There are currently 606 words and terms in this glossary.
A.D.
Anno Domini (Latin, meaning in the year of our Lord). A date as measured from the birth of Jesus Christ.
Abatement
[1] The difference between the amount of the estate an heir is to receive as specified in a will and the amount actually received, due to property devaluation between the time the will was made and when the death occurred. [2] (Heraldry) A mark of dishonour in a coat of arms. The most common was the point and gore, which cut off an angle on the shield and was given for lying, boasting, drunkenness, killing a prisoner who had surrendered, rape, and sloth in war.
Abeyance
A state of temporary disuse or suspension, or of waiting for an owner or claimant.
Absentee Landlord
A landowner who lived far away from the area they owned.
Absolute Pardon
(Australia) Absolute pardons excused convicts from serving the remainder of their sentence. These convicts then enjoyed the same rights as free people, including the right to return to the UK or Ireland.
Absolution
Last Rites.
Abstract
Summary of important points of a given text. Abstracts are commonly created for articles (such as obituaries) in periodicals and newspapers and for documents or collections of records.
Abstract Book
A record book containing abstracts deed or land entries, usually listed in alphabetical order by surnames of the purchasers.
Abstract Of Title
A short description of a piece of property and the history of its title.
Abut
To adjoin, as in two properties.
Academic Transcript
A student’s educational record.
Accoucheur
Male midwife.
Accoucheuse
Female midwife.
Accretion
Right of inheritance by survival.
Acid Free
Documents should reproduced on acid free paper, and filed in acid-free containers as the acid in poor quality paper and in some storage devices can lead to the destruction of documents and photographs.
Acre
Measurement of Land equal to 4,047 m2 or 43,560 square feet or 160 square rods. See also Rod.
Acre-Dale
(Scottish) A method of letting land in small portions of about one acre each; land apportioned in this way.
Acreman
[1] A cultivator of the ground, a farmer; a ploughman; specifically, a manorial tenant. [2] (Scottish) a person who rents a piece of ground of a Scottish acre or more.
Act Book
A day-by-day account of probate court actions. Also called a Grant Book.
Action
A proceeding in a court of law.
Administration
A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An Administration may also be called a Letter of Administration or Admon.
Administrator
Person appointed by a court to manage or divide the estate of a deceased person if they died intestate (without leaving a will).
Administrator's Bond
A bond posted by an administrator to guarantee the proper performance of their duties.
Administratrix
A female administrator.
Admission Record
A record created when an individual became a member of a church or certain organisations.
Admon
A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). Also known as a Letter of Administration or Administration Bond.
Admon With A Will
A record granting the right to administer an estate when the executor who is named in the will is deceased or unwilling or unable to act as executor.
Adoption
The legal process in which the rights and duties of caring of a child are transferred from the birth parent(s) to another individual or couple.
Adoption Record
A record of the legal proceedings of transferring the legal rights and duties of care of child from the birth parent(s) to another individual or couple.
Adoptive Parent/S
The individual or couple who legally assume responsibility for the rights and duty of care of a child not born to them.
Adscripticus
[Latin] A serf bound to a property.
Advancement
a gift given to a living child in anticipation of inheritance.
Advowson
The right of an individual to select and present a clergyman to a vacant church, benefice or other living. Advowsons were considered to a right of property and therefore, could be sold or bequeathed by Will and Testament.
Affeer
To settle the amount of an amercement (fine); to assess. See also Amercement.
Affidavit
A written statement of facts, sworn under oath and witnessed by an official individual with authority.
Age Of Consent
The age at which a person may legally marry without parental approval.
Age Of Majority
During the mediaeval era and the era of feudalism, in England the age of majority for males was 21 and for females 14 if married and 16 if single. The attainment of such an age was usually referred to as being "of full age". Thus, wardship for males ended at the age of 21, on the obtaining by the ward of a "proof of age" writ, issued after a Proof of age inquisition had obtained evidence from a jury of witnesses. Until that time a ward could be forced to marry a person of the warder's choosing, often his own child, and the resultant progeny would inherit the property formerly subject to the wardship at their father's death, usually regulated by the marriage settlement.
Ahnentafel Chart
(Germanic) An ancestor chart or ancestor table that lists the name and date and place of birth, marriage, and death for an individual and specified number of his or her ancestors. The first individual on the list is number one, the father is number two, the mother is number three, the paternal grandfather is number four, the paternal grandmother is number five, and so forth. This chart is also called a continental pedigree.
Aka
(abbreviation) Also Known As
Alias
A pseudonym. A false or alternative name a person uses other than their real name.
Alias Capias
The writ of capias ad respondendum (capias) ordered the sheriff to arrest a defendant in a civil case for appearance in court to answer the plaintiff’s declaration. The writ states the name of defendant, the court term when he was required to appear; the name of the plaintiff, the form of action (in non-bailable cases this was a fictitious trespass); and the names of the justice, clerk, and plaintiff's attorney. The writ does not contain a statement of the plaintiffs claim. The Alias Capias is the second issuance of a capias after the original had gone without answer.
Alien
A foreigner.
Allod
A freehold estate.
Alms
(Archaic) Money or food given to poor people.
Almsman
Someone supported by charity or one who lived on alms. See also Alms.
Alumni Directory
A list of the names and addresses of people who graduated from a school, university, or other educational facility.
Amercement, Amerciament
A financial penalty in English law, common during the Middle Ages, imposed either by the court or by peers. Amercements were commonly used as a punishment for minor offences (such as trespassing in the king's forest), as an alternative to imprisonment.
Ancestor
A person from whom an individual is descended, a forefather.
Ancestor Chart
A report or chart that shows a person and all of their ancestors in a graphical format.
Annexed
Attached, attached to.
Annotation
A note by way of explanation or comment added to a text or diagram. Family historians use annotations to explain inconsistencies between two or more documents or to add information from another source to support a statement or conclusion.
Annuitant
The term annuitant could describe someone on an annual allowance as well as someone receiving annual income from an investment. Often however, it was also used for institutionalized pensioners.
Ante
Latin prefix meaning before.
Antecessor
A previous owner of a property, not necessarily a blood relative, especially during early Medieval times.
Appearance Docket
A book containing minutes or abstracts of court appearances.
Appraisal
The process of determining the value of property or a document stating the value of property.
Appraisement
The estimated value of property.
Appraiser
An individual who determines the value of property. When determining the value of a deceased individual's estate, appraisers use an inventory to estimate the estate's value.
Apprentice
A person, usually a child, who is legally bound by indenture for a specified period of time to a master of a trade to work for the master and learn the trade. The master provided training, food, and lodging for the apprentice.
Apprentice Indenture
A record that documents an agreement between a master and an apprentice or the apprentice's legal guardian.
Apprenticeship Record
Official documentation showing the legal arrangement of the apprenticeship.
Apprenticeship Tax (Britain)
A tax between 1710 and 1811 which was assessed on the money a master received for an apprenticeship indenture.
Appurtenance
Things belonging to another thing, as hamlets to a manor and common of pasture, etc.
Archaic Word
A word that is no longer used or whose meaning that has changed substantially over time.
Archdeacon's Court
Church of England ecclesiastical court with jurisdiction over an archdeaconry. These courts frequently handled probates.
Archdeaconry
An ecclesiastical division within a diocese that is headed by an archdeacon. It may consist of one or more rural deaneries.
Archdeacons' Transcripts
Copies of parish registers sent by Church of England parish ministers to their archdeacons each year.
Archdiocese
An ecclesiastical division that is headed by an archbishop.
Archival Quality
Resistant to deterioration or loss of quality, allowing for a long-life expectancy when kept in controlled conditions. Not causing harm or reduced life expectancy.
Archive
A place where records and official documents of institutions are stored.
