GENEALOGY & is for ahnentafel yy Si ^Partial glossary of genealogical Terms & Abbreviations Compiled by Waldron H. Leard

id you ever think a cousin who tal acts of baptism, burial, confirma- D was "once removed" was some- tion, communion, etc. as performed by one that had been forcibly evicted from A.A.G.: Assistant Adjutant-General. A clergy or a piece of legislation passed the family at some point? Have you military term, often associated with by the civil government. always thought that a "barr." was some- local militia. The adjutant general A.D.: a dating system inspired by thing Davey Crockett killed? That assists the general. Christianity; the letters abbreviate the "Brother's Keeper" was part of a snap- ab.: abbey phrase Anno Domine, Latin for "in the py retort that got Cain in trouble with abesse: absence (deriving from the year of our Lord." God? That a "chattel" was some kind of Latin for "to be off). A.D.C.: aide-de-camp (an officer on a informal discussion group? When your ab., abt.: about general's staff who conveys his orders, mother told you that your great-grand- Abm: an abbreviation for Abraham. procures intelligence, etc.). father had received a Crown grant, did abstract: a summary that contains the Adj.: adjutant (see AAG.) you think that meant some country had essential information in a document administrator: a person appointed to invited him to be king? such as a will, deed, census, etc. administrate an estate, usually in cir- Fear not! Help is here! A.C.A.: Associate of the Institute of cumstances when no will has been Genealogical researcher and local Chartered Accountants written. historian Waldron Leard has compiled Acad.: academy Adv.: advocate (in some jurisdictions, a glossary of some of the many puz- accession number: the number a term for legal counsel). zling terms and abbreviations re- assigned by an archivist or librarian to ae., aet.: from the Latin aetitis; age at searchers may encounter while in help identify and locate an item within the time of death. search of their ancestors. It is offered a collection. A.F.A.M.: Ancient Free and Accepted here (with a few editorial asides): act: (among other things) sacramen- Masons. afft.: affidavit. agnate: persons related through the male line (Scottish usage). ahnentafel: an ancestor table (from a German word), which is usually devel- oped with a computer program. alien: person born in another country (as opposed to planet), who has not the legal rights of a citizen. allegation: an application for a license to marry. alms: charitable gifts for the poor. als.: alias. amita: (from the Latin) father's sister, i.e. aunt. amita magna: great aunt. anni: Latin for years. anno: "in the year" (Latin). annulment: a marriage that is nulli- fied through a decree of the church. annus luctus: the year of mourning (Latin). anon.: anonymous.

36 ante: before (Latin). Ap: Welsh for "son." a pater: from the father (Latin). A.Q.M.G.: Assistant Quartermaster- General. A.R.C.A.: Associate of Royal Cana- dian Academy. A.S.C.: Army Service Corps. Assoc. S c : Associate in Science. attachment: the seizure of property of persons by a legal process to satisfy a judgement of the courts. attorney in fact: an experienced legal practitioner with technical training or a mentally competent adult who is authorized to act for another. avus: grandfather (Latin) or ancestor.

B b: baptized (in Acadian records). b.: born. B.: Broken or cracked headstone. bach.: bachelor (as opposed to the composer!). bacteraemia: blood poisoning. bagman: a travelling salesman (sepa- rate from its political meaning). bailiff: a sheriffs deputy who issues writs, distrains, and makes arrests. ban: excommunication. banns: publication of an intended marriage which was published for bond the fulfilment of an undertaking three consecutive Sundays prior to the such as administration of a will. marriage (also known as "intentions"); Boston States: Maritime expression c , ca.: circa (Latin), i.e. about, on Prince Edward Island, at one time, for the region roughly equivalent to around, approximately (e.g. "born you had to be bonded — if the individ- New England; many Islanders migrat- ca.1784). ual that paid the bond reneged on the ed there in search of work beginning C.A.: chartered accountant. marriage, the bond was paid to the in the late 1860s. cairn: a burial monument or a bound- injured party. bound: obligated to serve another for ary marker. bap., bapt., bpt.: baptized. payment for a period of time in ex- camp fever: any epidemic fever, but barr.: barrister. change for apprenticeship, passage, etc. usually typhus (so-called for its preva- Bartm: Bartholomew. bowery: a farm or plantation. lence in military camps). baseborn: an illegitimate child or a box chart: a descendant chart that cadastral map: map of an area show- child born to parents of lowly means has each person in a box and lines ing land boundaries and land owners. (also base-son). (Not someone born on connecting the boxes. C.A.M.C: Canadian Army Medical a military base!) Blight's disease: a generic term for Corps. B.C.: in Western chronology, "Before several forms of acute and chronic kid- canon law: ecclesiastical law. Christ." ney disease. canus: old age (Latin). B.C., Bible Xn: Bible Christian broadside: (or "broadsheet") a large Capt.: captain (we knew you knew Church, an English Protestant denom- sheet of paper printed on one side that one!) ination that merged with the only; usually containing a speech, Cathne: Catherine. Methodist Church of Canada in 1884. song, or announcement, and often sold C.B.: Companion of the Order of the bd.: buried. on the street. Bath, a British order. (Also Cape B.D.: Bachelor of Divinity. Brother's Keeper: a popular share- Breton). bef.: before. ware computer program for genealo- C.C.: County Councillor. bis: a duplicate, twice (Latin). gists . C.C.F.: Cooperative Commonwealth blue laws: slang for laws that prohibit- bur.: buried. Federation, a Canadian political party ed activities such as conducting of busi- burial permit: a permit, issued pur- with socialist leanings, which was re- ness, dancing, and sport on a Sunday. suant to law, for the interment, disin- organized as the New Democratic Bluenoser: a native of Nova Scotia. terment, removal, reinterment or Party. bondsman: one who guarantees by transportation of human remains. CD-ROM: a piece of computer hard-

