Background Information

A

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

/ Ref 1-19

The symbols s and / come from Latin word solidus and were used to indicate the shilling.

Thus,

5/- would be read as five shillings
5/6d or 5/6 would be read as five shillings and sixpence, or simply five and six

12th Century Names Ref 1-26

About 1100, the Normans passed a law that everyone had to have a second name. As a result, most names in the 12th century roughly fell into three types:

son of – for example, John son of William
trade – John the Miller
and later
topographic – John of Greenwood

In the case of the sons of Essolf, for most of their lives, they were called son of Essolf, but towards the end of the 12th century, topographic names began to be used, and they went through a transitional period where they were, for example Jordan son of Essolf de Thornhill.

The next generation, in the late-12th / early-13th century, dropped the son of and their topographic name became fixed

See Surnames

This & associated entries use material contributed by Joanne Backhouse

£ Ref 1-104

The symbol £ is used for the pound, the unit of currency before decimalisation and after. The abbreviation comes from the Latin libra [a pound]

1914-15 Star Ref 1-903

A campaign medal awarded to those who served with the British and Imperial Forces in World War I.

It was introduced in 1918. Officers and next-of-kin could apply for posthumous award.

See 1914 Star and Pip, Squeak & Wilfred

This & associated entries use material contributed by Carole Edwards Caruso

1914 Star Ref 1-497

Aka Mons Star.

A campaign medal awarded to those who served with the British Forces between 5th August 1914 and 23rd November 1914 in World War I.

See 1914-15 Star, Pip, Squeak & Wilfred and Victory Medal

1939 Register Ref 1-1268

1d Bazaar Ref 1-D10

2½d Bazaar Ref 1-2938

A variant of the Penny Bazaar. Some local examples were those of Walter & Samuels

36 yard band coal Ref 1-A793

A seam of coal – about 10 inches in thickness – which lies above the fireclay deposits in parts of the district, notably in Shibden. The coal was known for its value. The seam lies 36 yard above the hard bed coal

3½d Bazaar Ref 1-2854

A variant of the Penny Bazaar. Some local examples were those of A. W. Scarr & Sons and Walters & Samuels

6½d Bazaar Ref 1-2855

A variant of the Penny Bazaar. Some local examples were those of J. Akroyd

A Ref 1-1183

Henry VIII banned abjuration of the realm and forced abjurors to remain in designated sanctuaries in England, branding the letter A on their thumb

Abatement Ref 1-2411

Forced or illegal entry into a property in order to gain physical possession.

See Assize of abatement and Hamsoken

Abb Ref 1-1902

Another name for the weft, but sometimes used for the warp.

The word comes from Old English words meaning outside the web

Abbess Ref 1-A3

This was a 19th century slang term for the madame, or keeper of a brothel

Abbreviated Names Ref 1-A55

The Foldout lists some common abbreviations for forenames which may be encountered in older documents

See Familiar Names

Abbreviations Ref 1-A14

Abjuration of the realm Ref 1-1181

One means of ending the right of sanctuary whereby a felon had to leave the country – travelling to a prescribed port by a prescribed route and within a specified number of days – and never return without the sovereign's permission.

The felon had to swear an oath to the local Coroner:

I swear on the Holy Book that I will leave the realm of England and never return without the express permission of my Lord the King or his heirs. I will hasten by the direct road to the port allotted to me and not leave the King's highway under pain of arrest or execution. I will not stay at one place more than one night and will seek diligently for a passage across the sea as soon as I arrive, delaying only one tide if possible. If I cannot secure such passage, I will walk into the sea up to my knees every day as a token of my desire to cross. And if I fail in all this, then peril shall be my lot

The port – typically Dover – and route were prescribed by the Coroner. During the journey to the port, the abjuror wore a simple white garment, and carried a small wooden cross which he made for himself. If he strayed from the prescribed route, he would be

treated as the wolf

and could be summarily executed. A large number of abjurors disappeared en route and became outlaws. If he did return to England without the permission of the sovereign, he could be outlawed and executed by the law, or excommunicated by the Church.

See A brand

Able-bodied Ref 1-543

A term used in the Poor Law system to describe those people who were unable to find work because of the local employment situation or their own lack of skills. The relief given was either work or money.

