Abbreviations Found in Genealogy Records

Here are some abbreviations you may find in genealogy records.

Names
Jno or Johes = John Hy = Henry Wm = William =Willus xpher or Xpoferus= Christopher The first two letters are not really X and p but the greek letter X(Ch) and p (r) Xp was a customary abbreviation for Christ. In "Xmas" the second letter has been dropped. Jas = James Jos = Joseph Geo = George Rici=of Richard Benj = Benjamin

Dates
"ber" = sometimes added to a number to indicate a month of the year. In 1752 two changes were made to the English Calendar The first was from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar the second of great significance to genealogists was the commencement of the year was changed from the old Julian reckoning of 25 March. Under the Julian reckoning months were abbreviated thus:

7ber=September

8ber=October

9ber=November

10ber=December

Under the Calendar year with the Gregorian reckoning the months of January, February and March became the initial months of the year not the final months. As the new system is readily found in use prior to the formal introduction great care should be taken when transcribing documents of the pre 1752 period between 1 January and 24 March. The conventional English transcription procedure is to use both Old and New Reckonings; for example by 1 February 1626 as 1 February 1626/7. Modern computer four digit field entries will encounter difficulty with this convention and it is necessary to consider conversion of year entry to determine correct year.

i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x = 1 to 10 xx, xxx = 20 &amp; 30 i or j = primo; on the first

Latin
viz. = videlicet; namely

cum cont.= with a sermon

dom.=dominus (-a); lord or sir (lady or dame)

fil.=filius (-a)= son (daughter)

fil.pop= filius(-a) populi or filius (a) vulgi; bastard son or daughter of a harlot

in com.=in comitatu; in the county (of) libre = book

lic.=per licentiam;by licence

nupt.=nupti fuerunt; were married

ob. = obit; died s.p. = sine prole; without offspring

May also refer in parish chest materials to Smoke-penny= one of the dues once payable at Eastertime to the incumbent of a parish by his parishioners, in this case from the occupier of a house with a fireplace.

sep.= sepuliebatur or sepultus(-a) erat; was buried

par.=parochie; of the parish of... q. = quarto; oversize book

vid.=viduus (-a) widower (widow)

Terms
wf/o = wife of admon or admin = letters of administration col. = colored

kno. wedding= Knobstick wedding; the wedding of a pregnant single woman to the putative father-to-be, under pressure from the parish vestry. Churchwardens attended to see that the ceremony was performed, the name is derived from their staves of office. w.d. = will dated twp = township nat. = natus; birth; son; offspring ms. = manuscript

Terr.Tent.=Terre Tenant the lord of a manor or freeholder in actual occupation of the land, as distinct from his superior lord. X = a mark made by a person instead of a signature; Christ; Christian OED = Oxford English Dictionary

Websites

 * Genealogy Abbreviations
 * UK Genealogy - Common Acronyms and Jargon
 * Latin Names in Old Documents
 * Numbers and Dates

Word List