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This medieval glossary had its origins in Lucy Wheeler's book "Chertsey Abbey"

Advowson. The right of patronage.

AEscingas. The early Saxon sovereigns of Kent.

Aits, Eyots, or Eylts. Osier beds in river islands.

Annates. First fruits. The first year's profit of a benefice, claimed by the head of the Church.

Anniversaries. Solemn days commemorated yearly, on which men were wont to pray for the souls of special departed friends or patrons.

Appanage. A dependent establishment, provision for which was furnished by the parent monastery.

Appropriation. The annexation of an ecclesiastical benefice to the perpetual use of some religious house.

Armiger. An esquire. A title of dignity belonging to gentlemen who bear arms.

Assart. An offence committed in the forest by pulling up shrubs and trees by the roots.

Boc. A charter.

Bocland. Terra hereditarii. That possession of land which can produce the Charter or Book by which it is created.

Barrow. A large hillock or mound, said to be a Roman tumulus or sepulchre.

Benefice. An ecclesiastical living under a bishopric.

Berewyke. A village or hamlet, belonging to some town or manor.

Bull, from bulla, a stud or boss. A brief or mandate from

the Pope of Rome, sealed with the lead or gold seal, the image of S. Paul on one side of the Cross and S. Peter on the other; and on the reverse the Pope's name and year of pontificate.

Bosci. Woods.

Calends or Kalends. Date, reckoned from the first day of the month.

Camerarius. Chamberlain.

Canonicus. Those living according to rule.

Canon Law. Ecclesiastical law, sanctioned by the church of Rome. It borrows from Roman law many of its regulations.

Canon Religiosorum. Conventual book containing the rules of their order, offices of devotion and days of commemoration. Caritas. or Karite. A grace-cup, a special allowance of wine or liquor.

Cartulary. A receptacle for Charters or Records, the place where they are kept.

Carucate. A plough-land of loo acres.

Cellerarius. A butler or caterer for the monastery.

Cess. An assignment or tax.

Cessavit. A writ to recover lands from religious houses if the spiritual services required had been neglected for two years together. Statute of Gloucester, 1278.

Chantry. A little church, chapel, or particular altar, endowed for the maintenance of one or more priests, daily to sing mass, and perform divine service for the souls of the donors.

Chapel. Capella. A church separate from, yet belonging to, a monastery or a mother-church.

Clause or Close Rolls. Royal Letters under the Great Seal not intended for public inspection.

Comendators. Secular persons to whom benefices were en­trusted for oversight.

Comput. Ministrorum (Henry VIII.). Accounts of monastic revenues.

Confirmation of Charters. Ratification of their validity.

Court-leet. A court held by the possessors of large estates for the redressing of the wrongs of those living in the immediate neigh. bourhood.

Croft. A little close, adjoining a homestead, enclosed for cultivation.

Curia Regis. Court established by Wm. the Conqueror, com­posed of the great officers of state who followed the King's household in all his expeditions. Held in Westminster Hall by provision of Magna Charta.

Curtarius. An officer in charge of the secular buildings of the

monastery. He gave out bread, beer, &c.

Church-scot. The laws of Ini enforced the payment of Church­scot for Divine service.

Decimae Tithes or tenths.

Disseise. To dispossess or deprive. Eleenzosynarius. Almoner. Enfeoffment. The act of investing with any dignity or possession.

Feodum militis. A knight's fee.

Feriae Holidays, free days.

Ferry. A franchise of the Crown giving the right to carry persons and their goods in boats across a river for toll.

Flemene frit. The reception or relief of a fugitive or outlaw. (Flem=an outlaw.)

Flemeswite. The possession of the goods of fugitives.

Gaol delivery. A commission to the judges to try, and deliver every prisoner who may be in gaol when they arrive in the town.

Grange. A farm furnished with barns, stables, granaries and all coveniences for husbandry.

Ham. A place for dwelling. A home close.

( Hamsoca. A fine for entering a house.

Homesoken. Burglary ; assaulting a man in his own house.

Hand-grith. Peace or protection given by the King with his own hand.

Haugh. A green spot in a valley.

Haw. A small parcel of land. (Ham-Haw.)

Here. A lord. (Wulf-here.)

Here-straete. The military road, probably one of the great Roman streets.