See Vagrants

Ablepsy Ref 1-784

Blindness

Abstinence Ref 1-A48

See Temperance

Accepted Ref 1-A46

This was occasionally used as a Christian name, for example Accepted Widdop [1750], and Accepted Frewen, Archbishop of York [1660]

Accipitary Ref 1-A43

A falconer

Accommodation bridge Ref 1-A23

A bridge which is provided for a farmer whose land was divided by a newly-constructed road, a canal, or the railway

Accomplishments Ref 1-1180

In the context of 19th century education, this referred to the teaching of French, music and drawing.

See Ciphering and Working

Accompt Ref 1-A24

An older form of the word account

Accumulator Ref 1-481

A rechargeable lead-acid battery which was widely used in industry and in homes before the introduction of domestic electricity supplies. These were a familiar sight when listening to the radio in the 1940s and 1950s.

The batteries were collected or taken away each week and recharged.

See Alklum Storage Batteries Limited and Doric Accumulators

Acre Ref 1-1030

Originally, this meant just a field or a piece of arable land, without any implication of size.

Later, it came to mean a unit of land area which was the amount of land which a yoke of oxen could plough in a day, equivalent to an area of land measuring one chain by one furlong. An area of 120 acres was deemed sufficient to support one family.

Edward I standardised the acre to 4840 square yards = 4047 square metres = 0·405 hectare.

Rural areas might have a local standard size for an acre, often larger than the national standard.

It has been suggested that in Domesday Book, the acre is a unit of taxation, and is larger in poorer districts. In mediæval times, the name was used to denote a selion, or simply a piece of arable land without any indication of size.

It is often abbreviated to a in old documents.

The acre is still valid as a unit for trade in the UK, following legislation of 1994/5 which replaced some imperial units by metric units See Arpent, Customary acre, Day's work and Oxgang

Acre-foot Ref 1-A8

A unit of measurement used for large volumes of water, such as the capacity of a reservoir, and equal to its area in acres multiplied by its average depth in feet. One acre-foot is equivalent to the amount of water covering one acre to a depth of one foot = 43,560 cubic ft or 1,233·5 cubic metre

Act Book Ref 1-2121

The minutes of an ecclesiastical court session. Found from the 16th and 17th century. These were usually written in Latin until 1730

Act for supplying Halifax with Water [1762] Ref 1-1916

Empowered the Trustees to remove all obstructions from the spring at Well Head and to keep it free from rubbish and dirt.

An Act of 1768 included provision of better paving, cleansing and lighting the streets.

See Water supply

Act of Uniformity Ref 1-126

A series of Acts – from 1549 – requiring that all clergymen and ministers use a standard English prayer book. Some 2,000 ministers who refused to comply and accept the Act were ejected.

The list of those who were ejected included Robert Armitage, William Ashley, Eli Bentley, Mr Bevel, Rev James Bowker, Richard Coore, Nicholas Cudworth, Rev Joseph Dawson, Christopher Etherington, Joshua Ferrett, Mr Fisden, Nathaniel Heywood, Rev Oliver Heywood, Edward Hill, Rev Josiah Holdsworth, John Kaye, Roger Kenion, Gamaliel Marsden, Jeremiah Marsden, Josiah Marsden, Samuel Marsden, John Peebles, John Robinson, Henry Root, Timothy Root, Rev Jonathan Schofield, Rev Samuel John Stancliffe, Robert Town, Rev Robert Towne and Rev Joshua Whitton

See Five Mile Act

Act of Union [1800] Ref 1-A40

Adit Ref 1-1035

The simplest form of coal mine where coal seams come to the surface.

See Day hole pit

Administrator Ref 1-899

The legal representative of someone who has died intestate

Admon Ref 1-188

Adult School Movement Ref 1-761

The first adult education began in Nottingham in 1798, to train young women for work in the lace and hosiery industries.

The Adult School Movement was established around 1800 by Quakers, Methodists, and others. This initially provided non-denominational Bible classes.

In 1816, Thomas Pole, a Quaker, produced a report on Adult Education.

See Friends Adult School, Halifax

Advertisements Ref 1-A36

Advowee Ref 1-A49

Someone who had the right to present a clergyman to a benefice.

See Advowson

Advowson Ref 1-1036

The right to nominate the priest to a church.

In mediæval times, the advowson was frequently given to a monastery or a nunnery, which then took the rôle of rector and was empowered to appoint a vicar to serve the parish

Adwalton Moor, Battle of Ref 1-411

A battle during the Civil War, at which 10,000 Royalists – under the Earl of Newcastle – defeated 3,500 Parliamentarians – under Ferdinando Fairfax – at Adwalton Moor, near Bradford, on 30th June 1643.

