Updated 7 Nov 2024.
The older the will, the stranger the spelling, and it would be impossible to include every spelling of every word.
Users are recommended to mutter to themselves various pronunciations and stresses of an unrecognised word.
"Brandian", for instance (given a long "i"), may turn out to be "Brand(ing) Iron".
The English Reformation may be regarded as happening around 1530, the Dissolution of the Monasteries beginning in 1536.
Prior to that (and afterwards, for "recusant" Catholics), wills would often include mentions of "our Lady St Mary", which later disappeared.
The diocese of Oxford was created and detached from the diocese of Lincoln in 1542.
The then county of Berks was transferred from Salisbury diocese in 1836, and Bucks from Lincoln diocese in 1845.
Great swathes of Oxon have traditionally been "owned" by Colleges of the University, and leased to individuals. That may be what "College-hold" property means.
Calendars: For us, the important point is that in 1752 Britain belatedly switched from the Julian calendar (by then just over 11 days out of sync with the seasons) to the more accurate Gregorian version, causing riots ... "Give us back our eleven days!" ... and at the same time switching the official New Year from 25th Mar (the beginning of Spring) to 1st Jan (the beginning of nothing in particular).
Incidentally, that also explains why our "financial year" starts on 5 Apr, 11 days after the old New Year.
Here we record pre-1752 dates between 1 Jan and 24 Mar as (eg) 1 Feb 1614/15 -- they saw it as 1614, today we would see it as 1615.
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Word | Meaning |
| Money | All sums are in pounds, shillings & pence (£sd), written (before decimalisation) as £x/y/z for x pounds, y shillings and z pence
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| | A Pound was 20 shillings, a Shilling was 12 pence.
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| | A Sovereign was a gold coin worth one pound (£1/-/-) -- also Half-sovereign (10/-).
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| | A Broad (Piece) was a gold coin worth one pound (£1/-/-) issued c 1656 by the Commonwealth (who disposed of Sovereigns ...)
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| | A Mark was 13 shillings & 4 pence (13/4), two-thirds of a pound.
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| | A Noble was 6 shillings & 8 pence (6/8), one third of a pound.
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| | A Spur-royal was a gold coin worth fifteen shillings (15/-)
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| | A Guinea (gn) was a gold coin worth one pound & one shilling (1/1/-).
Bequests of 19 guineas (£19/19/-) are due to the introduction of inheritance tax from the £20 level.
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| | A Crown was five shillings (5/-) -- also Half-a-crown (2/6).
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| | A Florin was two shillings -- a Victorian attempt at decimalisation.
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| | A Groat was four pence (4d).
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| | An Obolus (ob) was half a penny.
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| | A Farthing was a quarter of a penny.
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| | An Angel was a gold coin bearing the figure of an angel (value unknown at present)
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| Weights & Measures
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| Ell | A cloth measure, rather variable but usually around 40 inches.
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| Stone | 14 lb
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| Quarter | 28 lb (¼ hundredweight) [or] 8 bushels (perhaps originally ¼ ton of corn)
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| Hundredweight (cwt) | 112 lb -- one twentieth of a ton.
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| Bushel | 8 gallons (dry measure)
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| Dicker, Dyker | A bundle of ten hides or skins.
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| Peck | 2 gallons (dry measure), a quarter of a bushel
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| Acre | 4840 square yards
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| Rood | ¼ acre
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| Perch, Pole or Rod | 5½ yards [or] 30¼ sq yds (1/160 acre).
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| Furlong | 220 yards ("Furrow-long" -- the distance a plough-horse could pull before needing a short rest.)
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| Yard Land | A measure of land area, often about 30 acres. Occasionally it can mean a half-acre.
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| Furndell, Ferundel, Farundel | A measure of land area, about 10 acres or ¼ of a yard land.
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| Tod(d) (of wool) | About 28 lb. A tod-stone might be a weight for weighing it out.
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| Virgate | A measure of land area, often about 30 acres.
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| General
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| Ademption | Cancellation of a bequest by destruction or sale of the thing bequeathed.
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| Advowson | The right of appointing a clergyman to a church benefice.
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| Agist | To take in (cattle) to graze for payment.
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| Agistment | The price paid for cattle pasturing on the land; more generally, a burden or tax
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| Agnes or Agnus Dei | (probably) The figure of a lamb (representing Christ) carrying a banner of the Cross.
