OFHS - Transcribed Wills

Updated 16 Jan 2010. 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 themslves various pronunciations and stresses of an unrecognised word. "Brandian", for instance (given a long "i"), may turn out to be "Brand(ing) Iron".
Word	Meaning
Money	All sums are in pounds, shillings & pence (Łsd), written (before decimalisation) as Łx/y/z for x pounds, y shillings and z pence
	A Pound was 20 shillings, a Shilling was 12 pence.
	A Sovereign was a gold coin worth one pound (Ł1/-/-) -- also Half-sovereign (10/-).
	A Mark was 13 shillings & 4 pence (13/4), two-thirds of a pound.
	A Noble was 6 shillings & 8 pence (6/8), one third of a pound.
	A Spur-royal was a gold coin worth fifteen shillings (15/-)
	A Guinea (gn) was a gold coin worth one pound & one shilling (1/1/-). Bequests of 19 guineas (Ł19/19/-) are due to the introduction of inheritance tax from the Ł20 level.
	A Crown was five shillings (5/-) -- also Half-a-crown (2/6).
	A Florin was two shillings -- a Victorian attempt at decimalisation.
	A Groat was four pence (4d).
	A Farthing was a quarter of a penny.
	An Angel was a gold coin (value unknown at present)
Weights & Measures
Stone	14 lb
Quarter	28 lb (¼ hundredweight) [or] 8 bushels (perhaps originally ¼ ton of corn)
Hundredweight (cwt)	112 lb -- one twentieth of a ton.
Bushel	8 gallons (dry measure)
Peck	2 gallons (dry measure), a quarter of a bushel
Acre	4840 square yards
Rood	¼ acre
Perch, Pole or Rod	5½ yards [or] 30¼ sq yds (1/160 acre).
Furlong	220 yards ("Furrow-long" -- the distance a plough-horse could pull before needing a short rest.)