Armorial
An alphabetical list of people entitled to use a coat of arms. The armorial also describes the coat of arms. The term armorial can also refer to anything having to do with heraldry.
Arraign
To summon a prisoner to the bar and to read to them the charge or indictment.
Artefact
An object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest.
Ascendant
See Ancestor.
Assessment Roll
A list of property owners recording the value of their property and the amount in taxes each owner owes.
Assigned Servant
(Australia) A convict whose services were assigned under condition for a certain period to a private master or mistress.
Assisted Emigrant
Between 1815 and 1900, qualified emigrants received passage money or land grants in their destination country as an alternative to receiving poor relief. After 1840, Australia and New Zealand both offered money or land grants to skilled workers to encourage immigration.
Assisted Emigrants Register
A record of people who applied for assistance to emigrate to a new country.
Assize Court
A court in England that dealt with more serious criminal cases. It existed from the 1200s to 1971 and consisted of twelve judges appointed by the Crown.
Attest
To swear as a witness or to certify formally by signature or oath.
Aunt
The sister of a parent, or the wife of the brother of a parent.
Background Information
Information about the land, people, history, government, and other characteristics of an area. Background information helps to focus research in the most appropriate types of records for a given area and time period.
Balliff
[1] The sovereign's representative in a district, especially the chief officer of a hundred. [2] A sheriff's officer who executes writs and processes and carries out distraints and arrests.
Bankruptcy
The state of being unable to pay one's debts.
Banns
Public announcement of a couple’s intention to marry to allow advance notice should someone have reason to protest. The banns would be read aloud in Church on three consecutive Sundays prior to the marriage.
Baptism Certificate
A certificate stating the date and place an individual was baptised into a church.
Baptismal Date
The day an individual was baptized.
Barony
[1] (Ireland) A land division within a county in Ireland. Baronies were originally held by Irish chieftains, who obtained or leased it from the kings of the provinces. Eventually baronies came to be used only for financial and administrative reasons. [2] (Scotland)A freehold estate created by direct grant with charter from the Crown, which carried with it both civil and criminal jurisdiction.
Barracks
A building or group of buildings used to house soldiers or convicts in austere conditions.
Base Born
A child born out of wedlock. Also: illegitimate, bastard, natural born, and unlawful.
Bastard
A child born out of wedlock. Also: illegitimate, base born, natural born, and unlawful.
Bastardy Bond
A document guaranteeing that the father of an illegitimate child would take financial responsibility for the child. This document relieved the parish from that responsibility. Also called a Bond of Indemnification.
Benefice
A grant of land given to a noble or the church, usually for limited use or in return for specified services.
Beneficiary
A person who receives benefit from a will, deceased estate, trust or property.
Bequeath
To give personal property to a person in a will.
Bequest
A gift made by will. Legacy.
Bibliography
A list of sources referred to in written work, typically printed as an appendix.
Bill Of Sale
A written document that transfers property from one individual to another. It proves that a sale occurred.
Biographical Sketch
A brief account of an individual’s life.
Biography
A history of an individual’s life.
Birth Certificate/Record
An official document stating an individual's birth-date, birthplace, and parentage.
Birthright
A particular right of possession or privilege a person has from birth, especially as an eldest son.
Bishop's Court
The highest court in a diocese of the Church of England. These courts also had superior jurisdiction over lesser courts in probate matters. Bishop's courts are also called episcopal, commissary, diocesan, exchequer, and consistory courts.
Bishop's Transcript
A contemporary copy of a parish register of the Church of England that a local priest sent to the bishop of the diocese each year. The transcripts were supposed to be exact, but entries were sometimes abbreviated and may contain additional or variant information. If the original parish register has been lost, the bishop's transcript may be the only source of information.
Blue Books
A Government almanac comprising Public Service Lists along with official Returns and Supplements.
Boarder
A person who shares the dinner table with the family.
Bond
[1] A convict serving their sentence. [2] A binding agreement/deed requiring payment of a specified amount of money on or before a given date. [3] A contract to carry out specific duties for which, if not done satisfactorily, a penalty is paid.
Bond Of Indemnification
A document guaranteeing that the father of an illegitimate child would take financial responsibility for the child. This document relieved the parish from that responsibility. Also called a Bastardy Bond.
Bondsman
A person who will guarantee that if a bond holder does not meet their obligations, that individual or institution will. Also called a Surety.
Borough
[1] (Britain) A self-governing town or city that sends a representative to Parliament. [2] A city or town in Scotland. Also spelt burgh.
Bounty Immigrant
(Australia) An immigrant whose passage was paid by a settler. The emigrant would then work for the settler. Part of the cost of passage was repaid by the Government to the settler for organising agents to select and send emigrants. The system ran between 1835 and 1841.
Brieve
(Scotland) A document created by a Chancery Court that summoned the local Sheriff's Court to hold a jury trial. Brieves were issued when a landowner died, and the heir wished to take ownership of the land.
Brother
A male sibling.
Burgage
(England and Scotland) A tenure by which land or property in a town was held in return for service or annual rent.
Burgess
(Britian) [1] A freeman in a medieval town holding a piece of land. [2] A Member of Parliament for a borough, corporate town, or university. [3] A magistrate or member of the governing body of a town.
Burial Date
The date when a body was interred. This date may be the same day as the death date or a few days later.
Burial Place
A spot where a body is buried. This spot may be next to a church, in a public or private cemetery, or on private property.
Burial Plot
A specific piece of ground within a cemetery where an individual is or can be buried.
Burial Record
A record detailing where a person is buried.
Burial Register
A list of the people buried in a cemetery.
Bushranger
An escaped convict or outlaw who lived in the bush.
Cadastral Map
A large-scale map showing the boundaries of subdivisions of land, usually with the directions and lengths thereof and the areas of individual tracts, compiled for the purpose of describing and recording ownership.
Cadet
A male-line descendants of a patriarch’s younger sons.
Calculated Date
An event date that is obtained from the date of another event in a person's life.
Came Free
Men, women and children who arrived in the colony unconvicted were said to have “come free”.
Canon Law
A law of the church.
Card Index
In a card index, each index entry appears on a separate card. The cards are usually arranged alphabetically.
Cat O'nine Tails
A whip with nine lines at the end, each containing three or more knots.
Caveat
A warning notice issued by an interested person to a probate court that no action is to be taken in granting a probate without their case being heard.
Cemetery
A place where deceased individuals are buried.
Census
An official count and description of the people living in a country, colony, state, county, township, or city.
Census - Enumeration District
(England) The geographic area assigned to one census taker, who was known as an enumerator. The size of the enumeration district depended on the number of people living in the area. The enumerator was responsible to collect information about every person in the district on a specific night. Several enumeration districts make up a section of the census known as a census piece or bundle.
Census - Folio Number
A census folio is a two-sided sheet of paper used for recording the census. The folio number is stamped in the top right corner of the front of the sheet. Folio numbers run consecutively through a section of the census known as a piece or bundle.
Census - Page Number
A number printed on a page in an enumerator's book. Page numbers run consecutively through one enumeration district only.
Census - Piece Number
(England) A number assigned by the Public Record Office to each section of the census returns, 1841 to the present.
Census – District
[1] (British) A civil boundary created for collecting information about the population of an area. The boundary of a census district was determined by the government and was based on the population in the area. Each district was divided into subdistricts, and each subdistrict was divided into enumeration districts. [2] (Scotland) A geographic boundary created for collecting information about the population of an area. In Scotland, this area is the same as the civil or ecclesiastical boundary.
Census Substitutes
Records which can be used instead of a census. The substitutes are lists of people in an area, such as Electoral Rolls in Australia.
Certificate Of Freedom (CF)
Introduced in 1810 and issued to convicts on completion of their sentences.
Certificate Of Remission (CR)
Enabled a convict to serve less time than the original sentence. Many remissions were granted in England before the convict actually arrived in Australia.