After the victory, the Earl of Newcastle laid siege to Bradford.

After the battle, many Parliamentarians went to Lancashire, some later joining the garrison at Heptonstall.

See Ewood Hall, Mytholmroyd, Captain John Hodgson and Joshua Stansfeld

Outside the Calderdale district

Affinities / People Who Cannot Marry Ref 1-101

Afghan Wars Ref 1-478

There were several conflicts between Britain and Afghanistan:

The First Anglo-Afghan War [1839-1842]
The Second Anglo-Afghan War [1878-1881]
The Third Anglo-Afghan War [1919]

Local men who served in the Afghan Wars include:

James Albert Morley William Nicholl Horace Parr Yeld

Ages on Census Returns Ref 1-2442

The ages recorded on Census returns can be a constant source of confusion. Some people may not have known their exact age. Others may give a false age for various legal and social reasons.

On the 1841 census, it was usual to round down the age of adults to the nearest 5 years. This was not always applied: some ages may be exact, others may be rounded down to the nearest 10 years

Agincourt, Battle of Ref 1-996

[25th October 1415] A battle of the Hundred Years' War, in which English king Henry V led his troops to victory over the numerically superior French army.

The English used the longbow.

See Sir John de Pilkington and Sir John de Pilkington

Agistment Ref 1-1783

The right to agist, that is, to graze animals on common land in summer.

Also the charge levied on grazing of pasture.

The Halifax Courier [13th July 1889] advertised

Agistment Shibden Hall Park.
Cattle taken in to pasture.
M. Tattersall, Shibden Hall Lodge

See Vicarial Tithes, Halifax

This & associated entries use material contributed by Jeffrey Knowles

Agnate Ref 1-A21

Agricultural revolution Ref 1-A53

A major change in British agricultural practices which preceded the Industrial Revolution. Land enclosures had brought an end to mediæval methods and encouraged large-scale farming and improvement in scale and methods

Ague Ref 1-849

Recurring malarial fever with cold, hot and sweating stages. The term is also used for an acute fever with hot, cold and sweating symptoms.

See Hot Ague and New Ague

Ahnentafel Ref 1-1131

A German term meaning ancestor table which is used in genealogical research.

The table depicts the ancestry of one individual by generation in text format, rather than as a chart.

The table may include

The individual's name
Date and place of birth,
Dates of baptism, marriage, death and burial
Biographical information
Historical and general notes
Details of the source documents used

See Ahnentafel number

Ahnentafel number Ref 1-1165

A number which is assigned to each member of each generation in an ahnentafel.

Number 1 is the first generation;
Numbers 2 and 3 are the parents of number 1 and the second generation
Numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 are the grandparents of person number 1 and the third generation

and so on

Aid Ref 1-1833

The obligation of a vassal to provide money to the king or to the lord of the manor for events such as ransom, the marriage of his eldest daughter, the knighting of his eldest son, or for going on Crusade

Air Raid Precautions Ref 1-1207

An organisation whose purpose was to protect civilians during the air raids of World War II.

See Air Raid Posts in Halifax and Air Raid Shelters

This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom

Air Raid Shelters Ref 1-1213

Aka Bomb Shelters.

During World War II, buildings were constructed to offer shelter to people in the event of attack by aircraft and bombs

Air Shafts Ref 1-1111

There are many structures in the local countryside which serve as ventilation shafts for local mines, reservoirs and other subterranean activities.

See J. S. Morton & Sons Limited, Ramsden Wood Reservoir and Miss Lister's Mine, Shibden

Aisled house Ref 1-1

A house design in which the main part of the house was open, with a parallel aisle at the rear and outside the main body of the hall but under the same roof. These often have a catslide roof in which the slope of the lower, outer edge is shallower than at the ridge of the roof.

Some local examples of aisled houses and aisled barns can be found at Aisled Houses in the Halifax Area, Bankhouse, Salterhebble, Benns, Warley, Broadbottom Old Hall, Mytholmroyd, Cinder Hill, Coley, Clay House: Gabled Barn, Dam Head, Shibden, Deerstones Farm, Sowerby, Fold Farm, Illingworth, Fur Street, Northowram, Gold Street, Boothtown, Great Stubb Barn, Greenwood Lee, Heptonstall, Hagstocks, Shibden Valley, Haigh's Farm, Sowerby, Hartley Royd Farm, Warley, High Bentley Hall, Shelf, The Hollins, Warley, Longley Farm, Norland, Low Moor House, Soyland, Lower Bentley Royd, Sowerby, Lower Field Bottom Farm, Shelf, Mare Hill, Warley, Middle Longfield House, Todmorden, Old Lindley, Stainland, Prior's Mead, Priestley Green, Raw End Farm, Luddendenfoot, Scout Hall Farm, Shibden, Shibden Barn, Shibden Hall, Halifax, Shibden Hall, Halifax, Sladden Street, Boothtown, Smith House, Lightcliffe, Steps Barn, Sowerby Bridge, Town House, Norland, Upper Bentley Royd, Sowerby, Walt Royd Farm, Wheatley, West End& Barn#44; Hipperholme and White Hall, Ovenden

