CAPITAL AREA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
Glossary of Terms
TERMINOLOGY :
Genealogy researchers encounter many terms which are rarely
used except in legal documents, or genealogical reports.
This list is intended
to aid with interpreting those terms.
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Right-click on a letter to browse the list:
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Abstract
- Summary of important points of a given text,
especially deeds and wills.
Accordant
(with) - Agreeing.
Administration (of
an estate) - The collection, management and distribution of an estate by
proper legal process.
Administrator (of an
estate) - Person appointed to manage or divide the estate of a deceased
person.
Administratrix - A female administrator.
Ae. - (latin) Aged; Aet,
"aetatis suae":
at the age of.
Affidavit - A
written statement confirmed by oath, for use as evidence in court.
Ahnentafel - A table of one's
ancestors, from the German Ahnen (ancestor) and Tafel (table or list).
Ahnentafel Numbers - Numbering
system used to identify each individual in a family tree. The numbers follow
the format that an individual's father is twice that individual's number, and
that an individual's mother is twice that individual's number plus one. Used in
pedigree charts.
Alien - (1) To
transfer property; as in a deed the seller "does grant, bargain, sell,
alien, enfeoff, release, and confirm unto [the
buyer]" certain property. (2) a foreigner.
ALARS - American
Library Association Records Standards.
American Revolution
-
Ancestor - A
person from whom you are descended; a forefather.
Ancestor Chart -
Report or chart that shows a person and all of their ancestors in a graphical
format. As opposed to the Ahnentafel which is more of
a narrative report.
Ancestral File -
A database of names in linked genealogies on CD-ROM. Contains names and
addresses of people that have submitted information. Maintained
by the LDS FHL.
Ancestry - The
lineage of all the ancestors of a person, from parents backward on time.
Ante - Latin
prefix meaning before, such as in ante-bellum South; The South before the war.
Apprentice - One
who is bound by indentures or by legal agreement or by any means to serve
another person for a certain time, with a view of learning an art or trade.
Appurtenance -
That which belongs to something else such as a building, orchard, right of way,
etc.
Archive -
Collection of public or corporate records; place where such records are kept.
Ascendants -
lineal ancestors.
ASCII - American
Standard Code for Information Interchange - type of file on a computer that is
usually readable by most word processors.
Attest - To
affirm; to certify by signature or oath.
Banns - Public
announcement of intended marriage, usually read in church on three successive
Sundays.
Barton - Farmyard; farm not let with
rest of manor.
Base born - born
out of wedlock or of low parentage.
Beneficiary - One who receives
benefit of trust or property.
Bequeath - To give personal property
to a person in a will. Noun: bequest.
Bibliography - List of sources.
Birth Certificate - Documentation
about one's birth.
Bond - A binding agreement to
perform certain actions or duties or requiring payment of a specified amount of
money as a penalty; at different times required of estate administrators or
executors, grooms (for marriage), certain elected officials (such as
constables).
Bondsman - Person acting as surety
for a bond (often, but by no means ordinarily, a relative).
Bordar - a
small-holder, usually on the outskirts of a village.
Buried, partly - indicates the heart
is buried in one place and the body in another, usually by directions of a will.
Cascading Pedigree
Chart - A series of pedigree charts that span multiple generations for an individual
and then for each person in the last generation of the first chart.
Census -
Official enumeration, listing or counting of citizens.
Certified Copy -
A copy made and attested to by officers having charge of the original and
authorized to give copies.
Chain - 100
links; 66 feet.
Chattel - Any
property other than freehold land, including tangible goods (chattels personal)
and leasehold interested (chattels real).
Christen - To
receive or initiate into the Christian church by baptism; to name at baptism;
to give a name to.
Christian Name - Name given at christening or baptism; given name;
forename.
Circa - About or
approximately; usually referring to a date.
Citation - Page
or section reference of a source.
Civil War - War between the States; war between North and South, 1861-1865.
Codicil - An
addition explaining, modifying or revoking a will or part of one.
Collateral Ancestor
- Descended from the same ancestral stock but not in the direct line.
Common Ancestor
- Ancestor shared by any two or more people.
Confederate -
(adj.) Pertaining to the Confederacy.
Confederacy -
Collectively the Confederate States of
Consanguinity -
Blood relationship.
Consort - A
husband or (more commonly) a wife.
Conveyances -
Transfer of property from one owner to another.
Cottar - a
small-holder.
Cousin - Child
of a person's Aunt or Uncle; person with whom one shares a common ancestor
(excluding one's direct ancestors and siblings); formerly used as a loose term
for any close friend or relative. N.B. in many Native American societies the
usage differs.
