Words from Wills and Other Probate Records: a Glossary

What does that mean? Many words used in probate records before c.1800 are obsolete, and unlikely to be understood by newcomers to historical research. Andirons, beres, and winding sheets were all very familiar to our seventeenth-century ancestors, but most researchers today would have no idea what they were. The aim of this glossary is to identify and define many of the words commonly used by our ancestors in probate records, but which are no longer used. It is based on numerous published editions of wills and inventories. This second edition has been expanded to take notice of recent editions. It will be useful to all local and family historians (both beginners and experienced) who need to consult probate records and other early sources.