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HomepagePart Three: Glossary for the
Will of Thomas Cullen
James C. Cullen Jr., Jim Cullen


This glossary was compiled from various sources by my father, James Cullen, as an aid in understanding the archaic terms appearing in the will of Thomas Cullen. Further insight was obtained from the book "The Rude Forefathers" by Francis West. Note that the glossary terms are not arranged in alphabetical order but in the order they were encountered in the will.
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GLOSSARY


1. moyety or moiety: a half part, portion, or share.

2. copy hold: a type of ownership of land in England, evidenced by a copy of the manor roll establishing the title.

3. messuage: A dwelling house with its outbuildings and adjoining lands.

4. tenement: a house or property leased to a tenant.

5. hereditament: any property that can be inherited.

6. taile or tail: limitation of the inheritance of an estate to a person or persons.

7. entaile or entail: the act of tailor settlement.

8. dockt: abbreviation for the word "documented".

9. ffee or fee simple: an estate in land of which the inheritor has unqualified ownership and power of disposition.

10. croft: a small enclosed field near a house or a small farmhold usually of 5 to 10 acres that is worked by a tenant.

11. ley or lea: meadow or grassland.

12. close: a narrow lane, alley, or strip of land near a farmhouse or church.

13. vizt: abbreviation for the Latin word "videlicet" meaning namely.

14. barrow: A barrow is a hill or mound. There were three arable fields in Upton, all located just north of the Southwell-Newark highway where it passed through the parish. They were known as the West field, the Middle or Cliff field, and the east or Micklebarrow field.

15. beck: a small brook.

16. rood: a measure of land equal to 1/4 acre or 40 sq. rods.

17. selion: ridge or furrow; a measure of land.

18. pingle: a small enclosed field.

19. dale: a valley.

20. ffurlong or furlong: a unit of measuring distance, equal to 1/8th mile, or 220 yards.

21. holme or holm: low flat lands near a river; bottomland.

22. stint: limitation on pasturage or the number of cattle allowed to graze on a piece of common land.

23. yt: abbreviation for "that".

24. item: also, moreover or likewise. Used to introduce an article in an enumeration or list.

25. condicon: Condition.

26. obligacon: obligation.

27. bounden: under legal obligation.

28. accompt: archaic var. of account.

29. balk:

30. porringer: soup pot usually with handles.

31. ceild chair: chiseled or carved chair.

32. bass or bast: Flax or hemp used to make cordage for chair seats.

33. serges:

34. temses: sieves.

35. copper: a large pot or boiler.

36. landiron:

37. frog:

38. pestill: MF Pistillum; a pestle.

39. brandrith: a fireplace grate.

40. ket or kit: a tub or any wooden vessel, especially as a milking pail with cover and ears.

41. piggin: a small wooden bucket with one stave projecting above the rim used as a handle.

42. cheesfats:

43. trencher: a wooden board or plate on which food is cut or served.

44. cheesbrig:

45. thrall: a stand for barrels, milk pans, or cans.

46. tester: a canopy over a bed.

47. bolster: a long, narrow cushion or pillow.

48. cloath press: Clothes press; a chest or wardrobe for clothes.

49. pipkin: a small earthenware or metal cooking pot.

50. panshion:

51. hilling:

52. counterpane: a coverlet or bedspread.

53. stone: a unit of weight in Britain equal to 6.36 kilograms or 14 pounds.

54. garret: an attic.

55. tressell: trestle.

56. cheesbard: a cheeseboard.

57. maund: a hand basket or hamper.

58. stock card: a brush with bent wire teeth used for carding wool.

59. skuttle or scuttle: a basket or metal pail used to carry coal.

60. pillion: a cushion for an extra rider behind the saddle on a horse.

61. strike: a dry measure varying from two pecks to four bushels.

62. trumpery: showy, worthless finery; misc.

63. gablock: var. of gavelock; an iron crowbar or lever.

64. treat:

65. stoop or stoup:

66. stan?eck:

67. lat: from ME lat meaning lath; thin strips of wood used in plastering.

68. swingle tree or whiffletree: the pivoted horizonal crossbar to which the harness traces of a draft animal are attached and which is then attached to a vehicle or an implement.

69. hovell: a low, open shed in a barnyard.

70. rowl:

71. plaister: var. of plaster.

72. pease: pea.

73. clots:

74. linelands: or "Linen-Lands", a name given to some meadows near Mill Lane, is a surviving reference of the days when the cultivation of flax was a noted activity in Upton and surrounding areas.




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