Akroyd Ref 1-581

The place name and surname appear to have originated at the house Akroyd at Pecket Well.

The name is derived from oak and royd, and means an oak clearing

Alderman Ref 1-1071

Also Alderwoman. The Old English title – ealdorman – for the office which was known as sheriff after the Norman Conquest.

A member of the local town or borough council elected by his fellow Councillors, or anyone co-opted to a county or borough council. There may be several Aldermen, each representing a different ward. Aldermen are next in rank to the Mayor.

The title was discontinued after 1974.

See Borough of Halifax

Ale Ref 1-1774

A mediæval term for beer made with hops.

Like beer, it was widely drunk by people of all ages and was safer than the water. It also provided many of the vitamins and carbohydrates in the diet – see Temperance. Domestically, ale was usually made in small batches by the women of the household.

The term – such as Church ale, medale and Whitsun ale – referred to a festival – often charitable – at which ale was drunk to raise money for the parish church and other causes.

See Church Ale, Half & half, Helpales, Purl and Whitsun Ale

Ale assize Ref 1-A9

See Assize of Ale

Ale-wife Ref 1-A54

A woman who kept an alehouse or tavern

Alegar Ref 1-1230

Vinegar made from sour ale.

Compare this with vinegar – ale made from wine.

This meaning is unlikely to be involved in names such as Alegar Well

Alehouse Act [1552] Ref 1-1789

Required all victuallers and alehouse keepers to be licensed by the Justices.

See Assize of Ale and Beerhouse

Alias Ref 1-1753

In old records, many names have the form:

John Smith alias Greenwood

The second surname was often the name of a locality, and was used to distinguish one of several John Smiths. It was not a sinister concept and did not necessarily imply deceit on the part of John Smith. If John married, his wife might be called Mary Smith alias Greenwood. The word might also be written:

als

The Latin terms vulgo [commonly] and vulgo vocatus [commonly called] are also encountered

Alien Ref 1-A31

A citizen of another country, a foreigner

Alienation Ref 1-577

A legal term meaning

the transfer of the ownership of property rights

All-spice Ref 1-A56

A grocer

Allotment Ref 1-1070

A small plot of land rented to individuals.

The mediæval usage referred to an area of enclosed land.

In modern usage, allotments are typically rented to individuals and used for growing fruit and vegetables. The local council – or private organisation – offers an area of land which is divided into individual allotments.

During the Dig for Victory campaign of World War II, the number of allotments in Britain increased from 300,000 in 1939 to 600,000. There are still a great many today.

See Freehold Land Society, Gallipole Allotment, Barkisland, Haley Hill & New Town Allotment Gardeners' Society, Pellon Allotments Association, Skircoat Green Allotments, Halifax and Waterloo Allotments, Brighouse

This & associated entries use material contributed by Alan Longbottom

Alma Ref 1-428

Used in the names of streets and pubs, the element usually commemorates the Battle of the Alma of 20th September 1854, the first battle of the Crimean War in which Anglo-French forces defeated the Russians near the River Alma

Almanac show Ref 1-A18

An exhibition of almanacs. These were a popular attraction in the 19th century. Many were held at pubs – such as the Cross Keys, Walsden

Almanac tax Ref 1-A20

There was a tax on almanacs from 1711 to 1834

Alms Ref 1-1903

Money collected for the relief of the poor.

The word is also used to mean a good or charitable deed

Almsdish Ref 1-A28

A dish which was left out for receiving alms

Almuce Ref 1-A5

A fur-lined hood – later, a fur cape – which was worn by a church official in church processions

Alpaca Ref 1-503

The hair from the alpaca, a member of the llama family. Cloth made of alpaca is fine, silk-like, soft, light weight and warm. It is also strong and durable. The cloth is used for suits, coats, linings and sweaters

True alpaca is expensive so it is often combined with – or imitated by – other fibres. It is also imitated in wool, wool and alpaca, mohair, or cotton and a cotton warp and alpaca filling.