Certified Copy
A copy made of a primary document and attested to by officers having charge of the original and authorized to give copies.
Chain
Measurement of Land equal to 20.1168 m long or 66 feet or 100 links. See also Links.
Chancery Court
(England) A court that heard equity cases. Records from this court included disputes over land and property rights, debts, inheritance, trusts, and fraud. The court began operating in 1199 and continues today.
Chattel
An item of property other than freehold land, including tangible goods ( chattels personal ) and leasehold interests ( chattels real ).
Child Migration
Between 1947 and 1953 more than 3200 children migrated to Australia under approved schemes. About 100 of these children were from Malta and the others were from the United Kingdom.
Christen
To baptize an individual or to give an infant a name.
Christening Records
Records created when an individual is christened
Christian Name
A first name used to identify a person. Also called first name or given name.
Church Marriage Register
A record kept by a church of marriages performed by a clergyman.
Churchwarden
(Church of England) A lay officer in a parish or district of the Church. The churchwarden helped the minister with various administrative duties and represents the parishioners in church matters. Also known as a Kirkmaster (Scotland)
Churchwarden Records
Records kept by a churchwarden.
Circa
(Latin) About. Usually used in conjunction with a date.
Citizenship / Naturalisation Records
A record showing the process of a former immigrant becoming a citizen.
Civil Marriage Register
A government record of marriages performed by various civil and religious officials.
Civil Registration
The Government registration of all births, deaths, and marriages.
Civil Registration District
The geographic area of a country in which the birth, marriage, divorce, and death records of the citizens are kept.
Class Probation Pass Holder [P.P.H.]
3 classes of pass were issued varying in degrees of restriction and wages.
Classification
The placing of convicts in different classes or categories, depending upon the length of their various sentences, in a gaol. Classification implied separate treatment of the convicts in different classes.
Clerk
An individual who maintains records.
Coat Of Arms
An emblem used on shields and other implements of war. Coats of arms, invented in the Holy Land during the Crusades, were introduced to England by Richard I. They were originally painted on the shields of Christian soldiers to identify them. Later, the Crown granted the right to use a coat of arms to an individual to identify him in battle. Then a coat of arms became a reward for performing a heroic deed, making a notable achievement, or holding a prominent position.
Codicil
An addition or supplement that explains, modifies, or revokes a will or part of one.
Collateral Ancestor
Belonging to the same ancestral family but not in direct line of descent; opposed to lineal such as aunts, uncles & cousins.
Colonial Records
Records kept about a colony or by a colonial government.
Commercial Directory
An alphabetical list of craftsmen, tradesmen, merchants, and others in business within a given area.
Commissariat Court
(Scotland) A court with jurisdiction over executory (probate) and civil matters until 1823. Most of the civil matters concerned debt. Also called commissary court.
Commissariat Department
(Army) Responsible for the providing of food and other supplies.
Commissary
Official responsible for providing food, transport and stores for a body of soldiers.
Commissary Court
[1] (Church of England) The highest court in a diocese of the Church of England. These courts also had superior jurisdiction over lesser courts in probate matters. Commissary courts are also called episcopal, bishop's, diocesan, exchequer, and consistory courts. [2] (Scotland) See Commissariat Court.
Common
A community pasture. Land common to all for grazing animals.
Common Ancestor
An ancestor shared by any two people.
Common Law
The body of English law originating in common and unwritten customs. It was developed and administered by common law courts.
Common Pleas
Actions, under common law, between subjects and the realm.
Commot
An early Welsh administrative division that was part of a cantref (a medieval Welsh land division, particularly important in the administration of Welsh law).
Compendium
A collection or compilation of information gathered from other sources.
Compiled Biography
A compilation of the histories of people’s lives. The people selected for a compiled biography usually have something in common, such as an occupation, place of origin or residence, or experience in a historical event. Also called a biographical encyclopedia or biographical dictionary.
Compiled Record
A collection of information that has been gathered and interpreted from many sources.
Compiled Source
A collection of information that has been gathered and interpreted from many sources.
Conditional Pardon (Cp)
Excused convicts from serving the remainder of their sentence but they had to remain in the colony.
Conduct
Conduct while serving sentence.
Confirmation
A church rite that allows an individual to become a member of a church.
Confirmation Record
A record created by a church when an individual is confirmed.
Congregation
A group of people who regularly meet together for religious services. The term can also refer to any gathering of people.
Consanguinity
Blood relationship.
Consent Papers
A document signed by the parents of children who are legally too young to marry to give them permission to marry.
Consistory Court
(Church of England) The highest court in a diocese of the Church of England. These courts had superior jurisdiction over lesser courts in probate matters. Consistory courts are also called episcopal, commissary, diocesan, exchequer, and bishop's courts.
Consort
A wife, husband, or companion, in particular the spouse of a reigning monarch.
Contract
A legally binding agreement between parties.
Conveyance
The legal process of transferring property from one owner to another. See also Deed.
Convict
A man or woman under sentence of the law who was transported to Australia.
Convict Assignment
(Australia) On arrival, a convict was either retained by the Government for labour on public works or was assigned to an individual.
Convict Records
Records of people who were deported to colonies of their original country. These include records made in the new colony or country while the people were convicts.
Copyhold Land
(England) Land held by a lord of a manor. Title to the land was recorded in the manor court rolls, and the tenant was given a copy. A copyhold could not be inherited unless the heir released the land to the lord and was confirmed by the lord on payment of a fee. The same applied to copyhold land transfers.
Copyright
The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, and sell an original literary or artistic work that is granted for a specific time to the author.
Coroner
One of the oldest judicial officers in England, dating back to the 12th century, a public official who inquires into deaths of people who did not die under the care of a physician or people whose deaths may not have been due to natural causes.
Coroner's Inquest
A legal examination by a coroner of a body to determine the cause of death.
Cottar / Cottager
A peasant of the lowest class, having a cottage, but little or no land.
Country Of Arrival
The country to which an immigrant moves.
Country Of Origin
The country from which an individual emigrated from.
Court Calendar
Lists of cases heard by a court.
Court Case File
A bundle of loose documents relating to a court case, including copies of evidence, testimonies, bonds, depositions, correspondence, and petitions.
Court Clerk
An officer of the court who keeps records of court proceedings.
Court Decree
A record of a court’s decision or judgement.
Court Of Arches
(England) A court that heard appeals from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury.
Court Of Common Pleas
(England) One of the four superior courts at Westminster. It heard civil cases between commoners. In 1873 it became the Common Pleas division of the High Court of Justice, which was merged with the Queen's Bench division in 1880.
Court Of Quarter Sessions
A court that met quarterly to hear criminal cases such as murder, riot, theft, assault, poaching, and so forth.
Court Of Requests
(England) A court used to recover small debts, intended originally for use by the poor. It was abolished in 1642, and its function was taken over by county Quarter Sessions courts.
Court Of Session
(Scotland) The highest court in Scotland. It handled cases that dealt with revenue, including debt to the Crown.
Court Of Star Chamber
(England) A high court, under the direct authority of the monarch, that mostly handled cases involving riots, perjury, and serious misdemeanours. It was abolished in 1642.
Court Of The Exchequer
[1] (England) Originally charged with keeping the king’s accounts and collecting taxes, the Court of Exchequer also heard cases between subjects until 1290. After 1290 its jurisdiction was limited to cases regarding people who were withholding taxes or who refused to repay debts to the Crown. It later regained its jurisdiction over suits between subjects. [2] (Scotland) A national court in Scotland that dealt with revenue issues, including debt to the Crown. This court existed from 1708 to 1856, when its jurisdiction was transferred to the Court of Session.
Court Of The King's Bench
(England) A court of Common Law that handled matters of direct interest to the King or which were to be tried by his court. It was one of three courts that evolved from the earlier Curia Regis (Royal Council).