Herdewich (Hardwick). A grange, a place for cattle and husbandry.

Hidage. A special taxation levied upon every hide of land, not in money but provision of armour.

Hide. Arable land, such a space as might be ploughed with one plough, or as much as would maintain the family of a hide or mansion-house. The total acreage of England being given as 31, 770, 615 acres, its hidage was given as 243,000 ; 60, 8o, or 100acres have been variously reckoned to the hide.

Holt. A wood.

Honorarium. A voluntary fee.

Hordarius. The Kitchener.

Horderium. Repository-Barn-Treasury. Hostiarius. The Guest-master. Hospitium. Visitation money.

Hullus. A hill (Wintredshulle, modern Childown).

Hythe. A port, or little haven (Egham Hythe, Queenhithe).

In commendam. A commendarn is the power of receiving and holding a benefice contrary to positive law by supreme authority, c.;. Papal provisions.

Infangenthef. A privilege of lords of certain manors to judge any thief taken within their fee.

Infirmaries. The officer of the sick-house.

Ingressus. The relief which was paid upon entering into a fee.

Laet. i. One of a class between servile and free. 2. Person-

ally free, but compelled to have a lord. 3. A landless tenant. Court-leet-for tenants.

Land-boc. The deed or charter by which lands were held.

Landimers. Measures of land.

Lardarius. A clerk of the kitchen.

Law of the Staple. Merchandise regulations.

Ledger Book. A book in the prerogative courts which is con­sidered as their rolls.

Legatine Council. That of Chelsea in A. D. 787. So-called from the two first Roman legates having been received in England. The payment of tithe to the Church was enforced at this time. Church­scot had been included in the laws of Inc.

Liturgy. The Gallican or Moz-Arabic Liturgy had continued in use (more or less) until 747, when the Roman Liturgy was gener­ally adopted in accordance with the Council of Cloveshoo.

Magna Charta and Charta de Foresta are called the two Great Charters.

Magna or Mancus. A square piece of gold coin commonly valued at thirty pence.

Mandati Dies. Maundy Thursday.

Mandato, panes de. Loaves of bread given to the poor on Maundy Thursday.

Manentes. Tenants. A manor is called from manendo, a seat. Mansa. A mansion or house.

Mansus. A farm.

Monasticon. A book giving an account of monasteries and religious houses.

Mortmain. In a hand that cannot shift away the property.

Muniment-house. A house or room of strength in cathedrals, &c. made for keeping deeds, charters, &c.

Mynster-ham. Monastic habitation, perhaps the part of a monastery set apart for hospitality or for sanctuary.

Muniments. The evidences or writings whereby a man is able to defend the title of his estate.

Molendinum. A mill. Nundincae. Fairs, markets.

Outfangthef. A liberty or privilege, whereby a lord was enabled to call any man, dwelling in his manor and taken for felony in another place out of his fee, to judgment in his own court.

Pannos de cannabium. Canvas shoes.

Pannage. Food that swine feed on in the woods.

Pannus. A garment made with skins.

Patent Letters. Open or public records, with seal affixed, showing authority of issue.

Patent Bolls. Registers in which letters-patent are recorded.

Pension of churches. Certain sums of money paid to the clergy in lieu of tithes.

Pie poudre Court. A court incident to every fair or market, the

judge in which is the steward of the lord of the market or fair. The administration only lasts for the day or days on which the fair is being held.

Pipe Rolls. Parchment schedules. The Great Roll.

Pontage. Duty paid for repairing bridges.

Purprestura. An invasion of the private rights of the Crown, by enclosing public land.

Protection. An immunity granted by the Crown to a certain person to be free from suits at law. Also, from being arrested. Quelmes. Gallows.

Scyre-man. A judge of the county by whom trials for land were determined.

Schire-man. A sheriff. Ancient name for an earl.

Scutage. The tenure of a knight.

Thesaurus. The treasury.

Terminus ad quem. The terminating point.

Terminus a quo. The starting point.

Terra warennata. Land that has the liberty of free warren. Uffingas. Sovereigns of East Anglia descended from Uffa. Venella. An alley.

Vivarium. A fish-pond, or a warren or park. Where live animals are preserved.

Wapentake. e. A hundred.

Warren. A franchise or place privileged by grant from the Crown for keeping beasts or fowls of warren.