Sir Titus Salt pioneered a method of processing the wool.

Several local firms have processed and manufactured goods made from the wool of the alpaca, including S. Bottomley & Brothers, William Edleston Limited, John Foster & Son Limited and Benjamin Outram.

See Damask, Lustre Fabric and Woolsorter's disease

Alpaca figures Ref 1-2662

A figured cloth made from alpaca wool.

Records for Akroyd's mill show that they produced the fabric in 1836

Altar Ref 1-1489

In the mediæval period, the altar was a table or rectangular slab made of wood, stone or marble, often set upon a raised step.

The fundamental purpose of a church is to house and protect the altar.

In the 11th century, Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, said that altars were to be made of stone. The five crosses incised into the stone represent the five wounds of Christ on the cross. After the Reformation, stone altars were replaced by wooden communion tables.

The altar may be covered by a cloth: white for important feasts; violet for fasts; red for martyrs; and green for other days.

A large church may have several altars. The high altar is the main altar in the chancel. Other altars may be located on the sides of the nave or in separate chapels, and may be dedicated to particular saints

See Chapels (Nonconformist) and Roman altar

Amanuensis Ref 1-A29

Someone who reads or acts as a secretary; often for a blind or disabled person

Ambulances Ref 1-392

Ambulatory Ref 1-1512

A covered passage or aisle which passes around the east end of a church, behind the altar and linking it with chapels at the eastern end of the church.

It may be semi-circular or polygonal.

See Apse

Amens Ref 1-2669

A type of fine cloth like a damask. In order to produce the cloth, the draw-boy stood at the end of the loom, and drew the leashes necessary to form the figure once every four picks woven by the weaver, the design being thus continued to the end of the piece.

The introduction of the Jacquard loom did away with this manual process.

The name is derived from the Belgian town of Amiens

Amerce Ref 1-A35

To impose a fine or amercement

Amercement Ref 1-1805

A fine for an offence at a manorial court leet. This was a common punishment before a prison system was introduced. The name reminds us that the offender had to purchase the mercy of the lord whose peace he had broken.

See Fine

American Civil War Ref 1-471

[1861-1865]
After Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party campaigned against slavery in the 1860 presidential election, 11 southern slave states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America.

They conducted a civil war against the Union made up of all the free states in the north and some slave states which bordered on the free states.

Over 600,000 soldiers died in the conflict.

The North blockaded the southern ports, and prevented import of supplies and war materials to the South. The blockades also prevented the export of cotton which resulted in the Cotton famine in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

The misery of the slaves was not the only concern of those involved in the dispute. There were other issues such as the threat to jobs if the enslaved people were to be emancipated, and started looking for work.

Several people (local to Calderdale) were involved in the conflict, including:

See English Civil War, Spanish Civil War and USA Census 1890

This & associated entries use material contributed by Carole Edwards Caruso

American War of Independence Ref 1-474

[1775-1783] The American Revolutionary War began as a conflict between Britain and the 13 British colonies in north America, and resulted in an independent United States of America

See John Wheeler Collington, Siege of Gibraltar, Joseph Kershaw, Captain Jeremy Lister and Yorkshire Association

Ancestor Ref 1-2341

Someone from whom you are descended.

See Common ancestor

Ancient demesne Ref 1-2212

Land that belonged to the Crown in 1066.

See Demesne

Ancient Free Gardeners Ref 1-A17

A benevolent society

Ancient Order of Rechabites Ref 1-A37

Ancient Romans Ref 1-A15

A closed benevolent society

Ancient woodland Ref 1-A34

Land which can be proved to have been continuously wooded since 1600

Anelace Ref 1-A19

A heavy, broad-bladed, sharp-pointed, double-edged knife

Angel Ref 1-2996

Aka Noble-angel, Rose-noble. A coin worth 6s/8d – or more – introduced by Edward IV in 1464. The coin often bore the image of St Michael the Archangel slaying the dragon, hence the name. In the 16th century, the coin was given to those who received the King's touch. It ceased to be legal tender in the reign of Charles I.

The half angel – or angelet – coin worth 3s 4d was issued in 1471 by Edward IV. A quarter angel coin worth 1s/7d was issued in 1578 by Elizabeth I.

It is said that the coin gave rise to the word Angel in pub names

Angelet Ref 1-2959