Court Of Ward And Liveries
(England) A high court, under the direct authority of the king, which handled cases of inheritance of land. It was abolished in 1646.
Court Order
A record of a court’s decision on a case.
Cousin
Relative descended from a common ancestor, but not a brother or sister.
Coverture
The legal status of a married woman, considered to be under her husband's protection and authority.
Crew Lists And Agreements (Britain Merchant Ships)
A list of crew members serving on a ship that includes written agreements stating each crew member's wages, the capacity in which he was serving, and the nature of the voyage. Masters or owners of merchant ships were required to keep these lists and agreements starting in 1747 when Parliament passed the Act for the Relief of Disabled Seamen. Lists for a few ports survive for the period 1747 to 1834.
Croft
A small piece of arable land, usually an enclosed area adjacent to a house.
Crown Lease
(British) A contract that allows a person to use land held by the British Crown in return for money or some other form of recompense.
Culdee
(Scotland) A hermit.
Curator
A person appointed to take care of the interests of a child who is old enough to marry but not yet 21 years of age.
Currency Lass or Lad
Free born children of convicts.
Curtesy
A tenure by which a husband, after his wife's death, held certain kinds of property that she had inherited.
Database
A large collection of information, usually stored in a computer.
Date Of Immigration
The date an immigrant enters a new country.
Daughter-In-Law
Wife of one's son.
Day Labourer
A person hired to work at a certain rate of wages per day.
Deal or Downs
Ships anchored in the Downs off the town of Deal and here they waited for favourable winds. The Downs is the harbour of Deal and is enclosed by the North and South Forelands, as well as the deadly Goodwin Sands.
Death Certificate
An official document that records information about a person's death.
Death Notice
A public notification, usually in a newspaper, detailing an individual’s death.
Deceased
Dead.
Decedent
A deceased person.
Deed
A document by which the title of property is transferred from one party to another.
Defendant
An individual, or institution, being charged with a crime or being sued by another individual or institution.
Departure List
A list of the people leaving a port.
Dependent
An individual who cannot provide their own support.
Deposition
The testimony of a witness, given in either oral or written form, for use in court in their absence.
Descendant
A person that is descended from a particular ancestor.
Descendant Chart
A chart that lists an individual’s descendants—children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on.
Devise
To transfer property by will.
Devisee
A person to whom something (usually property) is left by the terms of a will.
Devisor
A person who leaves something (usually property) to someone by the terms of a will.
Diocesan Court
The highest court in a diocese of the Church of England. These courts also had superior jurisdiction over lesser courts in probate matters.
Diocese
An ecclesiastical division headed by a bishop, made up of many parishes within the Bishop's jurisdiction, which parishes may be in more than one county.
Direct Line
A person's direct ancestors (parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.) and descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc.) Also called a Pedigree Line.
Directory
A list of individuals and information about them, such as name and address. Directories may also provide other information about individuals such as their profession, trade, or place of employment.
Dissenter
A member of a non-established Church; a Nonconformist.
Dissenters
People who belonged to a religious movement outside of the church or churches which a government had established or approved. Sometimes known as Separatists.
Distaff Line
Mother’s line of descent within a family.
Distraint
The seizure of someone's property to obtain payment of money owed, especially rent.
District
A region within a country that is used for voting, record-keeping, and other purposes.
Divorce Record
A record documenting a legal end to a marriage.
Domesday Book
A comprehensive record of the extent, value, ownership, and liabilities of land in England, made in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror.
Dower
A widow's share for life of her husband's estate to support herself and her children.
Dowry
An amount of property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.
Dressmaker
The occupation of 'dressmaker' was commonly given by prostitutes.
Dual Dating / Double Dating
Dual dated dates (also called "double dating” and sometimes "Old Style/New Style" dates) appear like 16 February 1737/8. Often mistaken as a year uncertainty, this actually has a specific historic meaning. The dual dated date represents a time when some countries were still using the Julian Calendar before switching to the Gregorian Calendar. Until 1752, England, Wales, and Ireland started the legal year on 25 March; however, Scotland (since 1600) and common usage started the year on 1 January. Therefore, a date such as 16 February would be near the end of a legal year but be early in the following 'common' and Scottish year. It was to show this duality that the system of showing two-year numbers first came into use and is still used today by historians and genealogists.
Electoral Roll
A list of people eligible to vote.
Emigrant
A person who leaves their own country in order to settle permanently in another.
Emigration
The process of leaving one’s country to live in another.
Endowment
The process of giving a widow her portion of her husband’s estate.
Enumeration
The process by which persons are counted for purposes of a census.
Enumerator
Census taker.
Epitaph
An inscription on or at a tomb or grave in memory of the one buried there.
Escheat
The reversion of property to the state, or (in feudal law) to a lord, on the owner's dying without legal heirs.
Esquire
Often referred to a landed proprietor or landed gentry.
Estate File
A file of all documents relating to the settlement of an individual's estate.
Estate Settlement
The process of paying a deceased individual’s debts and distributing the individual’s property.
Estimated Date
An event date that is obtained based on the dates of other events in a person's life.
Event
An occurrence, such as a birth, marriage, or death, in a person's life.
Evidence
[1] Information drawn from personal testimony, a document, or a material object, used to establish facts in a legal investigation or admissible as testimony in a law court. [2] The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
Excommunication
The action of officially excluding someone from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church.
Executor
A male appointed by a testator to carry out the terms of their will.
Executrix
A female appointed by a testator to carry out the terms of their will.
Expiree
A convict who had served the full length of their sentence and was free.
Family Group Sheet
A printed form that records the genealogical information of one family—husband, wife and children.
Family History
The history of a family; a narrative about this. In later use also: the study of the history of a family or families; genealogy as an area of research.
Family Newsletter
A small publication that contains information of interest to one or more generations of a family.
Family Relationship
The manner in which one individual is connected to another, either by blood, marriage, or legal adoption.
Father-In-Law
Father of one's spouse.
Felony
A violation against the King's peace comprising any serious crime, generally punishable by death or imprisonment for a term more than one year.
Female Factory
A place for hardened, troublesome female prisoners and/or for those who had not been assigned to domestic service.
Fetters
Iron rings placed around the ankle to which chains are attached.
Fief
An estate of land, especially one held on condition of feudal service, a fee.
Forebear
An ancestor.
Foreclosure
The act of terminating the ownership of property due to lack of payment.
Foundling
An abandoned baby.
Fraternity
Group of people sharing a common purpose or interest.
Free Or Paying Passenger
Individuals who paid their own passages on ships.
Free Pardon/Full Pardon
Free Pardons were generally awarded to convicts who had performed a heroic act, i.e.. Rescuing of free people from a shipwreck, etc.
Freeholder
A person who owned a piece of property outright with no other claims on it. In colonial times, a freeholder had the right to vote and hold public office.
Freeman
(England) A merchant or craftsman who could vote in elections.
Freemason
A name for a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the world’s largest fraternal organization.
Friends
A name for members of the Society of Friends. Also called Quakers.
Furlong
Furlong - Equal to approx. 201 metres, 660 feet, 1000 Links, 40 rods, 10 chains.
Gallows
A structure, typically of two uprights and a crosspiece, for the hanging of criminals. [(the gallows) Execution by hanging.]
Gaol Report
Any previous convictions.
Gateway Ancestor
An ancestor who provides a link from one culture or time period to another
Gazette
A Government newspaper.
Gazetteer
A geographical dictionary which lists and describes the places in a specific area.
Genealogical Collection
A group of genealogical records collected by an individual or society. The collection usually focuses on a specific type of record, group of people, or time period.
Genealogical Compendia
A term referring to collected lineages published in genealogical dictionaries and periodicals.
Genealogical Research
The process of finding information related to a person's ancestors, descendants, and relatives.
