Some legal terms common in manorial court records For further terms, see eg Collins Dictionary and Thesaurus A free online dictionary which includes such terms is available at: http://www.bluerider.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ alienation [,eIljE'neISEn or ,eIlIE-] noun 1 a turning away; estrangement 2 the state of being an outsider or the feeling of being isolated, as from society 3 (Psychiatry) a state in which a person's feelings are inhibited so that eventually both the self and the external world seem unreal 4 (Law) a the transfer of property, as by conveyance or will, into the ownership of another b the right of an owner to dispose of his property ---------------------------------------------------------------- amerce [E'mF:s] verb (Obsolete) (tr) 1 (Law) to punish by a fine 2 to punish with any arbitrary penalty [C14: from Anglo-French amercier, from Old French a merci at the mercy (because the fine was arbitrarily fixed); see MERCY] a*merceable adjective a*mercement noun a*mercer noun ------------------------------------------------------------------- appurtenance [E'pF:tInEns] noun 1 a secondary or less significant thing or part 2 (pl) accessories or equipment 3 (Property law) a minor right, interest, or privilege which passes when the title to the principal property is transferred [C14: from Anglo-French apurtenance, from Old French apartenance, from apartenir to APPERTAIN] ------------------------------------------------------------------- constable ['kVnstEbEl or 'kQn-] noun 1 (in Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc.) a police officer of the lowest rank 2 any of various officers of the peace, esp. one who arrests offenders, serves writs, etc. 3 the keeper or governor of a royal castle or fortress 4 (in medieval Europe) the chief military officer and functionary of a royal household, esp. in France and England 5 an officer of a hundred in medieval England, originally responsible for raising the military levy but later assigned other administrative duties [C13: from Old French, from Late Latin comes stabuli officer in charge of the stable, from Latin comes comrade + stabulum dwelling, stable; see also COUNT2] *constable*ship noun ---------------------------------------------------------------------- convey [kEn'veI] verb (tr) 1 to take, carry, or transport from one place to another 2 to communicate (a message, information, etc.) 3 (of a channel, path, etc.) to conduct, transmit, or transfer 4 (Law) to transmit or transfer (the title to property) 5 (Archaic) to steal [C13: from Old French conveier, from Medieval Latin conviare to escort, from Latin com- with + via way] con*veyable adjective ------------------------------------------------------------------- court-leet 1 [li:t] noun (English history) 1 a special kind of manorial court that some lords were entitled to hold Also called: court-leet 2 the jurisdiction of this court [C15: from Anglo-French, of unknown origin] ----------------------------------------------------------------- hue and cry noun 1 (formerly) the pursuit of a suspected criminal with loud cries in order to raise the alarm 2 any loud public outcry [C16: from Anglo-French hu et cri, from Old French hue outcry, from huer to shout, from hu! shout of warning + cri CRY] ----------------------------------------------------------------- inquiry or enquiry [In'kwaIErI] noun 1 a request for information; a question 2 an investigation, esp. a formal one conducted into a matter of public concern by a body constituted for that purpose by a government, local authority, or other organization ---------------------------------------------------------------- jury 1 ['dZUErI] pl -ries noun 1 a group of, usually twelve, people sworn to deliver a true verdict according to the evidence upon a case presented in a court of law See also grand jury, petit jury 2 a body of persons appointed to judge a competition and award prizes 3 the jury is still out (Informal) it has not yet been decided or agreed on [C14: from Old French juree, from jurer to swear; see JUROR] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ messuage ['m*lswIdZ] noun (Property law) a dwelling house together with its outbuildings, curtilage, and the adjacent land appropriated to its use [C14: from Norman French: household, perhaps through misspelling of Old French mesnage MeNAGE] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- provocation [,prQvE'keISEn] noun 1 the act of provoking or inciting 2 something that causes indignation, anger, etc. 3 (English criminal law) words or conduct that incite a person to attack another with fatal results -------------------------------------------------------------------- statute ['stHtju:t] noun 1 a an enactment of a legislative body expressed in a formal document b this document 2 a permanent rule made by a body or institution for the government of its internal affairs [C13: from Old French estatut, from Late Latin statutum, from Latin statuere to set up, decree, ultimately from stare to stand] ------------------------------------------------------------------- steward ['stjUEd] noun 1 a person who administers the property, house, finances, etc., of another 2 a person who manages the eating arrangements, staff, or service at a club, hotel, etc. 3 a waiter on a ship or aircraft 4 a mess attendant in a naval mess afloat or ashore 5 a person who helps to supervise some event or proceedings in an official capacity 6 short for shop steward verb 7 to act or serve as a steward (of something) [Old English stigweard, from stig hall (see STY) + weard WARD] *steward*ship noun sty [staI] pl sties noun 1 a pen in which pigs are housed and fed 2 any filthy or corrupt place sties, stying, stied verb 3 to enclose or be enclosed in a sty [Old English stig; related to Old Norse stia pen, fold, Old High German stiga, Middle Dutch stije] -------------------------------------------------------------- stocks [stQks] plural noun 1 (History) an instrument of punishment consisting of a heavy wooden frame with holes in which the feet, hands, or head of an offender were locked 2 a frame in which an animal is held while receiving veterinary attention or while being shod 3 a frame used to support a boat while under construction 4 (Nautical) a vertical post or shaft at the forward edge of a rudder, extended upwards for attachment to the steering controls 5 on the stocks in preparation or under construction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------- vagrant ['veIgrEnt] noun 1 a person of no settled abode, income, or job; tramp 2 a migratory bird or insect that is off course adjective 3 wandering about; nomadic 4 of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagrant or vagabond 5 moving in an erratic fashion, without aim or purpose; wayward 6 (of plants) showing uncontrolled or straggling growth Archaic equivalent: vagrom ['veIgrEm] [C15: probably from Old French waucrant (from wancrer to roam, of Germanic origin), but also influenced by Old French vagant vagabond, from Latin vagari to wander] *vagrantly adverb *vagrantness noun ----------------------------------------------------------------