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| Alembic | A distilling vessel, often pear-shaped.
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| Ambry | A recess, cupboard, pantry etc.
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| Andirons | Iron bars to support logs in a fire. Firedogs.
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| Angel | see Money.
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| Anticipation | Payment in advance of annuities etc. Usually telling Trustees not to allow it.
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| Armiger | A person entitled to bear arms. An Esquire.
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| Arras | Rich tapestry, wall-hanging.
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| Assart | Forest land reclaimed for agriculture.
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| Attestation Clause | Declaration by witnesses that they were present, with their signatures.
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| Backside | Premises at the back of a house.
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| Bailiwick | The jurisdiction of a Bailiff.
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| Bald | Hairless or featherless; an animal having white markings on face or head.
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| Band | An agreement or promise; Security given.
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| Barrow pig | A castrated boar.
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| Bavin | A bundle of brushwood for kindling.
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| Beasts, Beasse | Cattle
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| Billet | A small log used as fuel.
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| Boulting [Mill or Vat] | Machine for sifting bran from flour - Vat containing the mixture.
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| Bower | An inner apartment or private room; a dwelling.
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| Branched | (of cloth) Having a sprigged pattern.
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| Brewing Lead | Lead-lined vessel for cooling ale.
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| Bro(a)ch | Probably a roasting-spit.
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| Bulchyn | Bull-calf.
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| Burd cloth | Tablecloth.
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| Burnet | Reddish-brown colour.
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| Bushel | See Weights & Measures.
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| Calamanco | Satin-twilled woollen fabric with chequered or brocade design woven in.
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| Caliver | a 16C firearm - an improved form of arquebus with a standard calibre.
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| Cart line | Soft but strong rope to guide horses, in place of reins. At the time, made from hemp.
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| Catall(s) | As Chattels, but more personal implications - clothes etc. Also alt sp of Cattle.
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| Caudle | A warm sweet spiced drink, mixed with wine, given to the sick. Often served in a two-handled caudle-cup.
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| Chafing dish | Dish for cooking over hot coals.
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| Chaforne | As Chafing dish.
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| Chamber | Usually a bedroom.
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| C(h)amlet(t) | Fine wool (or wool and silk) cloth, or wool and goats' hair.
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| Chantry | Pre-Reformation, a chapel (usually endowed by a rich family) where Masses were said for the souls of the family dead.
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| Chantry Lands | A Chantry could be endowed with lands, the rent going to the upkeep of the chapel etc. After the Reformation, the lands were sold off.
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| Charger | Large flat dish, as for a joint of meat. Not a war-horse.
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| Chattel Lease | A tenancy for a fixed term of years, or occasionally a lease of lives (qv).
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| Chilver | Ewe-lamb, maybe for breeding.
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| Citation | An official summons to appear before some bureaucrat.
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| Civer | Shallow tub -- see also Dough Keever
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| Close | Small enclosed field or other area.
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| Cobirons | Iron bars in front of a fire, intended to support a spit.
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| Cockloft | A small room immediately under the roof..
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| Coffer | Chest for holding money or valuables.
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| College-hold | Probably a term used for lease-hold where the "landlord" was an Oxford College. But if anyone knows otherwise ...
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| Concealed Lands | Pre-Reformation, the monasteries owned a lot of land. After their dissolution, much of it remained "concealed" or undiscovered, so that the crown could not collect the rent. Much effort went into finding and dealing with these lands during Elizabeth's and James's reigns.
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| Consols | Consolidated Annuities -- government securities.
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| Conygeare | Domestic rabbit-warren (various spellings)
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| Cople | A pair of anything, but particularly a ewe and lamb.
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| Corporas | The cloth on which the Eucharist is laid during Mass.
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| Coulter (and Share) | Parts of a plough. The coulter slices through the solid ground, the share then turns the new slice aside.
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| Coverture | The status of a married woman considered as being under the protection of her husband. Not a chocolate coating.
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| Curtilage | A court, garden, paddock etc attached and belonging to a house.
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| Customary Land | Land held (as a tenant) in return for agreed services to the Lord of the Manor.
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| Dagswain | A coarse woollen fabric.
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| Deads Year | Same as Executor's Year (below)
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| Demise | Transfer by lease.
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| Deodand | A personal chattel which had directly caused the accidental death of a human -- forfeited to the Crown.