Cousin
German - First cousin.
Daughter-in-Law -
Wife of one's son.
Death Certificate - Documentation of
one's death.
Deceased - Dead.
Decedent - A deceased person.
Declaration of Intention - First
paper, sworn to and filed in court, by an alien stating that he wants to be
come a citizen.
Deed - A document by which title and
ownership in real property is transferred from one party to another.
Deposition - A
testimony taken down in writing under oath of affirmation in reply to
interrogatories, before a competent officer to replace to oral testimony of a
witness.
Descendant - A person who descends
from another given person.
Descendant Chart - Report or chart
that shows a person and their descendants in a graphical format. As
opposed to the Modified Register which is more of a
narrative report.
Devise - To give property in a will.
Devisee - One to whom property is
devised in a will.
Devisor - One who devises property
in a will.
Dissenter - One who did not belong
to the established church, (particularly the Church of England).
Double Dating - A system of double
dating used in England and America from 1582-1752, because it was not clear whether the year commenced January 1 or March 25.
Dower - Legal right or share which a
wife acquired by marriage in the real estate of her husband, allotted to her
after his death for her lifetime (laws regulating dower rights are dependant
upon the year and place: under common law it was 1/3).
Emigrant - A person
leaving a country and moving (permanently) to another.
Enfeoff - To grant property in fee simple; as
in a deed the seller "does grant, bargain, sell, alien, enfeoff, release, and confirm unto [the buyer]"
certain property.
Enumeration - Listing or counting , such as a census.
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 when there are no qualified heirs.
Estate - All property and debts
belonging to a person.
Et Al - Latin for "and
others"
Et Ux -
Latin for "and wife"
Et Uxor - And his wife. Sometimes written simply Et Ux.
Executor - One appointed in a will
to carry out its provisions.
Executrix - Feminine form of
Executor.
Family
Group Sheet - A report listing the father, mother and each child of a
family.
Family History Library (FHL) - Holds
over 2 million rolls of microfilmed records, 400,000 microfiche, and 300,000 books.
It also houses an extensive collection of written manuscripts including family
histories, local histories, indexes, periodicals, and aids to help in
genealogical research. It is located in
Family Search - CD-ROM available at
Father-in-Law - Father of one's
spouse.
Fee - An estate of inheritance in
land, being either fee simple or fee tail. An estate in land held of a feudal
lord on condition of the performing of certain services.
Fee Simple -
Absolute ownership of land to sell or devise without restriction.
Fee Tail - An estate of inheritance
limited to lineal descendant heirs of a person to whom it was granted.
Fraternity - Group
of men (or women) sharing a common purpose or interest.
Freehold - An estate in fee simple,
in fee tail, or for life.
Free Person of Color (FPC) - A
person who was neither (100%) Caucasian
nor a slave.
Friend - Member of the Religious
Society of Friends; a Quaker.
Furlong - 1,000 links; 660 feet.
Gazetteer - A
geographical dictionary; a book giving names and descriptions of places usually
in alphabetical order.
GEDCOM - An
acronym for "GEnealogical Data COMmunication". A standard format created by
the
Genealogy - Study of family history
and descent.
Gentleman - A man well born.
Given Name - Name given to a person
at birth or baptism, one's first and middle names (in societies where the
surname is inherited).
Glebe - Land belonging to a parish
church.
Grantee - One who buys property or
receives a grant.
Grantor - One who sells property or
makes a grant.
Great-Aunt - Sister of one's
grandparent (also grand-aunt)
Great-Uncle - Brother of one's
grandparent (also grand-uncle).
Guardian - Person appointed to care
for and manage property of a minor orphan or an adult incompetent of managing
his own affairs.
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.
Headright
- System of land allocation in colonial
Heirs - Those entitled by law or by the
terms of a will to inherit property from another.
Holographic Will - One written
entirely in the testator's own handwriting.
Homestead Act - Law passed by
Congress in 1862 allowing a head of a family to obtain title to 160 acres of
public land after clearing and improving it for 5 years.
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
Illegitimate - Born
to a mother who was not married (the law generally recognizes the children of a
married woman to be those of her husband).
Immigrant - One moving (permanently)
into a country from another.
Indenture - Today it means a
contract in 2 or more copies. Originally made in 2 parts by
cutting or tearing a single sheet across the middle in a jagged line so the two
parts may later be matched.
Indentured Servant - A person bound
into service of another person for a specified number of years, often in return
for transportation to America; a redemptioner.
Infant - (in law) A person not of
full age; a minor.
Instant - Of or pertaining to the
current month. (Abbreviated inst.)
Intentions - Public notification of an
upcoming marriage, see banns.