37 ware capable of storing vast amounts C. of E.: Church of England. D.D.S.: Doctor of Dental Surgery. of data cognate: persons related through the dec: deceased. C.E.: Civil Engineer. mother (Scottish). decedent: a deceased individual (this C.E.F.: Canadian Expeditionary Col.: colony or colonel. includes a stillborn infant or fetus). Force, the Canadian overseas contin- Coll.: college, collegiate (less fre- deed: a signed and sealed instrument gent during World War I (1914-18). quently encountered as an abbrevia- containing a legal transfer of land or cem.: cemetery, graveyard. tion for "colloquial"). other bargain (and occasionally some- cemetery: any one, or some combina- collateral descent: having a common thing heroic your ancestor might have tion of, the following, in a place used, ancestor. done); deed of trust: a deed from one or intended to be used, and dedicated, columbarium: a structure, room, or or more persons to another person or for cemetery purposes (a) a burial other space in a building or structure group of people to hold the interest in park, for earth interments; (b) a mau- containing niches for inurnment of a parcel of land for a third party; deed soleum, for crypt or vault interments; cremated human remains. quit claim: a deed releasing any and (c) a crematory, or a crematory and Com.-in-Chf.: Commander-in-Chief. all interest a person might have to a columbarium, for cinerary interments. Comr.: commissioner. parcel of land. cession: surrender of property or consanguine: a brother or sister is deg.: degree. rights. consanguine with the other where del.: delegate. C.F.: Chaplain to the Forces. they have a common father but differ- dep.: deputy. CFA: (sometimes PFA), short for ent mothers (Scottish). desc: descendant. "Come From Away," a slang expres- consanguinity: having a common Det.: detective. sion for someone not born on Prince ancestor. dioc: diocese. Edward Island. consort: husband or wife. Dissenter: member of one of a num- C.F.C.: Canadian Forestry Corps.. consumption: common name for the ber of Protestant sects that split off CG(C): Certified Genealogist disease tuberculosis. from the Church (of England). (Canada). conveyance: a land transaction. d/o: daughter of. Ch.: church. cordwainer: a shoemaker, originally dower: part of a man's estate allotted ch.: children. one who worked in cordovan leathers. by law to his widow. chain: a measure of land; 66 feet = 4 Corp.: corporal (also, of course, cor- DSM: Distinguished Service Medal, a rods = 100 links (all of them fixed). poration). British military decoration. Chap.: chaplain (also, in legislative corr. fell.: corresponding fellow. D.S.O.: Distinguished Service Order, parlance, an act or law). corr. mem.: corresponding member. a British military decoration for brav- charwoman: a cleaning woman hired C.P.R: Canadian Pacific Railway. ery. by the day (not a lucrative profession). Cr.: Crown. dsp.: decessit sine prole (Latin for Chas, Chs: Charles. cremains: human remains after cre- "died without issue"). chattel: moveable personal property. mation in a crematory. dspl.: decessit sine prole (Latin for C.H.P.: Christian Heritage Party of Crown grant: on Prince Edward "died without legitimate issue"). Canada. Island, sale of land owned by the gov- dsmp.: decessit sine prole mascula chr.: christened (baptized). ernment (which had purchased it (Latin for "died without male issue"). C.I.C.: Canadian Infantry Corps.. from the proprietors) to the tenants. dsmps.: decessit sine prole mascula ciphering: an archaic term for arith- Crown grant ledgers: A series of superstita (Latin for "died without sur- metic (except on The Beverly Hill- books for each township or propri- viving male issue"). billies). etor's estate, summarizing the transac- dsps.: decessit sine prople superstita Civ. Serv.: civil service. tions by which a tenant purchased (Latin for "died without surviving C.J: Chief Justice. land from the government. issue"). clerk: prior to 1800, another word for C.S.: Civil Service. D. Th., D. Theol.: Doctor of a cleric. C.S.S.R.: Congregatio Sanctissimi Theology. C.M.G.: Companion to the Order of Redemptoris, i.e. Congregation of the D.V.: God willing (from the Latin). St. Michael & St. George. Most Holy Redeemer or, Redemptorist d.v.m.: decessit vita matris (Latin for CMGE CEF: Canadian Machine Gun Order of [Roman Catholic] Priests "died in the lifetime of the mother"). Corps, Canadian Expeditionary Force. (not the Czechoslovak Soviet Socialist dvp.: decessit vita patric (Latin for C.N.D.: Congregation of Notre Dame, Republic!). "died in the lifetime of the father"). a Quebec-based order of Roman C.V.O.: Companion of the Royal d.y.: genealogical shorthand for "died Catholic nuns. Victorian Order. young." CNI: genealogical talk for Complete C.W.A.C.: Canadian Woman's Army dy: day. Name Index. Corps. C.N.R.: Canadian National Railways. cobbler: a shoe-maker (also, short for E a variety of potato, "Irish Cobblers"). D Co., Cty.: county. eccl.: ecclesiastical. CO.: Commanding Officer. d.: died. ecclesia: church (from the Latin). codicil: written instructions attached to dau.: daughter. ed.: editor. an original will that show additions, D.C.L.: Doctor of Civil Law. educ: educated. deletions or changes that affect the will. D.D.: Doctor of Divinity. Edwd: Edward.