Genealogical Society
An organization in which membership is based on interest in genealogy.
Genealogy
Study of family history and descent.
General Register
[1]A church register that combines christening, marriage, and burial information in the same book. [2] (Probate) A court book in which were recorded wills involving a land transaction
General Register Office
[1] (England and Wales) The central repository for government birth, marriage, and death records for all of England and Wales from 1 July 1837 to the present. [2] (Ireland and Northern Ireland) The government offices in Ireland and Northern Ireland that keep the civil registration (birth, marriage, and death) records of these countries. The office in Dublin, Ireland, has records for all of Ireland through 1921, after which it has only records for the Republic of Ireland. The Office in Belfast, Northern Ireland, has all civil registration records for Northern Ireland from 1921 to the present. [3] (Scotland) A record office in Scotland that holds governmental records of births, marriages, and deaths from 1855 to the present, census records, and the Old Parochial Registers.
Genogram
A diagrammatic representation of a person's family history which includes various interpersonal and psychological data and is used especially to identify psychological tendencies within the family; (also) a similar representation containing information on medical conditions within a family.
Gentleman
The lowest title in the British and French gentry. A gentleman is usually entitled to use a coat of arms. The French word for gentleman is gentilhomme. Since society believed that gentlemen did not do manual labour, the term gentleman eventually came to mean a man in a profession that did not involve manual labour.
Gentlemen Convicts
Convicts not of the labouring class, usually with clerical or professional skills.
Gentry
The lower class of British nobility. The gentry includes the titles of baronet, knight, esquire, and gentleman. Most of the gentry were entitled to coats of arms.
Given Names
Name given to a person at birth or baptism, one's first and middle names.
Glebe
Land belonging to a parish church.
Godfather/Godmother
A man or woman who sponsors a child at baptism, also called a Godparent
Goodman
A reliable member of the community who ranked above a freeman but below a gentleman on the social scale. In Scotland, he could be of landed status not directly held from the crown.
Goods And Chattels
Personal property, as distinguished from real property.
Goodwife
Originally, a woman married to a "gentleman". Often the title was shortened to "Goody". If you come across the name ‘Goody’, it is not a first name but an abbreviation of a title.
Government Servant
A convict whose services were retained by the government.
Grant
Court approval allowing the will or administration to be probated.
Grant Book
A book that contains a day-by-day account of all actions taken by a probate court.
Grant Of Administration
A court document authorising an individual to begin settling the estate of a deceased individual who did not leave a will.
Grant Of Guardianship
A court document giving an individual guardianship over another.
Grantee
An individual receiving interest in another person's property.
Grantor
An individual transferring their interest in property to another person.
Great Seal, (Pardons Under)
Royal pardon, that is, granted by the Sovereign on the advice of the Ministers of the Crown.
Great/Grand-Aunt
Sister of one's grandparent.
Great/Grand-Uncle
Brother of one's grandparent.
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 until 1752. See also Old Style Date.
Gretna Green Marriage
A village of southern Scotland on the English border. It was famous as a place for runaway marriages from 1754 until 1856, when the Scottish law was changed to require a 21-day residence period for one of the parties before issuance of a license.
Griffith's Primary Valuation
(Ireland) A survey conducted in Ireland between 1840 and 1864. Its purpose was to identify all taxable property in every parish in Ireland. It lists the names of the immediate lessor and each occupant or tenant, the area (size), the value of the holding, and the amount of tax assessed.
Griffith’s Land Valuation Book
(Ireland) A list of people who paid taxes to the government of Ireland between 1820 and 1864. Names were arranged by county and then by union and barony.
Guardian
A person who is legally responsible for the care of someone who is unable to manage their own affairs, especially a child whose parents have died.
Guardianship
The position of being legally responsible for the care of someone who is unable to manage their own affairs.
Guild
A medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power. Guilds existed in Europe from the 1100s to the 1500s to regulate trade and protect the interests of guild members.
Habeas Corpus
'You may have the body.' The Habeas Corpus Amendment Act, passed by Parliament in 1679, guaranteed people charged with an offence a speedy trial.
Half Brother/Half Sister
Child by another marriage of one's mother or father; the relationship of two people who have only one parent in common.
Hearth Tax
(Britain) A tax paid on each hearth (fireplace) in a building. The tax was not levied against paupers, charitable institutions, and industrial hearths (other than bakers' ovens and blacksmiths' forges). In England and Wales this tax was collected twice a year from 1662 to 1689. Scotland - it was collected until 1690 in Scotland. Ireland -the tax was collected from 1662-1669.
Heir
Those entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit property from a deceased estate.
Herald
(Britain) A representative of the British Crown who records grants to use a coat of arms.
Heraldry
The designing, use, regulation, and recording of coats of arms and other related emblems.
Heritage Centre
(Ireland) These organisation index records of genealogical value. Some centres are open to the public, but their indexes are not available for public inspection. The staff will search the indexes for interested researchers. Also called Genealogical Centres.
Heritor
(Scotland) A landowner in a parish. Until 1845 the heritor’s of a parish were charged with caring for the poor and maintaining the church, the minister's house, and the school.
High Court of Delegates
(England) The name of a court established by law during the reign of Henry VIII. No permanent judges were appointed, but in every case of appeal a special commission usually appointed three judges to hear the case. It heard final appeals from the Court of Arches until 1832. It was formerly the Great Court of Appeal in all ecclesiastical cases.
High Court of Justiciary
(Scotland) A court that heard criminal cases.
Highlands of Scotland
A rugged, barren area of land that covers two-thirds of northern Scotland. Most people who live in the Highlands reside on the coastal plains.
Historical Background
Information about the historical events that occurred during a specific time. This information can give clues about what types of records might contain information about an ancestor.
Historical Information
Information about the events that occurred during a specific period of time.
Historical Map
A map that shows political or other boundaries as they existed at a particular time.
Historical Society
An organisation in which membership is based on interest in a particular historical event or the history of a particular country or region.
History
An account of the events that occurred during a specific time or in a specific place.
Hock Day
The second Tuesday after Easter. Like Michaelmas, it was a day on which annual or semi-annual rents were paid. Along with Michaelmas, these two dates divided the year between the summer and winter seasons.
Holographic Will
One written entirely in the testator's own handwriting.
House Of Private Entertainment
A house of private entertainment did not dispense alcoholic drinks. Its facilities were generally more limited, and license fees were lower, as opposed to a House of Public Entertainment, a tavern that offered its guests food, lodging and alcoholic beverages — also the stabling and feed for horses.
Huguenot
A French Protestant in the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the reformed or Calvinistic communion who were driven by the thousands into exile in England, Holland, Germany and America.
Hulk
A sailing ship, no longer fit to go to sea, which was stripped of its masts and used as a floating prison.
Hulk Report
Behaviour on ships used as prisons in England.
Idiot
Persons who suffer from congenital mental deficiency.
Illegitimate
A child who is born to an unwed mother.
Imbecile
Persons who have fallen in later life into a state of chronic dementia.
Immigrant
A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.
Immigration
The process of moving into a new country or area.
Immigration Records
Records that document a person's arrival into a country.
In- Law
Terms such as Brother and Brother-in-Law were used interchangeably and somewhat unreliably. Likewise, Sister and Sister-in-Law.
Indent
Convict passenger list or convict arrival musters.
Indent/Indenture
A list of convicts, arranged by ship of arrival, recording personal information about the convict.
Indulgence
An alteration to the term of a convict. Examples of an indulgence: Permission for a convict to marry, permission to have a convict’s family brought out to Australia, an amendment to a Ticket of Leave.
Informant
The person who provides the information found on a death certificate. This individual is usually the spouse, a child or other close relative of the deceased.
Insolvent Estate
An estate in which the deceased person has more debt than assets.
