A free online resource crammed with advice about conducting Genealogy Research... Glossary of Genealogical Terms Administration (Of Estate)- The Collection, Management and Distribution of an Estate by Proper Legal Process. Administrator (Of Estate) - Person Appointed To Manage or Divide the Estate of a Deceased Person. Administratrix - A Female Administrator. Affidavit - A Statement in Writing, Sworn to before Proper Authority. Alien - Foreigner. American Revolution - U.S. War for Independence from Great Britain 1775 -1783. Ancestor - A Person From Whom You are Descended; A Forefather. Ante - Latin Prefix Meaning Before, such as in Ante-Bellum South, "The South Before The War" Apprentice - One Who is Bound by Indentures or by Legal Agreement or by any Means to Serve another Person for a Certain Time, with a View of Learning an Art or Trade. Appurtenance - That Which Belongs to something else, such as a Building, Orchard, Right Of Way, Etc. Archives - Records of a Government, Organization, Institution; The Place where Records Are Stored. Attest - To Affirm; To Certify By Signature Or Oath. Banns - Public Announcement of Intended Marriage. Beneficiary - One Who Receives Benefit of Trust or Property. Bequeath - To Give Personal Property To A Person In A Will. Noun - Bequest. Bond - Written, Signed, Witnessed Agreement requiring Payment of a Specified Amount of Money on or Before a Given Date. Bounty Land Warrant - A Right to Obtain Land, Specific Number of Acres of Unallocated Public Land, Granted for Military Service. Census - Official Enumeration, Listing or Counting of Citizens. Certified Copy - A Copy Made and Attested to by Officers having Charge of the Original and Authorized to give Copies. Chattel - Personal Property which can Include Animate as well as Inanimate Properties. Christen - To Receive or Initiate into the Visible Church by Baptism; To Name at Baptism; To Give a Name to. Circa - About, Near, or Approximate - Usually Referring to a Date. Civil War - War Between The States; War Between North and South, 1861-65. Codicil - Addition to a Will. Collateral Ancestor - Belong to the Same Ancestral Stock but not in Direct Line of Descent; Opposed to Lineal such as Aunts, Uncles & Cousins. Common Ancestor - Ancestor Shared by any Two People. Confederate - Pertaining to the Southern States which Seceded from Theu. S. In 1860 -1861, their Government and their Citizens. Consanguinity - Blood Relationship. Consort - Usually, a Wife whose Husband is Living Conveyance - See Deed. Cousin - Relative Descended from a Common Ancestor, but not a Brother or Sister. Daughter-In-Law - Wife of One's Son. Deceased - Dead. Decedent - A Deceased Person. Declaration Of Intention - First Paper, sworn to and Filed in Court, by an Alien Stating that he wants to become a Citizen. Deed - A Document by Which Title in Real Property is Transferred from One Party to Another. Deposition - A Testifying or Testimony Taken Down in Writing Under Oath of Affirmation in reply to Interrogatories, before a Competent Officer to Replace the Oral Testimony of a Witness. Devise - Gift of Real Property By Will. Devisee - One To Whom Real Property (Land) is Given in a Will. Devisor - One Who Gives Real Property In a Will. Dissenter - One who did not belong to the Established Church, especially The Church of England in the American Colonies. District Land Office Plat Book - Books or rather Maps which show the Location of the Land Patentee. District Land Office Tract Book - Books which List Individual Entries by Range and Township. Double Dating - A System of Double Dating Used in England and America from 1582-1752, because it was not clear as to whether the Year Commenced January 1 or March 25 Dower - Legal Right Or Share Which A Wife Acquired By Marriage In The Real Estate Of Her Husband, Allotted To Her After His Death For Her Lifetime. Emigrant - One Leaving A Country And Moving To Another. Enumeration - Listing Or Counting , Such As A Census. Epitaph - An Inscription On Or At A Tomb Or Grave In Memory Of The One Buried There. Escheat - The Reversion Of Property To The State When There Are No Qualified Heirs. Estate - All Property And Debts Belonging To A Person. Et Al - Latin For "And Others". Et Ux - Latin For "And Wife". Et Uxor - And His Wife. Sometimes Written Simply Et Ux. Executor - One Appointed In A Will To Carry Out Its Provisions. Female =Executrix Father-In-Law - Father Of One's Spouse. Fee - An Estate Of Inheritance In Land, Being Either Fee Simple Or Fee Tail. An Estate In Land Held Of A Feudal Lord On Condition Of The Performing Of Certain Services. Fee Simple - An Absolute Ownership Without Restriction. Fee Tail - An Estate Of Inheritance Limited To Lineal Descendant Heirs of a Person to Whom it was Granted. Franklin, State Of - An Area Once Known But Never Officially Recognized and was Under Consideration from 1784 - 1788 from the Western Part of North Carolina. Fraternity - Group of Men (or Women) Sharing a Common Purpose or interest. Free