38 Eliz: Elizabeth. G.C.V.O.: Knight, Grand Cross of ground rent: rent paid on land. eng.: engineer. Royal Victorian Order. GRS(C): Genealogical Record Eng.: England, English language. gd: grand, granddaughter. Searcher (Canada). Esq.: esquire; appended to name of gdprts.: grandparents. gs, g.s: gravestone. someone regarded as a gentleman by gdfa., gf, grfa.: grandfather. G.T.R.: Grand Trunk Railway, later birth, position, or education, i.e. it gdma., gm, grma.: grandmother. absorbed into Canadian National. denotes status but not necessarily gen- GEDCOM: a computer file with names, tility — occasionally used for minor dates, locations, and notes that is in a branches of a landowning family. special format that can be read by other H est: can mean "estate", "estimated," genealogy computer programs. "established" (or a French verb conju- geneal., gen.: generation. h.: husband. gation!). gent: gentleman; usually for persons H.E.: His or Her Excellency. et al: and others (from the Latin). entitled to bear heraldic arms. heraldry: science and use of heredi- et ux: short for the Latin "et uxor" — Geo: George. tary symbols, coats of arms or armori- "and wife". german: placed after a brother's, sis- al bearings. executor/executrix: a person ter's or cousin's name to indicate that heredis: heir (Latin). ("executrix" being female) appointed they are in the fullest sense of relation- Hessian: German Protestant native to by the writer of a will to execute the ship, pronounced "ger-MAIN" Hesse in Germany; also a generic term will. (Scottish). for German soldiers who were hired g., gr.: great. as mercenaries by Britain for service gg: great-great (not meant as an inten- in America during the American sifier for your ancestor's special wor- Revolution. Some ended up settling in thiness!). British North America. F.: fallen down headstone. ggd: great-granddaughter. HF: shorthand for the Prince Edward f: child, son or daughter ("fille" in ggs: great-grandson. Island Heritage Foundation (since 1983 Acadian records). G.L.: Grand Lodge. the Prince Edward Island Museum and F: folio (Latin for "page"). grant: (for genealogical purposes) Heritage Foundation), which formerly f., fa.: father. generally a transfer of realty by deed maintained a genealogy department, F&AM: Free and Accepted Masons. or writing. now integrated into the Public Archives fam: family. grantee: the recipient of property in and Records Office. fee simple: land in which the owner deed records. H.H.: His or Her Highness. has unqualified ownership. grantor: the person who sells or gives hie: here (Latin for "in this manner") fettler: mechanic or machinery repair- land to another. hie jacet: here lies (Latin). man. grass widow: an F.C.A.: Fellow of the Institute of unmarried woman Chartered Accountants. who has co-habited F.F.H.S.: Federation of Family with one or more History Societies (United Kingdom). men; person whose F.G.S.: Fellow of the Genealogical husband or wife is Society (United Kingdom). absent for a time. F.H.C.: Family History Centre, associ- graver: a person who ated with the Church of Latter Day carves or engraves let- Saints. ters or symbols (also folio: page (Latin). the tool used for that Fredk: Frederick. purpose). freehold: land in which the owner has grd: granddaughter. unqualified ownership. Gregorian Calendar: F.R.G.S.: Fellow of the Royal named for the timely Geographic Society. Pope Gregory, also Fritz: German for "son" (also, a referred to as the New derogatory nickname for German Style Calendar; re- troops during World War I). placed the less accu- furlong: term of measurement; 10 rate Julian Calendar in chains or 40 rods. some countries in 1582. It was adopted in 1752 by Great Britain, her colonies, and other Protestant G.: tombstone concealed by grass. countries. G.C.B.: Knight, Grand Cross of the grs, gs: grandson. Bath. grch: grandchildren G.C.M.G.: Knight, Grand Cross of St. (not an abbreviation Michael and St. George. for "grouch").