Instant
Of this month, e.g. "on the first instant"
Instrument
A formal document, such as a deed or a will.
Intestate
The state of a person’s estate when they die without leaving a will.
Inventory
A list of goods in the estate of a deceased person.
Iron-Gang
Convict chain-gang.
Issue
Children of one's own. Offspring.
Jointure
In late Middle English the term signified the joint holding of property by a husband and wife for life.
Julian Calendar
The calendar in use in England prior to 1752 that was created by Julius Caesar.
Jurisdiction
[1] The official power to make legal decisions and judgements. [2] A geographic area in which this authority is exercised.
Juror
[1] A member of a jury. [2] (Historical) A person taking an oath, especially one of allegiance.
Jury, Court
A group of citizens sworn to give a verdict in a legal case based on the evidence submitted to them in court.
Justice Of The Peace
A local magistrate who had limited authority over civil matters, such as performing marriages and adjudicating minor criminal offences.
Keeper Of The Peace
An individual charged with suppressing disorder, seeking out and trying felons and trespassers, and enforcing labour laws. They tried cases quarterly, although occasionally on shorter intervals. Trials were by jury, and convicted felons were typically hung. The creation of this office led to a decline in the importance of sheriffs and the courts of the shires and hundreds.
Kindred
A group of blood-related persons
King's Peace
Originally a zone around the king within which any offense was a felony and tried before the King. Later the zone was extended to the full kingdom, and criminal offenses were tried in the King's Court.
Kirk Session
(Scotland) A parish court in the Presbyterian Church. In Scotland the kirk session handled church discipline and minor criminal cases. The kirk session, along with the landowners in the parish also handled matters concerning the poor and education. Some of the records also mention christenings, marriages, and deaths.
Kith And Kin
Friends and neighbours.
Lair
(Scotland) A burial plot.
Land Application
A formal, written request submitted by an individual seeking a land grant.
Land Grant
Land given or sold to an individual or institution by the government.
Land Grant Records
Records created during the process of applying for and receiving a land grant from the government.
Land Office Records
Records relating to land transactions kept by land offices.
Land Title
A certificate showing ownership of land.
Larceny
Theft of another person's goods.
Last Will And Testament
A legal document that disburses a deceased individual’s estate.
Late
[1] Recently deceased. [2] Formerly.
Lay Subsidy
A tax for a specific purpose, e.g. to subsidise a foreign war. The subsidy was imposed upon an individual according to the reputed value (moderate estimate) of their estates.
Lease
[1] (noun) A contract that allows an individual to use another's property in return for money or some other form of recompense. [2] (verb) To rent.
Leasehold Estate
A lease of land for life, but not the title for the land.
Legacy
Money or property bequeathed to someone by will.
Legal Definition
The meaning of a word as used in a court of law.
Legatee
A person who is named as a recipient of part of an estate under a will.
Legitimate
A child whose parents are legally married.
Letter Of Administration
A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). A letter of administration may also be called an admon or administration bond.
Lien
A right to keep possession of property belonging to another person until a debt owed by that person is discharged.
Lineage
Ancestry; direct descent from a specific ancestor.
Lineal
Consisting of or being in as direct line of ancestry or descendants; descended in a direct line.
Link
One link is a hundredth part of a chain, which is 20.1cm (7.92 inches).
Livery
A fee that the heir of a landowner paid to the British Crown before taking possession of the land.
Local History
An account of the historical events surrounding a particular area.
Lodge
A chapter or meeting hall of a fraternal organization.
Lodger
A person who has separate accommodation to the householder.
Lunatic
A mentally ill person with periods of lucidity.
Mac'
A prefix meaning "son of" used on Scottish and Irish surnames.
Magistrate's Court, General
A court that typically hears cases involving minor offences and small claims. The jurisdiction of magistrate's courts varies from state to state.
Maiden Name
A woman's last name or surname before she marries.
Manor
(Britian) A self-governing agricultural estate, with its own courts. The Lord of the Manor was the head of the estate. Tenants leased the land, and the Lord administered the land.
Manorial Court
(Britain) A court with jurisdiction over a manor (an estate held by a landlord). It regulated the day-to-day life and interrelationships between the lord, his steward, his bailiff, and the people in the village. Cases heard included petty crime, land transfer, manorial appointments, customs, rental fees, and so on. These courts existed between 1066 and the early 1900s.
Manorial Records
(Britain) Records kept by manors.
Manuscript
A work written with by hand such as an ancient book.
Marks
Tattoos, scars and other distinguishing marks.
Marriage Allegation
(England) A statement filed by a bride and groom in England as part of the process to obtain a marriage license. It recorded the couple's names, ages, and parishes of residence.
Marriage Application
A record showing a couple’s intention to marry. Marriage applications gradually replaced marriage banns, intentions, and bonds.
Marriage Bond
A written guarantee or promise of payment made by the groom or another individual to ensure that a forthcoming marriage would be legal.
Marriage Certificate
An official document recording the details of a marriage.
Marriage Contract
A document outlining legal agreements made prior to marriage that specify ownership of property. Marriage contracts were primarily made by women who wanted to protect property they had gained during previous marriages.
Marriage License
An official document, usually issued by a Bishop of the diocese in which one of the parties lived and in which the marriage was to take place, giving a couple permission to marry.
Marriage Register
A list of marriages, usually kept by either a church or a civil government.
Master And Servant Act
Legislation to regulate conditions of employment and to discipline employees.
Maternal
Related through one's mother, such as a Maternal grandmother being the mother's mother.
Messuage
A dwelling house.
Metes & Bounds
Property described by natural boundaries, such as 3 notches in a white oak tree, etc.
Michaelmas
A religious holiday celebrating St. Michael and occurring annually on September 29th. Annual rents, the most common form in medieval times, were generally due on this day. With Hock Day, these two dates divided the year into a summer and winter season.
Migrant
Person who moves from place to place, usually in search of work.
Migrate
To move from one country or state or region to another.
Military Service Record
Documents detailing a person's military involvement, specifically his or her enlistment, assignments, and discharge.
Militia
A military force that is raised from the civil population to supplement a regular army in an emergency. (Britian) The Militia Act of 1757 offered all 'able-bodied' men to serve in the militia at home in order to counter any threat arising while the majority of the regular army was stationed abroad. Lists of eligible men in each parish were known as 'militia ballot lists' and from these, the men chosen appeared in the militia lists
Minor
One who is under legal age, not yet a legal adult.
Missus / Mrs.
A title given to women of the aristocracy that signified social position. An unmarried woman of social status might be referred to as "Mrs."
Mister / Mr.
A title that could only precede the names of gentlemen, clergymen or government officials.
Moreton Bay
Now Brisbane, Queensland. A penal colony established 1824.
Mother-In-Law
Mother of one's spouse.
Muster
An early colonial census where inhabitants were called out to appear to be counted. Musters were also used to keep track of convicts in the colony. General musters recorded convicts and ex-convicts. They include details about Tickets of Leave, Certificates of Freedom and pardons. A muster was conducted under the order of the Lieutenant Governor and an officer of the Commissary.
Name Etymology
The study of the origin of names.
Namesake
Person named after another person.
Naming Custom / Pattern
A pattern used by parents for determining what names to give their children, such as naming a firstborn son after his father or grandfather. Widespread in Irish and Scottish families.
Natural Child
Not recognized by law as lawful offspring; an illegitimate child.
Natural Parents
A person's birth, or biological parents.
Naturalization
The legal process by which an individual born in one country becomes a citizen of another.
Necronym
A name given, or a reference to, a person who has died.
Nee
Used to identify a woman's maiden name; born with the surname of.
Neglected Entry
(Scotland) A civil registration record of a birth, marriage, or death that was registered late. These records cover the years 1820 to 1860.