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| Diaper | Linen (or cotton) cloth with a square or diamond pattern.
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| Dicker, Dyker | See Weights & Measures.
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| Dimothy | Heavy cotton fabric, embroidered or striped.;
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| Dirige and Mass | Part of Catholic "Office for the dead" -- "Dirige Domine ..." being the first antiphon said at Matins, followed by the Requiem Mass.
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| Distraint | Seizure of goods etc in payment of an overdue debt. "Sending in the bailiffs".
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| Dobnet | Small saucepan.
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| Doctors Commons | A College of Doctors of Civil Law (until 1858). The PCC was one of five Courts held there.
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| Dornick aka Darnex | Strong figured linen damask, originally from Doornik (Tournai) in Belgium.
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| Dough keever | Shallow tub with a dished lid for mixing and kneading bread.
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| Dower | The right of a widow to claim a life interest in one third of her husband's lands (aka "thirds"}
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| Dowlas | A coarse linen cloth.
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| Dung pot | A low cart for transporting manure to the fields.
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| Ell | See Weights & Measures
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| Executor's Year | Executor has one year to administer the estate without paying interest to the beneficiaries.
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| Eyot | A small island (also Ait).
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| Farthing | see Money.
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| Fee Simple | Unconditional inheritance.
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| Feoff | To grant possession of a fief (qv) or property in land.
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| Feoffee | The person invested with a fief (qv).
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| Fief | Land held in return for feudal service etc.
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| Fine, Fyne | A fictitious law-suit used as a means of conveying property or barring an entail.
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| Fire bote | Tenant's right to cut wood for firewood.
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| Fire house | The main living-room, with the largest (or only) fireplace.
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| Flitch | Side of bacon.
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| Flock mattress | A mattress stuffed with wool - cheaper (and harder) than feathers.
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| Freebench | A widow's right to an endowment out of her husband's lands - also Dower, Thirds.
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| Fryse/Frieze | Rough heavy woollen cloth.
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| Fulling-mill | A mill in which new woollen cloth was cleansed and scoured to thicken it.
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| Furlong | see Weights & Measures above. Also used in naming fields and land areas within them.
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| Furndell, Ferundel, Farundel | See Weights & Measures
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| Garner | Granary, or more generally a store of anything.
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| Goody | Wife of a yeoman - more generally, a respected elderly village-woman.
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| Gorget | A neck ornament.
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| Gospane | A large pan, supposedly big enough to cook a goose.
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| Gossip/Gossep | A good friend or neighbour.
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| Groat | see Money.
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| Grogram | a coarse cloth of silk and mohair.
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| Grosgrain | A heavy corded silk material.
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| Guinea | see Money.
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| Hallowtide, Hallontide | Feast of All Saints, 1 Nov.
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| Hanaper | A former department of Chancery; also a case for a goblet or for treasure, papers etc.
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| Harden | Very coarse sheeting made from poor materials.
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| Healing | A covering, usually for a bed.
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| Heifer | Young cow
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| Hemp cards | combs for preparing hemp for weaving etc.
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| Hereditament | Any property that may pass to a heir.
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| Heriot | A "renewal fee" due to the Lord of the Manor on the death of a tenant. Originally his best beast or chattel.
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| Higler | A trader, often one who travelled.
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| Hogg, Hoggerel | Yearling sheep, as yet unshorn.
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| Holland | Linen fabric, originally fine, later coarse and unbleached.
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| Holyrood Day | 14 September.
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| Homestall | Homestead, Farmyard.
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| Hotchpot | A commixture of property in order to secure an equable division amongst children.
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| House bote | Tenant's right to cut wood for repairs to his house.
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| Hovel[ling] | Shed, also wood for sheds and framework of ricks.
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| Hundredweight | See Weights & Measures.
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| Impropriation | Transference of ecclesiastical property to a layman.
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| Inkle | A braided linen tape.
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| Item | Latin for "Also" (when used at the beginning of a bequest).
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| Joined/Joyned | Of furniture, constructed with proper woodworking joints.
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| Joint Tenant | Has non-specific share in property which cannot be left by will but passes automatically to survivor(s). Cf "Tenant in Common".
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| Jointure | Property transferred by husband to wife at marriage, for her use after his death.
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| Keever, Kiver | see Dough keever, Wort keever.