39 hie jacet sepultus: here lies buried IGI: International Genealogical Index. remains, by inurnment, placement or (Latin). ies: The first three letters of the burial in a cemetery, or burial at sea. hie situs: here is buried (Latin). Greek word for "Jesus" (the Greek intestate: a person who dies without his mark: signature of an individual alphabet had no "j" and the "e" looks having made a valid will. who could not or is unable to write or very much like an "h," thus, the com- in toto: entirely (Latin). sign their name except by the use of mon transcription of the abbreviation inurnment: placing cremated remains the letter "X" in legal documents. as "ihs" — commonly rendered as "in in a container suitable for placement, H.M.: His or Her Majesty. His Service"). burial, or shipment. hoc loco: in this place (Latin). ihs: see, "ies." I.O.O.F.: Independent Order of Odd hoc mense: in this month (Latin). illegit: illegitimate, i.e. a child born Fellows. holographic will: a hand-written will. out of wedlock. I.S.O.: Imperial Service Order, a dec- H.R.H.: His or Her Royal Highness imp.: "imperator" i.e. "emperor"; oration for service to the Empire. (not used sarcastically). loosely, "imperial." issue: lineal descendants of a com- HS: headstone. indentured servant: a person bound mon ancestor (or an edition of The h.s.: hie situs (Latin for "here lies"). to another for a period of time (usually Island Magazine). Huguenot: French Protestants, many seven years) as an apprentice to learn of whom emigrated to the United a trade. Kingdom and/or America to escape indigent: a pauper. religious persecution. ineditus: not published or not made husbandman: a farmer (often, on known (from the Latin). J.A.: Judge Advocate. Prince Edward Island, a tenant inf: infant, infancy. jail fever: a virulent type of typhus farmer). insp.: inspector. fever, endemic to crowded places such Hy: Henry. inst: instant, i.e. "of the current as jails and emigrant ships. month," as in "on the 23rd inst"; also, Jas: James. short for "institute." Jere: Jeremiah. i interfactor: murderer. Jno: John. interment: the disposition of human Jos: Joseph. ibid.: ibidem (Latin for "in the same remains by entombment or burial in a J.P.: Justice of the Peace. place"). cemetery or, in the case of cremated K k: "killed," or, occasionally, "king." K.B.: Knight Bachelor. K.B.E.: Knight of the British Empire. K.C.: King's Counsel (see also, Queen's Counsel), a distinction bestowed on lawyers, literally "in the King's (or Queen's) service. K.G.: Knight of the Order of the Garter (British). kn: known. knacker: a person who makes har- ness, also one who buys old horses and sells the flesh for dog food, etc. (hence, to be "knackered"). knt., kt: knight. knobstick wedding: a wedding con- ducted under pressure of the parish priest or vestry of a pregnant woman to the father-to-be (similar to a "shotgun wedding," but involving a different wea- pon and a different body wielding it). K of S: Kirk or the Church of Scotland. K.S.G.: Knight of St. Gregory (a Papal order of chivalry).

(to be continued)

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