International Genealogical Index (IGI)
- a database created of names that have been extracted from various original
records from all over the world and also entries submitted by LDS church
members for temple ordinances. Created and maintained by the LDS FHL.
Intestate - One who dies without a
will or dying without a will.
Inventory - An account, catalog or
schedule, made by an executor or administrator of all the goods and chattels
and sometimes of the real estate of a deceased person.
Issue - Offspring; children;
descendants; progeny.
There are currently no terms for this category.
There are currently no terms for this category.
LDS
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
Late - Recently
deceased; now deceased.
Lease - An
agreement which creates a landlord-tenant situation.
Legacy - Property
or money left to someone in a will.
Legatee - A
person who inherits money or property through a will.
Legislature -
Lawmaking branch of state or national government; elected group of lawmakers.
Lien - A claim
against property as security for payment of a debt.
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 - Length:
1/100th of a surveying chain; 7.92 inches.
Lis Pendens
- Pending court action; usually applies to land title claims.
Lodge - A
chapter or meeting hall of a fraternal organization.
Loyalist - Tory,
an American colonist who supported the British side during the American
Revolution.
Maiden Name - A
woman's last name or surname before she marries.
Manse - Residence
of a cleric.
Manuscript - A composition written
with the hand as an ancient book or an un-published modern book or music.
Marriage Bond - A financial
guarantee that no legal impediment to the marriage existed,
furnished by representatives for the intended bridegroom and intended bride.
Maternal - Related through one's
mother; on one mother's side of the family.
Messuage -
A dwelling house.
Metes & Bounds - Property
described by natural boundaries, such as 3 whites oaks and a locust tree etc.
Microfiche - Sheet of microfilm with
greatly reduced images of pages of documents.
Microfilm - Reproduction of
documents on film at reduced size.
Microform - Reproduction of images,
reduced in size, as either: microcard, microfiche or
microfilm.
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.
Migration - The move from one area
to another.
Militia - Citizens of a state who
are not part of the national military forces but who can be called into
military service in an emergency; a citizen army, apart from the regular
military forces.
Minor - One who is under legal age;
not yet a adult; an infant.
Minner - Person who surrenders land to
another in exchange for release from contractual obligations.
Mister - In early times, a title of
respect given only to those who held important civil officer or who were of
gentle blood.
Moiety - A half;
an indefinite portion.
Mortality - Death; death rate.
Mortality Schedules - Enumeration of
persons who died during the year prior to June 1 of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880
in each state of the United States, conducted by the bureau of census.
Mortgage - A conditional transfer of
title to real property as security for payment of a debt.
Mortscloth
- Shroud to cover a coffin.
Mother-in-Law - Mother of one?s
spouse.
Mulatto - Strictly a person of one Caucasian and one Negro parent,
but commonly used for any person of mixed heritage
Namesake - Person
named after another person.
Necrology - Listing or record of
persons who have died recently.
Nee - Born.
Used to denote a woman's maiden name.
Nephew - Son of one?s brother or
sister.
Niece - Daughter of one?s brother or
sister.
Noncupative Will - One declared or dictated by the
testator, usually for persons in last sickness, sudden illness, or military.
Octaroon
- A person with seven caucasian
and one negro great grandparents; 1/8 black
Orphan - Person with one or both
parents dead.
Orphan's Court - Orphans being recognized
as wards of the states provisions were made for them in special courts.
Passenger
List - A ships list of passengers, usually referring to those ships
arriving in the from
Patent - Grant
of land from a government to an individual.
Paternal -
Related through one?s father; on one's father's side of the family.
Patriot - One
who loves his country and supports its interests.
Pedigree -
Ancestry; bloodline; Family tree; lineage.
Pedigree Chart -
A chart which includes the direct ancestors (parents, grandparents, etc.) of
an individual. Does not include brothers, sisters, aunts,
uncles or other relatives.
Pension - Money
paid regularly to an individual, especially by a government as reward for
military service during wartime or upon retirement from government service.
Pensioner - One
who receives a pension.
Perch - 5 1/2
yards; a pole; a rod.
Pole - 5 1/2
yards; a perch; a rod.
Poll
- Head or taxable person; list or record of persons, especially for taxing or
voting.
Post - Latin
prefix meaning after, as in post-war economy.
Posterity -
Descendants; those who come after.
Post nominal -
initials after name indicating rank, honors, or academic achievement.
Power of Attorney
- When a person in unable to act for himself, he appoints another to act in his
behalf.
Pre
- Latin prefix meaning before, as in pre-war military build-up.
Pre-emption Rights
- Right given by the federal government to citizens to buy a quarter section of
land or less.
