Jesyne : Childbirth; also the period after childbirth before the mother might appear in church or the temple  also spelled 'Gesin'

John the Baptist (feast of) : Feast day, 24 June, commemorates the birth of John the Baptist

Joint tenants : Two or more people who own a property together. The joint tenants do not own distinct shares in the property; if one of them dies, the others will continue to own the entire property. Only the last tenant to die can pass the property on in their will (see Tenants in Common)

Jointure : Property (land or tenements) settled on a woman at marriage to be enjoyed after her husband's death; Like Dower

Kersey : A kind of coarse woollen cloth that was an important component of the textile trade in medieval England, named from the village of Kersey, Suffolk

Kilderkin : A cask (a half barrel) containing 18 gallons (approximately 82 Litres)

Kirtle : A woman's gown or outer petticoat

Kyne : An archaic term for the plural form 'cows'

Land : The ground, the buildings built on it, the subsoil below the ground, property fixed to the ground, and the airspace above the ground necessary for its ordinary use

Latten : A brass or similar alloy

Law Terms : Many documents, particularly official documents, are dated by reference to a law term. These emerged because there were certain times of the year during which legal business could not take place and cases would have to be suspended. As a result, it was generally preferred to pursue legal matters at times when they could be fairly continuous. There were four main periods when this was possible, and these developed to become the law terms - Michaelmas, Hilary, Easter and Trinity.
        Michaelmas term runs from the 1st of October to the 21st of December.
        Hilary term runs from the 11th of January to the Wednesday before Easter Sunday.
        Easter term runs from the second Tuesday after Easter Sunday, and ends on the Friday before Whit Sunday.
        Finally, Trinity term runs from the second Tuesday after Whit Sunday and ends on the 31st of July.

Lease : A contract granting use or occupation of property during a specified period in exchange for a specified rent or other form of payment

Leasehold : Property and/or land held, subject to the terms of a contract, for a specified period of time (see Freehold, Copyhold)

Leasores: See Lessor

Leat (also lete or leet ): An artificial trench or channel that conveys water to a mill wheel or millpond;  A millstream

Leet: A Court Leet - a court of record held annually by the Steward of a hundred, lordship or manor

Legacy : Personal property left in a will (i.e. other than a house or land)

Lessee : One to whom a lease is granted (see Lease)

Lessor : One who grants a lease (see Lease)

Liberty : A right to engage in certain actions without control or interference by a government or other power

Licenced Victualler : The owner and/or manager of a public house or inn

Lien : A claim upon a part of another's property that arises because of an unpaid debt related to that property and that operates as an encumbrance on the property until the debt is satisfied; The right to hold another's property as security for a debt owed.

Limit : To specify

Lockram : A coarse, rough-textured linen cloth - from Locronan, the Breton town where it is said to have originated

Manor : The district over which the court of the Lord of the manor had authority

Mark : The mark was a currency or unit of account in many nations.  It was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout Western Europe.  In England the mark never appeared as a coin but was only a unit of account. It was apparently introduced in the 10th century by the Danes. It was initially equivalent to 100 pence, but after the Norman Conquest (1066), it was worth 160 pence (13 shillings and 4 pence), two-thirds of a pound sterling.

Mead/Meadow : A limited, relatively flat tract of grassland, either in its natural state or used as pasture or for growing hay

Mead Silver : A Tithe payment, which rather than being paid in produce was paid on the area of land under cultivation (e.g. 1d per acre). This seems to be a colloquial term used in Surrey

Messuage : Dwelling and offices (eg barns, sheds) together with the adjoining lands

Michaelmas : Feast day of Saint Michael the Archangel, 29th September (8th November in Eastern Orthodox churches); also, see Law Terms

Moiety : One of two parts; Half

Mortgage : The grant of an estate or other immovable property in fee as security for the payment of money, to be voided on the discharge of the debt or loan

Muslin : A fine plain-weave cotton fabric

Nativity : Feast day, 25th December, aka Christmas, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ or 8th September commemorating the birth of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Next Friend : In common law, 'next friend' is a phrase used to refer to a person who represents another person who is under disability or otherwise unable to maintain a suit on their own behalf and who does not have a legal guardian. Prior to the Married Women's Property Act of 1882, in British law it was also usual for a married woman to sue by a next friend.

Nuncupative : Spoken; A will declared orally before witnesses rather than written, usually by a testator on his/her deathbed

Nugatory : Invalid; lacking legal force.