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| Kercher, Kerchief | Triangle or square of cloth to cover a woman's head or shoulders -- today, a head-scarf.
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| Kersey | Coarse ribbed cloth, used for heavy garments.
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| Kilderkin | Small cask. Liquid measure of 18 gallons.
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| Kirtle | Gown or outer petticoat.
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| Lammas | August 1st. A festival for the wheat harvest, aka Loaf Mass.
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| Land/Half-land | One (or half) strip of an open (shared) field.
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| Latten/Lattyne | Brass or similar alloy; sometimes tin-plate.
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| Laver or Laving basin | Washing basin.
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| Lease of Lives | A vague period or term of a lease involving the lifetimes of three persons, usually the purchaser and two young people, not necessarily relatives. If one died, a fourth life could usually be added for an extra fee.
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| Leasowe | Pasture, Meadow.
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| Ley | Arable land under grass or pasture.
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| Liberty | Area within which certain privileges (legal or ecclesiastical) may be enjoyed.
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| Life Land | Land held under a Lease of Lives (see above)
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| Liquidate | To turn assets into cash; To pay debts.
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| Living | A person's farm, small-holding or similar source of income.
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| Lockram | Type of coarse linen cloth, originally from Locronan in Brittany.
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| Malt | Grain (usually barley) sprouted and dried. The basis of ale & beer.
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| Manteau | A woman's loose gown.
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| Mark | see Money.
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| Martinmas / Martlemas | Feast of St Martin of Tours, Nov 11.
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| Maser | Ornamental goblet
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| Maslin, Maskelin | Mixed grain (especially rye & wheat).
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| Mazard bowl | A drinking bowl without a foot, made from a turned knotty wood, probably black cherry.
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| Mazarine Dish | a cooking dish set inside a larger dish, like a double-boiler.
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| Mead(e) | Meadow.
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| Measvate or Masvat | Vat for infusion of malt and barley.
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| Medley gown/coat | Made of mixed-colour wools.
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| Messuage | Dwelling with offices and adjoining land.
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| Michaelmas | 29 Aug, marking the turn of the husbandman's year, after harvest and before sowing.. See Quarter-Days.
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| Milch (cow) | Cow kept for milking
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| Mockado | A Flemish cloth imitating velvet.
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| Moiety | A part -- usually half.
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| Monteith | A large bowl with scalloped edges, used to hang punch-glasses to cool them.
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| Month's mind | Commemoration (by Masses) one month after death or burial.
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| Mortuary | Burial fee due to local vicar if estate worth more than £40.
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| Mrs or Mistress | NOT necessarily a married woman or widow, but a term of respect for a middle-class woman.
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| Muncke corn, Muncorn | Mixed grain.
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| Naker | One of a pair of small mediaeval kettle-drums, later probably a measure.
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| Noble | see Money.
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| Nuncupative | Will made orally and unsigned, before witnesses who later swore to it pre-Probate.
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| Occamy | A silvery alloy, used in alchemy.
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| Parcel-gilt | Partly gilded.
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| Partlet | Female neck-covering or ruff. A kind of shirt covering the neck and upper chest.
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| Peasons | Plural of pease (pea)
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| Peck | See Weights & Measures.
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| Peculiar | A parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the Diocese within which it lies.
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| per stirpes | If one of a group of legatees dies, only his/her share is divided among his/her own children, rather than the whole being reallocated.
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| Pightle | A small enclosure or croft.
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| Pillow-bere | Pillowcase.
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| Posnet | A small cooking-pot with a handle and (usually) three legs.
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| Posy | A small bunch of flowers. A motto (eg engraved inside a ring).
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| Pottinger | Small bowl.
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| Powdring Trough, Tub | Trough or Tub for salting & curing meat.
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| Press | A cupboard or shelved recess.
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| Purparty | A share of an estate left to co-heirs which is apportioned to one of them when the estate is divided.
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| Quarter | See Weights & Measures.
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| Quarter-Days | Days (derived from ancient Church Feast-days) when quarterly payments such as rents and annuities were (and still are) to be made.
English Quarter-days are 25 Mar Lady Day (the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary); 24 Jun Midsummer; 29 Sep Michaelmas (Feast of St Michael the Archangel); 25 Dec Christmas Day. Scottish Quarter-days are different.
