Manorial Records for North Craven
Manorial Court Records are available in The National Archives, regional Record Offices, Chatsworth House, North Craven Heritage Trust and the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society. A number of items, but not all, have already been translated and transcribed but the work continues. The extant records cover various time periods but are not always in continuous series.
Currently some records are available here for Austwick, Giggleswick, Horton in Ribblesdale, Ingleton, Lawkland, Rathmell and Settle. Further records are known to exist for Clapham and Staincliffe Wapentake.
A guide to abbreviated words and meanings
Many of the Latin and English words used in manorial court records can be found in specialized dictionaries and glossaries but no one source has been found totally helpful. Online dictionaries can be helpful in suggesting appropriate words but much of the difficulty stems from reading the scruffily-written short forms in the text.
See Manorial Records, by Denis Stuart 1992, Phillimore; websites of University of Lancaster and University of Nottingham for examples of texts; Select Word-List from Manorial Records (C. Harrison, University of Keele), A Glossary of the dialect of the Hundred of Lonsdale, 1869; Carr, Dialect of Craven; The Record Interpreter (C. T. Martin 1910).
Some abbreviations of Latin words commonly found are listed here, with what are thought to be the root word and meaning, with various case endings which are often unclear, or incorrectly written, and interpreting abbreviation signs. Bear in mind the difficulty of reading the writing made with a quill pen with blots and smudges.
ad valor = to the value of
affero = affeer
alien = alienare = transfer land
amerciamentum = amercement
amp = amputat = amputare = cut/cutting
apud = at
ar = aro = armiger = esquire
ball = ballivus = bailiff
belive = beleve = quickly, soon OED (ME)
boscus = wood
clicus = clericus = clerk
c = com = compar = compareo = appear in court
comit = comitatus = county
com = comes = Earl
conli = consiles = consimiles = for similar or for the like (offence)
cotagium = cottage
curia = court
decrep = decrepit
def = defect = defalta or defectus = default
damnum = dampnum = damages
dci = dti = dicti = dico = say, said
debent sect ad hunc Cur = owes service to this court
dft = defendant
dni = domini = dominus = Lord
essonia = essoin
ex = exor = executor
extra = from outside
fat = fateor = acknowledge
fiduc = fiduciarius = trustee
filius, filia = son, daughter
franciplegius = frankpledge
frem = fratrem = frater = brother
fris = fratris = frater = brother
gard = guardian
gen = generosus = gentleman (less than an esquire)
gratia = grace
heres = heir
homagium = homage or jury
ibm = ibidem = the same
ideo = therefore
infirmus = infirm
infra (etat) = under age
in mia Cur = in misericordia Curie = at the mercy of the Court
in plito (placito) debti = plea of debt
jun = junior, younger
jur = jurator or juro = juror or jury or sworn
libi tens = liberi tenentes = free tenants
marit = maritus = husband
miles = knight
moli = molin = molinar = molendarius = miller
mort = mortuus = deceased
nullus = nothing
nuper = late
occup = occupatus = occupied
offic dni = officiarius domini = officer of the Lord
oia = omnia
pd = predicti = aforesaid
per = by
perdon = perdono = give or grant
perquisit = buy, grant
pereo = guilty
plito = placitum = plea
plt = plaintiff
pd = pred = predictus = aforesaid
pris sui = his own premisses
pro = for
qr = querens = complainant
Qui dicunt super sacrum quod … = Who say upon their oaths that …
rel = relicta/ relictus = widow/widower
resians/reseans = Latinization of Anglo-Norman word reseant – residents
scilt = scilicet = namely
secundum = according to (the custom of the Manor)
senex = old
Senlo = Senescallus = Seneschall, steward
serdus = deaf
scilt = scilicet = namely
sub pena = under penalty
subt = sub-tenant
summa = total
supra = above, over
tenen ad vol = tenentes ad volunt = tenants at will
tentus = held
terra = land
tr = trans = transgressio = trespass, offence
ut declar = as declared
uxem = uxor = uxorem = wife
vastum = waste
vid = vidua = widow
videlt = videlicet = namely
vir = virid = viridis = green, greenwood
virid & bosci = greenwood and firewood
visus = view
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