Page 21 - Gen Mag Online November 2020

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mentioned in a directory.

Obit. - This is often seen in ancestry charts and can indicate (but not always) that a published obituary
was written. Tracking down obituaries however is not always that easy. Obit can also mean a mass
was said for a deceased to celebrate the anniversary of his death. This is often mentioned in
pre-reformation wills.

Wills & Admons - A will is self explanatory but admon refers to the Letter of Administration which
is issued to executors and others to sort out the wishes and effects of the deceased.

Testator & Intestate - a testator is a person who has left a will. Intestate refers to someone who
didn’t leave a will.

Nuncupative Will - this refers to a will made by a person verbally and is written down by someone
else. Often happened when the person was on his or her deathbed. Normally wills were written some
months or even years before a death.

MI - This refers to a monumental inscription on the grave of a person. Generally in the past only
those who could afford to purchase a grave and monument would have one. However MIs can a
boon to the family historian as they may list a whole family. Many MIs have been transcribed and
published, but finding who holds them may not be easy to track down. Your local archive office is
the place to start, but a family history society is also useful as they may sell a booklet containing
monumental inscriptions or they may even carry out a search for you.

Affinity - this has 2 meanings: 1. A relationship other than blood eg spouse, in-law, step-son, and
2. The followers of a magnate such as a lord of the manor.

Alias - this is Latin meaning ‘otherwise’ and refers to someone who changed their name or is also
known by another name. Sometimes they are the reason for double-barrelled surnames. Married
women often had their maiden name mentioned added in document as an alias, eg Mrs Kelly alias
Jones.

Ark - nothing to do with Noah but refers to a chest owned by a deceased person and mentioned in
his inventory list attached to a will.

Banns - this is a proclamation that a marriage is to take place. The banns are usually read over a
period of 3 weeks in order to give others a chance to object. Prior to marriage certificates, couples
were either married by licence or banns.

Bishop’s Transcripts - these are copies of parish registers (baptisms, marriages and burials) sent
to the bishop. For genealogists and historians they can prove vital when the original parish register
is lost or has been destroyed.

Capias - this is a warrant for an arrest.

Cess - this is simply a form of taxation in a parish eg parochial rate or assessment.

Disseisin - a very old word used to describe someone who has been dispossessed of his or her
lands and titles etc.

Dorse - this is the reverse side of a piece of paper or parchment. Anything written on this side is
referred to as the endorsement.

Glebe - land held by an ecclesiastic eg clergyman. Glebe Terriers were maps that showed the
boundaries of the glebe.. They also show adjoining landholders, so can prove very useful for
genealogists.

Knobstick Wedding - what we would call a gunshot wedding. It is a wedding that is forced to take
place, generally between a pregnant woman and the single man who made her pregnant. Parish
overseers were wont to pay out money to women who got themselves pregnant.