Overplus : Surplus

Overseer : Person appointed to oversee the execution of a will - someone to give help and advice but with no legal powers

Ox : A castrated male bovine (see Steer) used for draft work (pl Oxen); historically, female bovine (cows) have occasionally been used for this purpose

Parcel : A plot of land, usually a division of a larger area

Parthlette : A ruff or band worn round the neck

Pasture : Grass or other vegetation eaten as food by grazing animals; Ground on which such vegetation grows, especially that which is set aside for use by domestic grazing animals

Pennings : Fee for moorings for barges

Perch : A measure of land; 1 Perch = 5½ yards (5.077 metres). Also known as a Rod or Pole. 160 square perches = 1 acre

Perquisite : An extra profit; privilege, or allowance in addition to a main income; Something regarded or claimed as an exclusive right by virtue of one's social position or rank

Personal Estate : Property of the Testator, other than real estate

Peruke : A wig

Pillowbere or Pillowcoat : A old term for a pillow-case or pillow-slip

Placebo : In the Roman Catholic Church, the service or office of vespers for the dead (see Dirge)

Plat : A small piece of land; a plot

Posenett : A small pot

Pound : English unit of currency; A public enclosure for the confinement of stray dogs or livestock

Premium : A sum paid in addition to interest, wages etc. (see Fine, Foregift)

Presents : Writings

Primogeniture : The practice (introduced by the Normans) of conferring land on the eldest son without subdivision, thereby leaving an estate intact for centuries

Probate : Proof, before a competent court, that a written paper purporting to be the will of a person who has died is indeed his lawful act and granting the executor(s) the right to carry out its terms

Proper Person : Acting on your own behalf, without the assistance of an attorney; From the Latin, 'in propria persona'.

Proviso : A clause in a document or contract that embodies a condition or stipulation

Purpresture : An illegal enclosure or encroachment (on public or common land)

Quarter : A measure of grain equal to approximately eight bushels (approx 288 litres); One fourth of a hundredweight - 28 pounds. [also many other meanings]

Quarter days : The four days throughout the year on which rents were traditionally due and payable: Lady Day aka The Annunciation of the (Blessed) Virgin Mary (25th March), Midsummer (24th June), Michaelmas (29th September), Christmas (25th December)

Quatrefoil : An ornamental design of four lobes or leaves as used in architectural tracery, resembling a flower or clover leaf

Quit Rent : A rent paid by a freeholder or copyholder in lieu of services that might otherwise have been required

Rack rent : Rent at the maximum obtainable annual value

Raile : A garment of fine linen worn around the neck

Relict : Another term for widow; A widow who has not remarried

Remainder : Interest in an estate to come into effect after a certain other event happens e.g. inheritance by heirs after the death of their widowed mother (similar to reversion)

Residue : The remainder of an estate after all legacies and bequests have been given and once all debts, taxes and expenses have been paid

Respite(d) : To grant an interval of rest or relief

Reversion : Future possession of any property after some particular event (similar to remainder)

Revoke : Annull, repeal or reverse; to legally cancel a will

Riverage : Fees for moorings for or passage of barges

Rod : '... by the Rod' refers to a public ceremony in which the steward of the manor gave the tenant a rod as a symbol of the transfer (of copyhold land and premises).

Rod : A measure of land; 1 Rod = a square 5½ yards (5.077 metres) on each side. Also known as a Pole or Perch. 160 square rods = 1 acre

Rood : A measure of land area; 40 square rods = 1 rood, 4 roods = 1 acre.

Row : A line of trees typically edging a field (as opposed to a hedge or hedgerow)

Ruffle : A strip of frilled or closely pleated fabric used for trimming or decoration

Russelles : A kind of satin

Sad (coloured) : Sombre, dark or dull in colour

Seizin : Possession (of land under freehold or copyhold); see Feoffment

Sentence : A judgement about a disputed will given at the conclusion of litigation

Several : Separate; distinct

Singular : Particular; specific

Sole : Single, unmarried

Slophose : A kind of long loose breeches

Sparver : Canopy

Standerd : A large chest, used for plate, jewels, and sometimes for linen

Steer : A castrated male bovine - usually raised for meat (see Ox); An uncastrated male is a bull, for breeding

Steward : One who manages another's property, finances, or other affairs. The Steward of a Manor was the chief agent of the Lord for its management, usually presiding over the Court and keeping the records.

Stilo Anglie : Latin for 'English Style' - after the Catholic church (and much of Western Europe) adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1582, England persisted with the Julian Calendar (with the year starting on 25th March) until 1752

Stirpes : Family or generation; describes the way a bequest is to be divided among a person's issue. Most people want bequests to their children to be divided equally among the children. A per stirpes distribution does this, and it also governs what happens if any child has died. If a child has died, his (or her) share is divided among his issue if he has any issue. For example, presume that you have three children and that your will provides for a bequest to your children per stirpes. If all three children survive you, each would get one third of the property. If, however, one has died, his one third share would be divided among his children if he had any, or if he had no living issue his one third share would pass to his two siblings

Suit of Court : The attendance which a tenant was obliged to give at the Lord's Manor Court

Tail : Inheritance only to a certain class of heirs e.g. males (see Fee, Fee Simple, Fee Tail)

Teg : A sheep in its second year or before its first shearing.