Hold - An Estate In Fee Simple, In Fee Tail, Or For Life. Friend - Member Of The Religious Society Of Friends; A Quaker. Gazetteer - A Geographical Dictionary; A Book Giving Names And Descriptions Of Places Usually In Alphabetical Order. Genealogy - Study of Family History and Descent. Gentleman - A Man Well Born. Given Name - Name Given To a Person at Birth Or Baptism, One's First and Middle Names. Glebe - Land Belonging To a Parish Church. Grantee - One Who Buys Property Or Receives a Grant. Grantor - One Who Sells Property Or Makes a Grant. Great-Aunt - Sister Of One's Grandparent Great-Uncle - Brother Of One's Grandparent. Guardian - Person Appointed To Care For and Manage Property Of a Minor Orphan Or an Adult Incompetent Of Managing His Own Affairs. Half Brother/Half Sister - Child By Another Marriage Of One's Mother Or Father; The Relationship Of Two People Who Have Only One Parent In Common. Heirs - Those Entitled By Law Or By The Terms Of a Will To Inherit Property From another. Holographic Will - One Written Entirely In The Testator's Own Handwriting. Homestead Act - Law Passed By Congress In 1862 allowing a Head Of a Family To Obtain Title To 160 Acres Of Public Land after Clearing and Improving It For 5 Years. Huguenot - A French Protestant In The 16th And 17th Centuries. One Of The Reformed Or Calvinistic Communion Who Were Driven By The Thousands Into Exile In England, Holland, Germany and America. Illegitimate - Born To a Mother Who Was Not Married To The Child's Father. Immigrant - One Moving Into a Country From Another. Indenture - Today It Means a Contract In 2 Or More Copies. Originally Made In 2 Parts By Cutting Or Tearing a Single Sheet Across The Middle In a Jagged Line So The Two Parts May Later Be Matched. Indentured Servant - One Who Bound Himself Into Service Of Another Person For a Specified Number Of Years, Often In Return For Transportation To This Country. Infant - Any Person Not Of Full Age; A Minor. Instant - Of Or Pertaining To The Current Month. (Abbreviated Inst.) Intestate - One Who Dies Without a Will Or Dying Without a Will. Inventory - An Account, Catalogue Or Schedule, Made By an Executor Or Administrator Of all The Goods and Chattels And Sometimes Of The Real Estate Of a Deceased Person. Issue - Offspring; Children; Lineal Descendants Of a Common Ancestor. Late - Recently Deceased. Lease - An Agreement Which Creates a Landlord - Tenant Situation. Legacy - Property Or Money Left To Someone In a Will Legislature - Lawmaking Branch Of State Or National Government; Elected Group Of Lawmakers. Lien - A Claim Against Property As Security For Payment Of A Debt. Lineage - Ancestry; Direct Descent From a Specific Ancestor. Lineal - Consisting Of Or Being In a Direct Line Of Ancestry Or Descendants; Descended In a Direct Line. Lis Pendens - Pending Court Action; Usually Applies To Land Title Claims. Lodge - A Chapter Or Meeting Hall Of a Fraternal Organization. Loyalist - Tory, an American Colonist Who Supported The British Side During The American Revolution. Maiden Name - A Girl's Last Name Or Surname Before She Marries Manuscript - A Composition Written With The Hand as an Ancient Book Or a Non-Printed Modern Book Or Music. Marriage Bond - A Financial Guarantee That No Impediment To The Marriage Existed, Furnished By The Intended Bridegroom Or By His Friends. Maternal - Related Through One's Mother, Such as a Maternal Grandmother Being The Mother's Mother. Measurements: Link - 7.92 Inches Chain - 100 Links Or 66 Feet Furlong - 1000 Links Or 660 Feet Rod - 5 1/2 Yards Or 16 1/2 Feet (Also Called A Perch Or Pole) Rood - From 5 1/2 Yards To 8 Yards, Depending on Locality Acre - 43,560 Square Ft Or 160 Square Rods Messuage - A Dwelling House. Metes & Bounds - Property Described By Natural Boundaries, Such as '3 notches in a white oak tree'. Microfiche - Sheet Of Microfilm with greatly reduced images of Pages of Documents. Microfilm - Reproduction of Documents On Film At Reduced Size. Migrant - Person who Moves from Place To Place, Usually in Search Of Work Migrate - To Move from one Country, or State, or Region to Another. (Noun : Migration) Militia - Citizens Of A State Who Are Not Part Of The National Military Forces But Who Can Be Called Into Military Service In An Emergency; A Citizen Army, Apart From The Regular Military Forces. Minor - One Who Is Under Legal Age; Not Yet A Legal Adult. Mister - In Early Times, A Title Of Respect Given Only To Those Who Held Important Civil Officer Or Who Were Of Gentle Blood. Moiety - A Half; An Indefinite Portion Mortality - Death; Death Rate. Mortality Schedules - Enumeration Of Persons Who Died During The Year Prior To June 1 Of 1850, 1860, 1870, And 1880 In Each State Of The United States, Conducted By The Bureau Of Census. Mortgage - A Conditional Transfer Of Title To Real Property As Security For Payment Of A Debt. Mother-In-Law - Mother Of One's Spouse. Namesake - Person Named After Another Person. Necrology - Listing Or Record Of Persons