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 | Part Three: Glossary for the Will of Thomas Cullen James C. Cullen Jr., Jim Cullen |
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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". [In a legal property context, "Dockt" specifically refers to "Docking the Entail." This was a specific and often costly legal procedure used to break a legal restriction on land so it could be sold or bequeathed freely. In this light, on Page 1 Line 7 of the will, the meaning of the phrase "dockt by a [-- ? --]" may be "common recovery" or "fine" - JC] 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: [A Balk, or a "gallon balk" as found in the inventory, was a horizontal iron beam or wooden pole fixed in a chimney from which pothooks and kettles were hung over the fire. - JC] 30. porringer: soup pot usually with handles. 31. ceild chair: chiseled or carved chair. [At this time and place, "Ceiled" also often meant "paneled." A ceiled chair was a "wainscot chair" - a heavy, sturdy chair with a solid wooden back made of paneling, rather than being open-slatted. - JC] 32. bass or bast: Flax or hemp used to make cordage for chair seats. 33. serges: [This refers to Searces (pronounced ser-ges). They were fine sieves used specifically for sifting flour or meal. - JC] 34. temses: sieves. 35. copper: a large pot or boiler. 36. landiron: [This is a variation of "Andiron". They are the metal supports (or dogs) held in a fireplace to support the burning logs. - JC] 37. frog: [A small iron bracket or support used to hold a heating plate or a specific cooking vessel above the embers in a fireplace. - JC] 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: [More commonly known today as Cheese Vats, these were the wooden hoops or molds used to press the curds into the shape of a cheese wheel. - JC] 43. trencher: a wooden board or plate on which food is cut or served. 44. cheesbrig: [Also cheese-bridge, a wooden frame or "bridge" placed across a cream-pan or tub to support the cheese vat while the whey was being drained. - JC] 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: [Also called a pancheon. A large, shallow earthenware bowl, usually glazed on the inside, used for "setting" milk so the cream would rise to the top. - JC] 51. hilling: [An old English term for a bed-covering or quilt (from the verb "to hill," meaning to cover or wrap up). - JC] 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. [It's also possible that a skuttle was a large, shallow open basket used for winnowing grain (tossing it in the air to let the wind blow away the chaff). - JC] 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: [This is probably "Traits" or "Traces". These are the side straps or chains by which a horse pulls a wagon or plow. - JC] 65. stoop or stoup: [A Stoop was a post, often a gatepost or a support post for a "hovell" (shed). - JC] 66. stan?eck: [This is very likely "Stand-hecks." A "Heck" is a rack for holding fodder (hay) for cattle or horses. A "Stand-heck" is a free-standing hay rack placed in a yard or field. - JC] 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: [This is possibly a roll or roller. Given its location in the "Yard" near the troughs, this was likely a heavy stone or wooden cylinder used for leveling soil or crushing clods in the field. - JC] 71. plaister: var. of plaster. 72. pease: A crop. Common peas. 73. clots: [This could be "clods" of earth but, in the context of the inventory value (£20), it very likely refers to "Clovers" or a specific type of harvested crop still in the field or in stacks. - JC] 74. linelands: Also "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. |