Temporal estate : Possessions that one has during one's lifetime (also referred to as worldly estate)

Tenant : A person who holds, occupies, or possesses land or property by any kind of right or title, esp from a landlord under a lease

Tenants at will : A tenancy at will arises when a tenant occupies a property, with landlord consent, indefinitely, on the basis that either party can end the arrangement by giving immediate notice at any time

Tenants in common : Two or more people who own a property together. Each has a distinct share and can pass it to someone on their death (see Joint Tenants)

Tenement : A dwelling or habitation (or part of) occupied by one family

Testament : Legal document disposing of a person's personal estate, usually combined with a Will; A writing or decree appointing an executor

Tenths : See Tithes

Testator/Testatrix : Person making and leaving a will (testatrix if female)

Thirds : Ecclesiastical law provided that at least one-third of a man's personal property should go to his widow (as her dower) and one-third should pass to his children (see Dower, Jointure)

Tick : A mattress case; Ticking - the linen material of which they were made - see Tyke

Time Immemorial : Time before legal memory - a property or benefit has been enjoyed for so long that its owner does not have to prove how they came to own it. In English law, in 1275, by the first Statute of Westminster, the time of memory was limited to the reign of Richard I (Richard the Lionheart), beginning 6 July 1189; In 1832, time immemorial was re-defined as "Time whereof the Memory of Man runneth not to the contrary." The plan of dating legal memory from a fixed time was abandoned; instead, it was held that rights which had been enjoyed for twenty years (or as against the Crown thirty years) should not be impeached merely by proving that they had not been enjoyed before.

Tithes : A right to part of the produce of, lands, the stocks upon lands, and the personal industry of the inhabitants of a parish. The ancient system consisted of three tithes: Praedial Tithes which were calculated on income from produce (crops, wood, etc), Personal Tithes assessed on income derived from labour and Mixed Tithes which were calculated from a combination of stock and labour.  The tithes, theoretically a tenth part of the income, went towards the upkeep of the incumbent of the parish church.  This was straightforward where the Rector was also the incumbent but where a Vicar had been appointed to be in charge of the parish, the tithes were divided between the Rector (Great Tithes) and the Vicar (Small Tithes).  Under the Tithe Commutation Act of 1836, tithes could be commuted to a rent-charge.  Tithes were extinguished by the Tithe Act of 1936.

Tithing : An administrative division (of land) consisting of ten householders; a sub-division (originally a tenth) of a hundred

Title : The legal basis of the ownership of property, encompassing real and personal property and intangible and tangible interests therein.

Trencher : A plate or platter (usually large & wooden).

Trental : In the Roman Catholic Church, either an office and mass for the dead on the thirtieth day after death or burial or a series of thirty requiem masses (i.e. one a day for thirty days).

Trinity Term : See Law Terms

Trussing : A travelling bed

Trust : An arrangement, usually established by a written document, to provide for the management and disposition of assets. It normally involves three parties: the person who establishes the trust (sometimes called a donor, grantor or trustor), one or more trustees and one or more beneficiaries

Trustee : Person to whom the management of property is entrusted for the benefit of others

Tuffet : A low stool or footstool

Tup : A male sheep, a ram

Turf house : A house or shed formed of turf.

Tythingman : Originally the spokesman for a tithing, in later centuries the Deputy Constable

Tyke : Scottish word for a mattress case or the linen material of which they were made (alt sp Tike) - see Tick

Valance : An ornamental drapery hung across the top edge of a bed, canopy or window, to hide structural detail

Verder : A type of tapestry

Verge : A rod, wand, or staff carried as an emblem of authority or office; The rod held by a feudal tenant while swearing fealty to a lord; see Rod

Vespers : Chiefly in the Roman Catholic Church, the sixth of the seven canonical hours of the divine office, originally fixed for the early evening and now often made a public service on Sundays and major feast days (see Dirge, Placebo)

Vested : Present and absolute right; not conditional

Videlicet : Latin term meaning "namely"

(Licenced) Victualler : The owner and/or manager of a public house or inn; a person providing or selling food or other provisions

Viz : Abbreviation of the latin videlicet meaning "namely" (also written 'Vizt')

Waste : The common uncultivated land or heathland; Destruction or reduction in value

Wether : A castrated male sheep

Will : Legal document disposing of a person's real estate

Xpian : An abbreviation of 'Christian'

Yelt : A young sow

Yeoman : A farmer who cultivates his own land, on a commercial (rather than a subsistence) basis