter’.
- Abandoned Child/infant.
- 21 years of age or over.
- A local term meaning ‘christened privately’ or not
in church. This was done by a parson in the house very soon
after birth because the baby was weak and not expected to
live. If the child survived however, it was then expected to
‘be received into the church’ at a ceremony in the
presence of the godparents and congregation.
- A small group of houses separate from the village but still part
of the parish.
- These were held annually to enable employers to find
employees. The employees were primarily Farm Labourers and
were hired for a year. The fairs would attract masters and
servants from many miles away and this often explains why some of
our ancestors can be found in parishes quite a distance from their
- Small Farmer.
- Buried without Christian rites – e.g. Unbaptized persons
- A person who has completed his apprenticeship and hires his
labour out by the day or week.
- 25 March.
Theft of goods above the value of 12 pence from the
owners’ house, not the person or by night. It was a
Theft of goods to the value of 12 pence or less. The
punishment was imprisonment or whipping. The distinction
between Petty and Grand was removed in 1827.
- A dwelling house with ground around it and any
- 29 September
- This was a note made in the burial register when the body was
unshrouded and the coffin was unlined. This was often the
case with the poor who couldn’t afford the fine for burying
the dead in anything other than wool.
- Until the end of the 1600’s, this meant a Grandson,
descendant, or kinsman.
- Up until the 1600’s this meant a descendant, either male
or female. Occasionally it was used to mean any younger
- Nonconformists, especially Roman Catholics.
- Brothers and/or Sisters with at least one parent in common.
- A divorced person.
One who had borne a child, though unmarried.
- Often used to mean Sister-in-law.
- A temporary resident in a parish.
- Often used to mean ‘step-son’. When the
surname is not mentioned the term can be lost under
- A more substantial Farmer than a Husbandman.
Definitions of Latin Words
- Borough, town
de hac parochial / de hujus parochie
- of this parish
of the deceased person
- Led (in marriage)
- A stranger
- Small son/daughter
filius ( a)
- Son (daughter)
filius (-a) populi
filius (-a) nulli
- Illegitimate child/bastard son or daughter. Literally, son or
daughter of the people.
Illegitimate child/bastard. Literally, son or daughter of
- Lower, Nether
- Clothed in wool; buried in woollen
- Grandson, nephew, descendant
- He or she died
- of the parish
- Little, small
- Pilgrim; traveller
- Aforesaid, above-mentioned
- Old man
sepultus (-a) erat
- Was buried
- Upper, Higher
- Married; married man
- Husband, individual man