Who Have Died Recently Nee - Used To Identify A Woman's Maiden Name; Born With The Surname Of. Nephew - Son Of One's Brother Or Sister. Niece - Daughter Of One's Brother Or Sister. Noncupative Will - One Declared Or Dictated By The Testator, usually for Persons In Last Sickness, Sudden Illness, or Military. Orphan - Child Whose Parents are Dead; Sometimes, A Child Who Has Lost One Parent By Death. Orphan's Court - Orphans Being Recognized as Wards of The States. Provisions were made for them in Special Courts. Passenger List - A Ships List of Passengers, Usually Referring to Those Ships Arriving in the US or Canada, from Europe. Patent - Grant of Land from a Government to an Individual. Paternal - Related to one's Father. Paternal Grandmother is the Father's Mother. Patriot - One Who Loves His Country and Supports its Interests. Pedigree - Family Tree; Ancestry. Pension - Money Paid Regularly to an Individual, especially By A Government as Reward for Military Service During Wartime or Upon Retirement from Government Service. Pensioner - One Who Receives a Pension. Poll - List or Record of Persons, especially for Taxing or Voting. Post - Prefix Meaning After, as in Post-War Economy. Posterity - Descendants; Those Who Come After. Power Of Attorney - When a Person is Unable to Act for Himself, He Appoints Another to Act on His Behalf. Pre - Prefix Meaning Before, As In Pre-War Military Build-Up. Pre-Emotion Rights - Right Given by the Federal Government To Citizens, To Buy a Quarter Section of Land or Less. Probate - Having to Do With Wills and the Administration of Estates. Progenitor - A Direct Ancestor. Progeny - Descendants of a Common Ancestor; Issue. Proved Will - A Will Established as Genuine by Probate Court. Provost - A Person Appointed to Superintend, or Preside over Something. Proximo - In the Following Month, in the Month After the Present One. Public Domain - Land Owned By the Government. Quaker - Member of the Religious Society Of Friends. Quitclaim - A Deed Conveying the Interest of the Party at that Time. Rector - A Clergyman; The Ruler or Governor of a Country. Relict - Widow; Surviving Spouse When One Has Died, Husband or Wife. Republic - Government in which Supreme Authority Lies with the People or their Elected Representatives. Revolutionary War - U.S. War For Independence From Great Britain 1775 -1783. Shaker - Member of a Religious Group Formed in 1747 which Practiced Communal Living and Celibacy. Sibling - Person Having One or Both Parents in Common with Another; A Brother or Sister. Sic - Latin Meaning Thus; Copied Exactly as the Original Reads. Often Suggests A Mistake or Surprise in the Original. Son-In-Law - Husband Of One's Daughter. Spinster - A Woman Still Unmarried (or One Who Spins). Sponsor - A Bondsman; Surety. Spouse - Husband Or Wife. Statute - Law. Step-Brother / Step-Sister - Child of One's Step-Father or Step-Mother. Step-Child - Child of One's Husband or Wife From a Previous Marriage. Step-Father - Husband of One's Mother by a Later Marriage. Step-Mother - Wife of One's Father By a Later Marriage. Surname - Family Name or Last Name. Territory - Area of Land Owned By a Country, not a State or Province, but having its own Legislature and Governor. Testamentary - Pertaining to a Will. Testate - A Person Who Dies Leaving a Valid Will. Testator - A Person Who Makes a Valid Will Before His Death. Tithable - Taxable. Tithe - Formerly, Money Due as a Tax for Support of the Clergy or Church. Tory - Loyalist; One Who Supported the British Side in the American Revolution. Township - A Division of U.S. Public Land that Contained 36 Sections, or 36 Square Miles. Also a Subdivision of the County in many North eastern And Midwestern States of the U.S. Tradition - The Handing Down of Statements, Beliefs, Legends, Customs, Genealogies, Etc. From Generation to Generation, especially by Word Of Mouth. Transcribe - To Make a Copy in Writing. Ultimo - In the Month Before this One. Union - The United States; Also The North During the Civil War, the States which did not Secede. Verbatim - Word for Word; In the Same Words, Verbally. Vital Records - Records of Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce. Vital Statistics - Data Dealing With Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce. War Between The States - U.S. Civil War, 1861 - 1865. Ward - Chiefly The Division of a City for Election Purposes. Will - Document Declaring how a Person Wants his Property Divided after his Death. Witness - One Who is Present at a Transaction, such as a Sale Of Land or Signing of a Will, who can Testify or Affirm that it Actually took place. Wpa Historical Records Survey - A Program Undertaken by the Us Government from 1935 - 1936, In Which Inventories were Compiled of Historical Material. Yeoman - A Servant, an Attendant or Subordinate Official in a Royal Household; A Subordinate of a Sheriff; An Independent Farmer. Please print a copy of this page and remember to store it in your Personal Ancestry File. |