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| Queen Anne's Bounty | Fund (started 1703) for helping to support C of E clergy in poor parishes.
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| Quern | Hand-operated stone mill for grinding corn, malt etc.
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| Rail, night-rail | Loose female garment.
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| Relict | Widow (or widower, but rarely so used).
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| Renunciation | Official surrender of Rights.
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| Rule against Perpetuities | Aaarrrggghhh -- Google it :-)
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| Russet | A reddish-brown colour; A coarse homespun cloth, dress or coat.
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| Safeguard | An over-skirt to protect garments from wet or dust (often when riding).
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| Sainfoin | A leguminous fodder plant.
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| Sallow | A variety of willow, the timber having specialised uses.
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| Salt | Salt-cellar - a container for salt.
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| Sarsenet | A thin tissue of fine silk.
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| Sart(e)s | See Assart.
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| Sarum | Old name for Salisbury.
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| Saucer | Sauce dish.
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| Saveall | A metal or pottery container in which candle-ends could be melted down to be re-used.
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| Save harmless | Protect or indemnify [someone] against harm (often financial)
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| Saye | A woollen fabric like serge.
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| Searce, Search | Fine sieve or strainer
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| Seedlip, sidlip &c | Lidded basket to hold seed for manual sowing.
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| Sert(e)s | See Assart.
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| Shepick, Suppick etc | A pitchfork, hayfork.
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| Shere Thursday | Maundy Thursday
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| Shooting upon | a triangular or pointed area of land meeting a road or normal rectangular area of land.
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| Sir | Used as an honorific for local priests (as well as for Knights and Baronets)
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| Sithe | Scythe.
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| Solar/Soller | An upstairs room.
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| Specialty | A money bond with priority over other debts.
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| Spence | A room or cupboard for storage of food and drink.
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| Spur-royal | see Money.
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| Staddle(-stone) | Mushroom-shaped stone construct used to support hay-ricks etc, to keep ground-damp and rats out.
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| Stall (of bees) | A hive or skep.
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| Standard to the house | What we might now call Fixtures and Fittings, to be treated as part of the house.
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| Steer | Young ox or bull-calf, usually castrated, 2-4 years old.
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| Stell, stele etc | Probably portable enclosures for stock. Also a barrel-stand.
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| Stone | See Weights & Measures.
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| Stryke, Strick(le) etc | Measure of grain or malt; also a tool for levelling the top of such a measure.
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| Tabby | Watered silk material, maybe patterned.
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| Table-board | A table-top. Tables commonly came with separate trestles.
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| Tail male | Limitation of inheritance to males.
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| Tallet | Either animal-fodder or cut timber for building.
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| Tallow-chandler | Dealer in candles etc.
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| Tammy | Hard-wearing worsted cloth.
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| Tawer | A tanner specialising in white leather.
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| Tear(e) | The finest form of hemp fibre, used for sheets etc,
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| Teg | Second-year sheep.
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| Tenant in Common | Owns specific share in property which can be left by will. Cf "Joint Tenant".
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| Tenement | Dwelling or habitation, or part thereof. A holding.
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| Theave | Young ewe.
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| Thirds | See "Dower".
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| Ticking | The cloth casing of a mattress, stuffed with feathers, flock etc.
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| Tippet | A short cloak.
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| Tod | See Weights and Measures.
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| Toft | Homestead.
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| Treen | Small household articles made of wood.
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| Trental | Series of 30 Requiem Masses.
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| Tusser, Tussore | Fawn silk cloth.
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| Twill(y)cloth | Woven cloth.
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| Upholder | Several obsolete meanings: Upholsterer; Undertaker; Dealer in 2nd-hand clothes & furniture
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| Wainscot | Oak panelling on an interior wall.
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| Wainscot chest | An oak-panelled chest.
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| Weaning | Newly-weaned (farm) animal.
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| Wether | Castrated ram.
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| Witch, Which | A wooden meal-bin..
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| Woodward | Officer who guards or has responsibility for woodlands,
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| Wort | Malt liquor - part of the brewing process.
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| Wort keever, Wort pan | Wort tub for brewing.
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| Wrought | [usually] Embroidered.
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| Xpian | Christian.
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| Yard Land | See Weights & Measures.
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| Yelt | Young sow.
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| Yote | To pour water on, to soak.
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| Yoting vat | A trough for soaking and fermenting, eg barley for beer.
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