General
Advowson	The right of appointing a clergyman to a church benefice.
Andirons	Iron bars to support logs in a fire. Firedogs.
Angel	see Money.
Anticipation	Payment in advance of annuities etc. Usually telling Trustees not to allow it.
Armiger	A person entitled to bear arms. An Esquire.
Arras	Rich tapestry, wall-hanging.
Assart	Forest land reclaimed for agriculture.
Attestation Clause	Declaration by witnesses that they were present, with their signatures.
Backside	Premises at the back of a house.
Bailiwick	The jurisdiction of a Bailiff.
Bald	Hairless or featherless; an animal having white markings on face or head.
Beasts, Beasse	Cattle
Billet	A small log used as fuel.
Boulting [Mill or Vat]	Machine for sifting bran from flour - Vat containing the mixture.
Bower	An inner apartment or private room; a dwelling.
Brewing Lead	Lead-lined vessel for cooling ale.
Bro(a)ch	Probably a roasting-spit.
Bulchyn	Bull-calf
Bushel	See Weights & Measures.
Calamanco	Satin-twilled woollen fabric with chequered or brocade design woven in.
Catall(s)	As Chattels, but more personal implications - clothes etc. Also alt sp of Cattle.
Chafing dish	Dish for cooking over hot coals.
Chaforne	As Chafing dish.
Chamber	Usually a bedroom.
Charger	Large flat dish, as for a joint of meat. Not a war-horse.
Chilver	Ewe-lamb, maybe for breeding.
Civer	Shallow tub -- see also Dough Keever
Close	Small enclosed field or other area.
Coffer	Chest for holding money or valuables.
Consols	Consolidated Annuities -- government securities.
Conygeare	Domestic rabbit-warren (various spellings)
Coverture	The status of a married woman considered as being under the protection of her husband. Not a chocolate coating.
Demise	Transfer by lease.
Diaper	Linen (or cotton) cloth with a square or diamond pattern.
Distraint	Seizure of goods etc in payment of an overdue debt. "Sending in the bailiffs".
Dough keever	Shallow tub with a dished lid for mixing and kneading bread.
Dower	The right of a widow to claim a life interest in one third of her husband's lands (aka "thirds"}
Executor's Year	Executor has one year to administer the estate without paying interest to the beneficiaries.
Eyot	A small island (also Ait).
Farthing	see Money.
Fee Simple	Unconditional inheritance.
Feoff	To grant possession of a fief (qv) or property in land.
Feoffee	The person invested with a fief (qv).
Fief	Land held in return for feudal service etc.
Flitch	Side of bacon.
Flock mattress	A mattress stuffed with wool - cheaper (and harder) than feathers.
Freebench	A widow's right to an endowment out of her husband's lands - also Dower, Thirds.
Fryse/Frieze	Rough heavy woollen cloth.
Fulling-mill	A mill in which new woollen cloth was cleansed and scoured to thicken it.
Furlong	see Weights & Measures above. Also used in naming fields and land areas within them.
Goody	Wife of a yeoman - more generally, a respected elderly village-woman.
Groat	see Money.
Guinea	see Money.
Garner	Granary, or more generally a store of anything.
Heifer	Young cow
Hemp cards	combs for preparing hemp for weaving etc.
Hereditament	Any property that may pass to a heir.
Heriot	A "renewal fee" due to the Lord of the Manor on the death of a tenant. Originally his best beast or chattel.
Higler	A trader, often one who travelled.
Holland	Linen fabric, originally fine, later coarse and unbleached.
Hogg, Hoggerel	Yearling sheep, as yet unshorn.
Homestall	Homestead, Farmyard.
Hotchpot	A commixture of property in order to secure an equable division amongst children.
Hundredweight	See Weights & Measures.
Item	Latin for "Also" (when used at the beginning of a bequest).
Joined/Joyned	Of furniture, constructed with proper woodworking joints.
Joint Tenant	Has non-specific share in property which cannot be left by will but passes automatically to survivor(s). Cf "Tenant in Common".
Jointure	Property transferred by husband to wife at marriage, for her use after his death.
Keever, Kiver	see Dough keever, Wort keever.
Kilderkin	Small cask. Liquid measure of 18 gallons.
Kirtle	Gown or outer petticoat.
Land/Half-land	One (or half) strip of an open (shared) field.
Latten/Lattyne	Brass or similar alloy; sometimes tin-plate.
Laving basin	Washing basin.
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.
Leasowe	Pasture, Meadow.
Ley	Arable land under grass or pasture.
Liberty	Area within which certain privileges (legal or ecclesiastical) may be enjoyed.
Liquidate	To turn assets into cash; To pay debts.
Lockram	Type of coarse linen.
Malt	Grain (usually barley) sprouted and dried. The basis of ale & beer.
Mark	see Money.
Maser	Ornamental goblet
Maslin	Mixed grain (especially rye & wheat).
Mazard bowl	perhaps Mazarine Dish, a cooking dish set inside a larger dish, like a double-boiler.
Mead(e)	Meadow.
Messuage	Dwelling with offices and adjoining land.
Milch (cow)	Cow kept for milking
Moiety	A part -- usually half.
Month's mind	Commemoration (by Masses) one month after death or burial.
Noble	see Money.
Nuncupative	Will made orally and unsigned, before witnesses who later swore to it pre-Probate.
Parcel-gilt	Partly gilded.
Partlet	Neck-covering or ruff. A kind of shirt.
Peasons	Plural of pease (pea)
Peck	See Weights & Measures.
Peculiar	A parish or church exempt from the jurisdiction of the Diocese within which it lies.
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.
Pillow-bere	Pillowcase.
Posnet	Small cooking-pot.
Posy	A small bunch of flowers. A motto (eg engraved inside a ring).
Pottinger	Small bowl.
Press	A cupboard or shelved recess.
Quarter	See Weights & Measures.
Quarter-Days	Days (derived from ancient Church Feast-days) on which 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.
Queen Anne's Bounty	Fund (started 1703) for helping to support C of E clergy in poor parishes.
Quern	Hand-operated stone mill for grinding corn, malt etc.
Relict	Widow (or widower, but rarely so used).
Renunciation	Official surrender of Rights.
Sainfoin	A leguminous fodder plant.
Sallow	A variety of willow, the timber having specialised uses.
Salt	Salt-cellar - a container for salt.
Sart(e)s	See Assart.
Sarum	Old name for Salisbury.
Saucer	Sauce dish.
Save harmless	Protect or indemnify [someone] against harm (often financial)
Searcer	Fine sieve or strainer
Sert(e)s	See Assart.
Shepick	A pitchfork, hayfork.
Sir	Used as an honorific for local priests (as well as for Knights and Baronets)
Sithe	Scythe.
Solar/Soller	An upstairs room.
Spur-royal	see Money.
Staddle(-stone)	Mushroom-shaped stone construct used to support hay-ricks etc, to keep ground-damp and rats out.
Stall (of bees)	A hive or skep.
Steer	Young ox or bull-calf, usually castrated, 2-4 years old.
Stell	Probably portable enclosures for stock.
Stone	See Weights & Measures.
Stryke, Strick(le) etc	Measure of grain or malt; a tool for levelling the top of such a measure.
Table-board	A table-top. Tables commonly came with separate trestles.
Tail male	Limitation of inheritance to males.
Tallow-chandler	Dealer in candles etc.
Teg	Second-year sheep.
Tenant in Common	Owns specific share in property which can be left by will. Cf "Joint Tenant".
Tenement	Dwelling or habitation, or part thereof. A holding.
Theave	Young ewe.
Thirds	See "Dower".
Ticking	The cloth casing of a mattress, stuffed with feathers, flock etc.
Toft	Homestead.
Treen	Small household articles made of wood.
Trental	Series of 30 Requiem Masses.
Tusser, Tussore	Fawn silk cloth.
Twill(y)cloth	Woven cloth.
Wainscot	Oak panelling on an interior wall.
Wainscot chest	An oak-panelled chest.
Weaning	Newly-weaned (farm) animal.
Wether	Castrated ram.
Wort	Malt liquor - part of the brewing process.
Wort keever	Wort tub for brewing.
Yard Land	A measure of land area, often about 30 acres.
Yelt	Young sow.

Oxfordshire Family History Society

Transcribed Wills - Glossary

Word

Meaning