Genealogy Dictionary
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
Godparent
a man or woman who sponsors a child at baptism, also called a
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