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Glossary of terms found in 16th and 17th century Presentment Bills

The following list is not exhaustive, but aims to cover most of the terms which would be unfamiliar to modern researchers.

More in-depth explanations of Archdeaconry terminology can be found in the page relating to the history and procedure of the court, and also in the Manuscripts Online Catalogue descriptions of many of the Archdeaconry record series, especially those relating to Act Books, Citations, Excommunications and Absolutions, Libels, Penances and Presentment Bills.

See also the Further Reading suggestions for published works relating to Diocesan and Archdeaconry court records.

 

Latin terms

Latin term	Meaning
gardiani	churchwardens
nuper gardiani	old churchwardens (those elected the previous year)
jurati, juratores, swornmen, sidesmen, sidemen (in early 17th century), assistants	all terms for the churchwardens' assistants
comparuit in (date)	s/he appeared (in court) on (date)
dimissit	dismissed - court case closed without any punishment
emanavit, usually abbreviated to 'emat' or 'emt'	it (a citation) was issued
expeditur, usually abbreviated to 'expr'	let him be freed
monitio	admonishment - court case closed with a warning

 

Clerical and religious terms

Term	Meaning
benefice	ecclesiastical living - property held by and used to support the rector or vicar of a parish
beneficed	term for a clergyman supported by property attached to the parish
curate	paid clerical assistant, not beneficed
farmer (of tithes/ parish/ rectory/ vicarage)	a person entitled to keep the revenues of a benefice or of the tithes of a parish, on payment of a fixed sum
impropriator	person or institution to whom a clerical benefice has been annexed as their private property
minister	person having responsibility for leading or co-ordinating preaching, public worship and pastoral care; often used as a general term for a clergyman such as a rector, vicar or curate
parson	beneficed member of clergy; popular term often used in place of the modern 'rector'
rector	person or institution receiving the tithes of a parish; usually the beneficed clergyman who is a minister to the parishioners there, but sometimes a layman, called a lay rector
tithes	one-tenth of agricultural produce (hay, corn, sheep etc.), given to support the church
vicar	beneficed clergyman ministering to a parish in place of the rector who received the tithes
catechism	questions and answers used to instruct children and young people in the principles of the Christian religion
chancel	east end of church building, usually reserved for clergy and choir, and housing the altar
churching	ceremony of bringing a woman to church after childbirth and performing certain rites and ministrations to give thanks for her safe delivery
churchwardens	one or two, occasionally more, parishioners elected each year by the minister and the congregation to undertake specific roles and responsibilities in the church and parish
homilies	religious discourses, provided in the late 16th century for ministers who were not licenced preachers to read in place of a sermon
litany	form of supplications and intercessions read by the minister, with responses from congregation, as appointed in the Book of Common Prayer
recusancy	deviation from the tenets of the Established (Anglican) church, usually referring to Roman Catholicism
surplice	loose, full-length clerical vestment supposed to be worn by minister when administering sacraments such as holy communion and baptism

 

Technical terms relating to the Archdeaconry and its court

Term	Meaning
absolution	acceptance of an individual back to the church after excommunication
Act Books	the principal record of the business dealt with by the Archdeacon and his officials, showing proceedings and judgements of the court
apparitor	court messenger, whose duties included issuing and returning citations
articles/ books of articles	lists of questions to be answered at a visitation by churchwardens
banns	usual way in which people advertised their intention to marry, called three times in each of their parish churches; the alternative method was to procure a licence from the church court
call book	list of clergy and churchwardens summonsed to attend a visitation
citation	summons to attend court
compurgate	provide a number of credible people (compurgators) who will swear to the innocence of an accused person
contumacy	wilful disobedience to authority, especially used for failing to appear in court when called
defamation	verbal abuse or accusation, slander
deposition	witness statements, usually in English, in Instance business brought before the Archdeaconry court.
excommunication	forbidding of an individual from attending church services or taking communion; greater excommunication involved the exclusion of the individual from all Christian company; the punishment was lifted by absolution
exhibit	particulars of a clergyman's career and induction into a benefice
induction	formal process of investing a clergyman into a benefice
interrogatory	written questions and answers in Instance business brought before the Archdeaconry court.
Instance business	causes in the Archdeaconry court brought by individuals against other individuals
libel	preliminary paper setting out the case of the plaintiff in Instance business brought before the Archdeaconry court.
marriage bond and allegation	two-part document entered into in order to procure a licence to marry without the calling of banns
marriage licence	authority from the church courts for a couple to marry without the calling of banns, allowing the wedding to take place more quickly
notary public	official charged with writing down and certifying acts of the court
Office business, or correction business	causes in the Archdeaconry court brought by the Office of the judge, usually as a result of churchwardens' presentment bills
Official	judge of the Archdeaconry court
peculiar	area falling outside the usual ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and responsible for its own probate, correction business and Instance business
penance	public display of repentance for an ecclesiastical crime
presentment bills	reports usually made by churchwardens or sidesmen, but sometimes by clergy, at regular visitations by the Archdeacon; they detail failings in church buildings, conduct of clergy, and conduct of parishioners; cases were taken forward as correction business of the court
process	official mandate authorising the issue of citations to clergy and churchwardens to attend a particular court session
proctor	lawyer in an ecclesiastical court
register/registrar	court official responsible for writing and filing acts and documents
sentence	official document wrapping up a case of Instance business by explaining the process and assigning punishments.
swornmen, sidesmen, sidemen (in early 17th century)	all terms for the churchwardens' assistants
visitation	regular and formal visit by an Archbishop, Bishop, Archdeacon or Rural Dean to the parishes under his control, or to a convenient central meeting place, usually in conjunction with a fact-finding exercise

 

Archaic, dialect or unusual English terms

Term	Meaning
being occupied	having sexual intercourse with; cohabiting with (16th-17th century)
brawl	quarrel or fight noisily; wrangle; make a clamour or disturbance
cessment, assessment, levy, lay	rate levied by churchwardens on parishioners for expenses of repairing church etc.
codder	person who works leather goods/saddler (early 16th century), or, person engaged in picking pea pods (late 17th century)
fellmonger	dealer in sheepskins
fettle	make ready, arrange, tidy
fleer	laugh derisively
give the lie to	to accuse another person of lying
heckler	dresser of hemp fibres
incest	sexual intercourse between any persons related within prohibited degrees of kindred or affinity; can include non-blood relatives such as deceased brother's wife
incontinence/incontinency	lack of restraint with regard to sexual desire; promiscuity
litting	dyeing
perambulation	annual Rogation week walk around the boundaries of a parish ('beating the bounds')
pescod/peasecod	pea-pod (archaic/dialect)
rail	to utter abusive language; complain persistently and abusively; rant
scold	to behave as a scold; quarrel noisily; grumble or complain at somebody; use violent or vituperative language
shovelboard/ shuffleboard	game involving pushing coins or discs across a table marked with lines or squares
whittawer	leatherworker/tanner

 

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