Prenuptial Agreement
- Legal document (usually involving property) made by a couple before marriage.
Primogeniture -
The right of the eldest child (usually the son) to inherit the entire estate of
the parents.
Probate - Legal
process having to do with wills and the administration of estates.
Progenitor - A
direct ancestor.
Progeny
- Descendants of a common ancestor; issue.
Proved Will - A
will established as genuine by probate court.
Provost - A
person appointed to superintend, or preside over something.
Proximo - In the following month, in the month after the present one.
Public Domain -
Land owned by the government; creative works whose copyright has expired.
Quadroon - A person
with three Caucasian and one Negro grandparents; 1/4
black
Quaker - Member of the Religious
Society of Friends.
Quitclaim - A deed conveying the
claim or title (usually to land) without guarantee of valid title.
Rector - A
clergyman; the ruler or governor of a country.
Relict - Widow;
surviving spouse when one has died, husband or wife.
Repository - The place where a
source can be found. (i.e.: Library, FHC etc.)
Republic - Government in which
supreme authority lies with the people or their elected representatives.
Revolutionary War
-
Rod - 5 1/2 yards; 16 1/2 feet; a
perch or square perch; a pole.
Rood - 5 1/2 to 8 yards depending
upon location; 1/4 of an acre.
Section - 640 acres;
one of the 36 divisions of a township.
Shaker - Member of a religious group
formed in 1747 which practiced communal living and celibacy.
Sibling - Person having one or both
parents in common with another; a brother or sister.
Sic - Latin meaning thus; copied
exactly as the original reads. Often suggests a mistake or surprise in the
original.
Social Security Death Index (SSDI) -
Index of Social Security Death Benefit records which document how much the
government has paid to an individual (spouse, child, etc.) as a result of a
relative's death. An individual may appear in the Social Security Death
Benefits Index if he or she died after 1967, had applied for Social Security
during their lifetime, and if someone applied for their Social Security death
benefits at the time of death. It is not a complete listing of deaths.
Son-in-Law - Husband of one's
daughter.
Soundex -
A method of giving names sound codes. This was created in the 1930's due to the
fact that names can be spelled in many different ways. By grouping together
surnames that sound alike, individuals can search for ancestors even when the
surname had several different spellings.
Source - A book, document, or other
record that supplies primary information.
Spinster - Unmarried woman; woman
acting in her own right.
Sponsor - A bondsman; surety.
Spouse - Husband or wife.
Statute - Law.
Step-Brother/Step-Sister - Child of
one's step-father or step-mother.
Step-Child - Child of one's husband
or wife from a previous marriage.
Step-Father - Husband of one's
mother by a later marriage.
Step-Mother - Wife of one's father
by a later marriage.
Succession - (1) Legal term in the
transfer of property to legal heirs of an intestate estate, (2) probate;
process of determining a will's validity, identifying heirs, etc.
Surname - Last name; family name.
Territory - Area of
land owned by the
Testamentary - Pertaining to a will.
Testate - A person who dies leaving
a valid will.
Testator - A person who makes a
valid will before his death.
Tithable - Taxable; a person who owes tax to a
specified jurisdiction.
Tithe - Formerly, money due as a tax
for support of the clergy or church.
Tory - Loyalist; one who supported
the British side in the American Revolution.
Township - A division of
Tradition - The handing down of
statements, beliefs, legends, customs, genealogies, etc. from generation to
generation, especially by word of mouth.
Transcribe - To make a copy in
writing.
Tutor - (in
Tutrix -
Feminine form of Tutor
Ultimo - In the
month before this one, abbreviated as ult.
Umquhillo
- (Scot.) late, deceased.
Union - The United States; also the
North during the Civil War, the states which did not secede.
Vendue
- Public auction.
Verbatim - Word for word; in the
same words, verbally.
Vital Records - Records of birth,
death, marriage or divorce.
Vital Statistics - Data dealing with
birth, death, marriage or divorce.
War Between the States
-
Ward - Chiefly the
division of a city for election purposes.
Warranty Deed - Deed in which the
seller guarantees a clear title to the buyer.
Will - Document declaring how a
person wants his property divided after his death.
Witness - One who is present at a
transaction, such as a sale of land or signing of a will, who
can testify or affirm that it actually took place.
WPA Historical Records Survey - A
program undertaken by the US Government 1935-1936 in which inventories were
compiled of historical material.
There are currently no terms for this category.
Yeoman - A servant, an attendant or subordinate official in a royal household; a subordinate of a sheriff; an independent farmer; a naval rating.
Zambo - A person with one native American and one Negro parent.
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