Nephew
Son of one's brother or sister. In very old records it could also mean niece. In Middle English, it meant grandson or granddaughter
Newspaper Notices
Lists of births, marriages, deaths, or other events published in a newspaper.
Nickname
An unofficial name given to a person.
Niece
Daughter of one's brother or sister.
Noble Man
In the early medieval period, the term in England was reserved for someone of high birth or their family.
Nonconformist Church
(Britain) A church other than the state church. The term nonconformist has its origins in the Acts of Conformity, which was passed in England in 1662. This act required everyone to conform to the dogma and rites of the Church of England. People who did not conform were called nonconformists. In England all churches other than the Church of England were nonconformist churches. In Scotland the state church being the Presbyterian Church, all others were nonconformist.
Notary
A person officially authorised to draw up or attest to contracts, wills, deeds, or similar documents, to protest bills of exchange
Nuncupative Will
An oral will declared by the deceased before dying, in the presence of witnesses, and transcribed by another.
O'
A prefix meaning "grandson of" used on Irish surnames.
Obituary
An article in a newspaper that announces an individual’s death. It may give an account of the individual’s life.
Occupation
The manner or trade by which people earnt their living.
Occupational Surnames
A last name based on the trade or occupation a person practiced.
Old Parochial Registers (Scotland)
Parish registers kept by the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian Church) from the time the church began keeping the registers to the year 1855, when the British government began keeping records of births, marriages, and deaths. Parishes began keeping registers at various times.
Old Style Date
Certain dates before 1752 are based on the "Old Style" (O.S.) calendar. See also Dual Dates.
Oral History
An account of events or a genealogy that is passed on verbally.
Orphan
A child whose parents have died or disappeared.
Orphanage
A place where a child lived whose parents had died or disappeared, usually run by charitable organisations or religious groups.
Pardon
Pardons were generally awarded to convicts with life sentences. There were two types of pardons: conditional and absolute pardon.
Parent Country
The original country from which another country was organised.
Parish
[1] A small administrative district typically having its own church and a priest or pastor. [2] (England) The smallest unit of local government, constituted only in rural areas.
Parish Archive
An archive that houses records from a church parish.
Parish Chest Records
(England) Records that relate to a parish (excluding christening, marriage, and burial registers) which were often kept in a chest known as the “Parish Chest”. Parish Chest records include vestry minutes, poor and other rates (taxes) assessed to parish members, bastardy bonds, churchwarden accounts, settlement and removal records, and apprenticeship records.
Parish Of Settlement
(England) The parish where a person was legally allowed to live.
Parish Register
A book of church records kept by the minister of a parish. Typically, a parish register contained christening, marriage, and burial records.
Passenger List
A list, and sometimes further information, of passengers who travelled on ships.
Paternal
Related to one's father. Paternal grandmother is the father's mother.
Patronymic Surname
A surname that is based on the father's given name. Patronymic surnames were commonly used in parts of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In Wales the letters ap or ab appeared between the child's given name and the father's given name, or the letter -s was added to the father's name. (David the son of Owen could have been called David ap Owen or David Owens.) In Ireland Mac', O', or Fitz at the beginning of a surname indicates a patronymic surname (such as MacAllister, O'Henry, Fitzhugh).
Peculiar Court
(England and Wales) A Peculiar court was a local court authorised to handle probate matters outside the jurisdiction of the archdeacon and bishop of the surrounding area.
Pedigree
The recorded ancestry or lineage of a person or family.
Pedigree Chart
A genealogical table. A chart that shows an individual's direct ancestors—parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.
Penal Laws
(Ireland) Laws passed to persecute Roman Catholics in Ireland. The clergy were banished, and the Catholic Church was forbidden to keep records. Catholics also lost the rights to own property, hold office, and vote.
Pension
Money given to an individual (or the individual’s spouse or dependents) who has retired from the military or another organisation that provides this benefit.
Pensioner
One who receives a pension.
Peppercorn Rent
(Britain) Peppercorn rents originated during the Middle Ages when a piece of property was deeded over as a reward for good service at a nominal rent. A single peppercorn was among the most popular forms of this style of "quit rent".
Personal Property
A person’s belongings, not including land or the buildings on the land.
Petition
[1] A written request made to a higher authority. [2] An application to a court requesting the right to settle a deceased individual’s estate.
Phonetic Spelling
Spelling that is based on how a word sounds. As spelling was not standard when early records were made a name may be spelt differently today or even spelt differently in different records about the same individual.
Piece Work
Work paid for according to the amount completed.
Place Of Arrival
The place where an immigrant first arrived in the new country.
Poor Law Union
(Ireland) One of 159 districts in Ireland set up to care for the poor. These districts were established in 1838 and named after market towns. Poor law unions are also the Irish Civil Records districts.
Poor Rates
(Britain) Taxes assessed on parishioners to care for the poor.
Port City
A city port in which a ship embarks and disembarks passengers and cargo.
Port Of Entry
The place where people enter a new country.
Posterity
[1] All future generations of people. [2] (Archaic) The descendants of a person.
Power Of Attorney
The authority to act for another person in specified or all legal or financial matters.
Presumed Dead
A person who has been missing for long enough that it is assumed they have died.
Primary Source
A record that was created at or near the time an event took place by someone closely associated with the event. Also called an original record or source.
Probate
The process of dividing an individual’s belongings among the heirs and paying expenses and debts.
Probate Calendar
A probate index that is arranged by first letter of the surname and then by probate date.
Probate Packet
A file of all documents relating to the settlement of an individual’s estate.
Probation System
(Van Diemen’s Land – Tasmania) The probation system replaced the assignment system for male convicts in 1840. When they arrived, the government no longer assigned them to free settlers, instead convicts worked on government gangs for a period ‘on probation’. In time, and depending on their behaviour, they passed through stages of the probation process. Restrictions reduced as they moved towards ‘Ticket of Leave’ status.
Progenitor
A direct ancestor.
Progeny
Descendants of a common ancestor.
Proved Will
A will established as genuine by probate court.
Province
(Ireland) An administrative division of Ireland. In ancient times, Ireland had five provinces, also called the "fifths" of Ireland: Leinster, Munster, Connaught, Ulster, and Meath. A king ruled each province. When the English took control of Ireland, the provinces were reorganized, and the province of Meath was abolished. Today Ireland has four provinces: Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster. The provinces are divided into counties, and counties are divided into baronies.
Proximo
In the following month, in the month after the present one.
Public Domain
Works or records that are not protected by copyright law. Works in the public domain may be copied and used freely.
Public Record Office
(England) An archive in England that collects records of the central government, such as parliamentary papers and court records.
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
An archive in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that collects records for all of Ireland but focuses particularly on counties in the province of Ulster. The Public Record Office has a good collection of church records (all denominations) for all of Northern Ireland as well as the counties of Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan in Ireland. The office also has estate papers, gravestone inscriptions, census records, Tithe Applotment books, valuation lists, and other historical and genealogical sources.
Pure Merinos or Sterling
Children of free settlers (non convicts).
Quarter Sessions
A Court held before two or more magistrates, four times a year.
Quit Rent
A rent paid by a freeman in lieu of services required under feudal custom.
Quitclaim
A formal renunciation or relinquishing of a claim.
Rations
Measured amount of food supplied to convicts.
Reference Tool
A source of information that contains general information about topics such as history, places and social customs.
Register Of Deeds
(Scotland) A land record that records land transactions, marriage contracts, contracts of partnership, contracts of sale, bonds, etc.
Registrar's Office
A local governmental office where civil registration records are kept.
Regnal Date
A date expressed in terms of the number of years of a monarch s reign.
Relative
A person connected by blood or marriage or legal adoption.
Relict/Relictus
Widow/Widower. A surviving spouse of a deceased person.
Remittance Man
A person whose family paid for him to come to Australia.
Removal Record
(England) A record created when poor people were forced to leave a place to which they had moved and return to the place from which they came.
