This glossary explains some of the terms and abbreviations used in our descriptions of archive documents.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Abstract of title | Summary of previous ownership and transactions concerning a property, usually prepared when a property is to be sold. (.*) |
| Accession record | A brief record of a collection of archives, giving details of dates, size, contents and depositor, created as soon as the collection is deposited, but before it is catalogued. |
| Advowson | The right of patronage of a church, with the right to nominate a clergyman of a parish (recognized in English law until 1898) . |
| Annuity | Annual payment to a person (often grant) . |
| Appurtenances | A right or privilege belonging to a property. |
| Assignment | Transfer of a right or interest in a property, usually of a lease or mortgage. |
| Assignment of term in trust to attend the inheritance | Assignment of the residue of a term in a mortgage to a trustee, after the mortgage has been paid off. |
| Bargain and sale | Deed transferring property. |
| Bond | Agreement to pay a sum of money if certain conditions are not met (often to pay a lesser sum of money or perform certain covenants in a deed). |
| Catalogue | Description of a collection of archives, giving details of creator, date, size, contents and other data, arranged hierarchically. |
| Codicil | Additional clause in a will. |
| Collection | An entity of archival documents emanating from one source with a logical identity. |
| Consideration | Purchase money for an interest in property. |
| Conveyance | Document effecting a property transfer. |
| Copyhold | Land held by possession of a copy made by the steward of a manor from the court-roll of the manor. |
| Cordwainer | A specialist shoemaker or leatherworker. |
| Covenant | Agreement entered into by party to a deed. |
| Curtilage | The enclosed land around a house or other building. |
| Custumal | Manorial survey which consists of a list of the manor's tenants with the customs under which each held his house and lands. |
| Deed | Legal document documenting transfer of title from one party to another. |
| Demesne | Part of the manor held by the lord and not let out to tenants. |
| Dower | Entitlement of a widow to a proportion of her late husband’s property. |
| Easter (date) | The Sunday following the first full moon on or after the 21st March. |
| Easter (term) | A legal term in the English calendar, usually beginning 17 days after Easter and ending 3-5 weeks later. |
| Enfeoffment | Deed by which a person acquired land. |
| Entail | Settlement of a property stating that it must descend in a particular fashion (usually through heirs male) and may not be sold or otherwise disposed of. |
| Essoin | Excuse for not attending manorial court. |
| Executor | Man appointed in a will to carry out the provisions of the will. |
| Executrix | Woman appointed in a will to carry out the provisions of the will. |
| Extent (1) | A manorial survey that has a valuation attached to every property (usually dating from 13-14th century). |
| Extent (2) | Size of a unit of description within a collection. |
| Final concord | Official record of a collusive court case, often used as a form of title insurance when a property is to be sold. Usually accompanies private deeds relating to the transaction. (Also called fine or final agreement). |
| Gavelkind | System of inheritance peculiar to Kent after 1066, by which property is divided between all sons or heirs. |
| Gregorian Calender | Calendar adopted in Great Britain and Ireland in 1752, which made 1st January the 1st day of the year, as opposed to Lady Day. Therefore all documents dated between 1 January and 24 March before 1752 have been dual dated, for example 1 January 1701[/2]. |
| Heriot | Payment to the Lord of the Manor on the death of a tenant, usually his best beast. |
| Hilary | A legal term in the English calendar, usually beginning on 20th January. |
| Indemnity | Protection against future loss. |
| Indenture | Deed between 2 or more parties, with top indented. |
| Jointure | Financial provision made for a woman after the death of her husband. Usually created within her marriage settlement. |
| Lease and release | Form of deed in two parts, used for transferring an interest in property. The lease is usually for a year (occasionally for 6 months), with an annual rent of a peppercorn. This places the purchaser in possession as tenant. The release allows the previous owner to release their interest in the property and contains the terms of the deed. The form is usually used for conveyances, but also sometimes for mortgages and marriage settlements. |
| Lease for a year | See lease and release. |
| Letters patent | A royal grant of property or right, enrolled on the patent rolls. |
| Manor | Administrative unit of land over which the lord of a manor had authority. |
| Messuage | Property or dwelling house. |
| Michaelmas (date) | 29th September. |
| Michaelmas (term) | A term in the legal calendar (usually from 6 October-25 November) or 29th September (as a date). |
| Moiety | Half share in a property. |
| Mortgage | A conditional conveyance of property as security for the repayment of a loan. |
| Power of attorney | A legal document authorizing someone to act as the grantor's agent. |
| Probate | A judicial certificate saying that a will is genuine and conferring on the executors the power to administer the estate. |
| Quitclaim | Deed renouncing a person’s right to property. |
| Recognisance | A bond. |
| Relief | Sum paid by an incoming freehold manorial tenant for his right to take over the tenement. |
| Rental | Manorial document listing tenants and rents payable. |
| Seizen | Ownership or possession of freehold property. |
| Statute staple | A strong form of a bond. |
| Survey | Description of a manor consisting of descriptions of boundaries, customs and a rent roll. |
| Tenant for life | Current owner of entailed property. |
| Tenant in tail | Person expected to inherit entailed land on death of the current owner (usually the eldest son). |
| Tenant to the precipe | Person to whom property is transferred for the purpose of suffering a recovery. |
| Terrier | Manorial document consisting of a topographical description of land. |
| Trinity | A term in the English legal calendar running from the octave of Trinity to 8 July. |
| Trustee | A person holding property on another’s behalf. |
| Wharfinger | Owner of a wharf. |