General History

From the Family Tree Forum Reference Library

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Schools and Education


Museums and Galleries


Work and Trade Assosciations / Unions


Political Parties and Movements

The Suffragettes


Hospitals, Asylums and Sanitoriums


The Industrial Revolution


American History


Civilian Transport


Architecture and Old Buildings


The Law and Social Legislation

  • http://www.oldbaileyonline.org This has the transcripts of Old Bailey trials from 1674-1834. You can search by name or place, (the name search includes defendants, witnesses and jurors). Also has old maps and other info about London history.
  • http://www.devonfhs.org.uk/forewords/A138.pdf although written as an introduction to the Apprenticeship Register for Dawlish, Devon, this provides a good description of the Parish Apprenticeship system in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.



The British Monarchy



Inns and Public Houses




Maps and Photography


The Landed Gentry


Bargemen/Boatmen/Watermen/Lightermen



Jewish history





Some Old Legal Terms

Some of those funny words that we find on old wills etc.

MOIETY......... A half .....part..... portion or share of property etc. Note: Such is usually based on family or unilateral descent.

GAVELKIND...... Equal shares among qualifying heirs.

ECHEATS......... Reversion of land to the manor etc. under feudal tenure when lacking legal heirs.

MESSUAGE...... House or dwelling.

SIEZED............ To be in legal possession of, from the feudal concept of "seisin"

INTER ALIA..... Among other things

DEMESNE..........Land of a feudal lord retained for his own use i.e the grounds of a Mansion etc.

TERRIER........... A form of Register of Land belonging to an estate etc..

FEALTY............The fidelity owed to a Feudal Lord

FRANKPLEDGE....Anglo Saxon system in which 10 households or tithings were grouped together and became responsible for each others behaviour or conduct.

CAPITE.............means the Tenant held the property in 'Capite' for the landlord to whom he paid rents

ATTAINDER........Common law - The state of an offender who had been sentenced for a capital offence.

ATTAINTED..... disgraced......... or to pass sentence of attainder against....

ENFEOFFED.... to invest with a Feudal estate or fee.

DEVISED.......... Give land or property in a Will. Or to plan and contrive.

DEFEASANCE ...... Forfeiture or annulment of something or some legal right (usually because some original condition has not been complied with; e.g. not paying the mortgage)


Workhouses



The Celts