Rent Roll
The list of rent payments due to a proprietor or the crown, paid usually annually.
Repository
A place where a source can be found. (i.e. Archives, Libraries, etc.)
Residence
The place where an individual lives.
Rod
An old English measure of distance equal to 5.029 metres (16.5 feet), with variations from 2.743 to 8.534 metres (9 to 28 feet) also being used. It was also called a perch or pole.
Rood (England)
A unit of area equal to one quarter of an acre or 1,012 m2 (10,890 square feet). A rectangle that is one furlong (i.e., 10 chains, or 40 rods) in length and one rod in width is one rood in area, as is any space comprising 40 perches (a perch being one square rod).
Sasine
(Scotland) A document that recorded a land transfer.
Scholar
(England) From 1861 onwards a child was described as a scholar if he/she was over 5 and receiving daily schooling or regular tuition at home. There was no definition of the latter. In 1871 the census officials in London broke the confidentiality pledge and divulged the names of all children 3-13 and their parents (with addresses) to the London School Board to help enforce compulsory education.
Scourge
A whip for punishing prisoners.
Secondary Source
A source of information created or compiled from original records, compiled records, or both. Secondary sources are good sources of information, but they must be evaluated for accuracy.
Secret Society
An organisation that has limited membership and whose members and activities may not be known to the general public.
Sennight
A week; seven days.
Sepulchered
Buried.
Serf
A semi-free peasant who worked the Lord's demesne, and paid dues for the use of the land, the possession (but not ownership) was inheritable. Also known as villeins, churls, boors, and naifs.
Service Of Heirs
(Scotland) A document created when a landowner died, and the ownership of the land was transferred to the heir/s.
Settlement
Payment of all debts of a deceased estate and identification of all heirs prior to the final distribution of the assets of the estate.
Settlement Records
(England) Records related to a person's legal place of settlement in England. Each parish of the Church of England kept these records.
Settler
A free person who came to Australia to live.
Sheriff
A Magistrative officer dating to medieval England.
Sheriffs Court
(Scotland) A Sheriffs Court handled local civil and criminal cases. Since 1823 these courts have also dealt with probate matters.
Ship Manifest
A passenger list.
Shire
(Britain) County.
Sibling
Each of two or more children or offspring having one or both parents in common; a brother or sister.
Sic
Thus. Used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original
Sire
[1] A father. [2] (Archaic) A male ancestor; a forefather. [3] (Archaic) A gentleman of rank. [4] (Archaic) Used as a form of address for a superior, especially a King.
Son-In-Law
The husband of one's child.
Soundex Index
A type of index that groups together surnames that sound similar but are spelled differently.
Spelling Variations
Different ways that a name or other word may be spelled. As spelling was not standard when early records were made a name may be spelt differently today or even spelt differently in different records about the same individual.
Spinster
[1] An unmarried woman, typically an older woman beyond the usual age for marriage. [2] In early use the term was appended to names of women to denote their occupation. The current sense dates from the early 18th century.
Spouse
A husband or wife.
State Archive
A place where a state government keeps its records.
Stated this Offence
Convict’s statement of his or her offence including previous convictions.
Station of gang
Town in which convict is employed.
Steerage Passenger
The cheapest way to travel on board a ship.
Stepbrother / Stepsister
A child of one's stepparent by a marriage other than that with one's own father or mother.
Stepchild
A child of one's husband or wife by a previous marriage or relationship.
Stepfather
A man who is the husband or partner of one's mother after the divorce or separation of one's parents or the death of one's father.
Stepmother
A woman who is the wife or partner of one's father after the divorce or separation of one's parents or the death of one's mother.
Surety
A person who takes responsibility for another's performance of an undertaking, for example their appearing in court or paying a debt.
Surgeons Report
Doctor’s report of convict’s health and behaviour during the voyage.
Surname
A name used by a family that is passed from generation to generation. Also called a last name.
Terminology
The terms (jargon) used in a field of study.
Testamentary Bond
A written guarantee from the executor of a will that they will faithfully perform the tasks assigned by the probate court.
Testate
Having made a valid will before one dies. A person who has died leaving a valid will.
Testator
A person who has made a will or given a legacy.
Testatrix
A female Testator.
Testes
Witnesses.
Testimony
A formal written or spoken statement, especially one given in a court of law.
The Gallows
The scaffold for hanging a prisoner.
Ticket Of Leave
Tickets of Leave were granted to convicts for good behaviour. It allowed them to work for his or her own wages, provided they remain within a Police District. The convicts reported once a year at the Ticket of Leave muster and their ticket was cancelled if they didn't attend.
Ticket Of Leave Passport
A Ticket of Leave Passport allowed a convict to travel for work, visit family or markets. Only convicts who had a Ticket of Leave could receive a Ticket of Leave Passport.
Tithable
A person who is subject to a tax.
Tithe
(Historical) Subject to a tax of one tenth of income or produce paid to the Church.
Tithing
A group of ten householders.
Title
A word or phrase attached to a person or family that signifies identification, honour, distinction, or position.
Townland
(Ireland) A unit of land in Ireland that was a family holding. Townlands varied considerably in size but were on average about 350 acres.
Tract
A piece of land.
Trade
A skill an individual uses to earn a living.
Tradition
The handing down of customs, beliefs, legends, etc. from generation to generation.
Transcript
[1] A handwritten, typed or printed copy of a document or of a set of records. [2] A verbatim, written account of the proceedings of a trial or court hearing.
Transfer Of Property
The changing of land ownership from one person to another.
Transportation
The act of transporting a convict. Death sentences were commonly commuted to transportation.
Transported
A convict who was deported from Great Britain.
Transported for
Sentence.
Treadmill
Instrument of discipline in prisons. A cylinder made to revolve by the action of prisoners putting their weight on boards fixed as steps on the surface of the cylinder.
Tried
Place of trial - Gaol Delivery, Assizes, Court of Justiciary, Central Criminal Court, Quarter Sessions.
Tun
(Archaic) A village or town.
Ult.
Ultimo
Ultimo
Last, often abbreviated as "ult.", indicating a previous month or year.
Unassisted Emigrant
A person who leaves his or her native country and moves to another. Free emigrants did not receive any passage money or land grants.
Unblessed Union
A de facto relationship.
Unmovable Property
(Scotland) A term used to describe land or other property that has a title.
Vassal
A holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance.
Verbatim
Word for word. Copied, quoted, or translated in exactly the same words as were used originally.
Vestry
The presiding council that handles the business of a parish in the Church of England.
Vestry Minutes
Records that detail the events and issues discussed at a vestry meeting.
Vida Addenda
(Scotland) An additional index at the end of the yearly index to Scottish civil registration records that contains names missed in the yearly index.
Vigil
The day before.
Viz.
Namely, in other words (used to introduce an explanation).
Wd
An abbreviation for 'will dated'. The date a will was written.
Widow
A woman whose husband has died.
Widower
A man whose wife has died.
Will
[1] A legal document that describes how an individual’s real and personal property should be distributed after his or her death. Under early English law, a will described how an individual’s real property (lands and buildings) would be distributed after death. Since the Crown technically owned all land and buildings, a specific set of laws applied to its distribution. A testament distributed the person's personal property, such as furniture, belongings, crops, debts, and so forth. The term eventually became a ‘Will and Testament’.
Witness
An individual who sees an event happen.
Workhouse
A government-sponsored place where poor people were sent to receive either indoor (residential) or outdoor (non-residential) relief.
Wp
An abbreviation for 'Will proved'. The date a will was probated or proved.
Yeoman
A farmer/freeholder who tills his own small acreage, ranking below a gentleman.
Yeomanry
(Britain) A volunteer cavalry force that Great Britain used in 1761 as a home defence. The yeomanry was reorganized in 1907 as part of the territorial force.