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Key to Words & Abbreviations
(Glossery) |
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ac. |
acre or acres (measurement of land area) |
ACT |
Australian Capital Territory (includes the cities of Canberra & Latham) |
admon. |
administration; a grant of administration for probate, made e.g. where no Will has been found |
advowson |
in the church, the right of presentation to the Bishop of a candidate for a vacant benefice or living (e.g. rectory or vicarage), so called because the patron advocates the claims of the person he presents |
a.k.a. |
also known as |
annulet (amulet) |
heraldic term for a small plain ring, used as a mark of cadency to indicate a fifth son or descent from a fifth son
In East Anglia (Co.Norfolk, Co.Suffolk, Co.Essex) the Blennerhassett arms sometimes occur charged with an annulet for difference. The fifth son in this case was Ralph de Blenerhayset, Esquire of Carlisle, Co.Cumberland, who married Jane de Lowdham (of Lowdham, Co.Suffolk; Frenze, Co.Norfolk; and Kelvedon, Co.Essex). Ralph settled at Loudham, later at Frenze, and is ancestor of the Blennerhassetts of East Anglia and of Co.Fermanagh, Ireland |
ante |
before (e.g. ante 1862 = before 1862); see post |
ANZAC |
Australian & New Zealand Army Corps |
|
in heraldry describes a hand open, showing the palm |
archdeacon |
a cleric, ranking immediately below a bishop |
argent |
heraldic term for the metal silver, also used to represent the colour white |
Armorial |
A Roll of Arms - a collection of coats of arms, these may be recorded in a variety of ways; written (blazon), painted, drawn or carved; usually arranged as a row of shields accompanied by the identity of the person bearing the arms. |
armorial achievement
or armorial bearings |
in heraldry, a coat of arms represented in full with its shield, helmet, crest, mantling, wreath, and, if appropriate, motto and supporters
in the USA an armorial achievement is often described, incorrectly, as a crest |
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heraldic bearings or insignia (see coat of arms) |
angel |
a gold coin introduced in England in 1464, valued at 6s 8d (1/2 mark) but the value of gold coins tended to change over time. See noble |
art. |
article |
Ass't |
Assistant |
azure |
heraldic term for the tincture (colour) blue |
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b. |
born (at the stated date or place) |
BA |
Bachelor of Arts degree |
badge |
in heraldry a badge is a distinctive mark, a cognizance, somewhat similar to a crest but not placed on a wreath or worn on the helmet. The badge was a possession of princes, noblemen and other gentlemen of rank
The badge of a baronet is "sinister, a hand gules (i.e. a bloody hand) in a field argent", the arms of the Baronets Blennerhassett of Blennerville in Co.Kerry, created 1809, being charged with this |
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in medieval times, a local official who oversaw day-to-day running of a manor (a.k.a. mainprize) |
bapt. |
baptized; christened |
Baron |
a Peer of the lowest order of British nobility |
Baron of the Exchequer |
a judge of the court of "the exchequer of Pleas", one of the three ancient courts of England, now abolished;
the "Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer" was the most senior judge, who presided over and spoke for the court |
Bart. or Bt. |
Baronet; holder of a Baronetcy, the lowest British titled order that is hereditary. A Baronet is addressed as "Sir", his wife or widow as "Lady", in the same manner as a knight
Baronets are not Peers, so do not sit in the House of Lords; see badge |
BC |
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BCT |
"Brecon County Times" newspaper |
benefice |
a living; any ecclesiastical office in the church of England - rectory, vicarage, curacy or chaplaincy |
BH |
Blennerhassett |
bro. |
brother |
bun. |
bundle |
bur. |
buried |
burgess |
A Freeman or Citizen of an English Borough (town) |
BWI |
British West Indies |
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CFA |
County Fire Authority (in Australia) |
c. or ca. |
circa, at about this date (e.g. c1431) or at about this age (e.g. c21 years of age) |
cadency |
in heraldry, marks of cadency were added to arms, for difference, to indicate seniority of inheritance or succession of the holder:
son |
mark of cadency |
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the eldest son |
label (held during the lifetime of his father) |
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2nd son |
crescent (a "crescent within a crescent" indicates the second son of a second son) |
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3rd son |
mullet (molet) |
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4th son |
martlet |
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5th son |
annulet (amulet) |
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6th son |
fleur-de-lys (fleur-de-lis) |
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7th son |
rose |
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8th son |
cross moline |
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9th son |
octofoil (double-quatrofoil, double-quatrefoil) |
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canon |
senior cleric (churchman), member of a cathedral chapter |
cem. |
cemetery |
caveat |
a legal process, in court, to suspend proceedings |
ch. |
chapter |
cinquefoil |
heraldic term for a flower, usually of five petals |
cleric |
clergyman, churchman |
CI |
The Channel Islands (principally Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark) in the English Channel off the coast of France; part of Normandy at the time of the Norman invasion of England in 1066 but have remained loyally British ever since |
Cmdr. |
Commander |
Co. |
County (a.k.a. Shire) |
coat of arms |
properly a tabard or surcoat blazoned with armorial bearings indicating the wearer's ancestry and distinction, but now usually a representation of these armorial bearings depicted on a shield
a coat of arms displayed or represented with accompanying crest, motto, etc is called armorial achievement or amorial bearings
in the USA a coat of arms is often described, incorrectly, as a crest |
codicil |
an addition to a previously existing Will |
C. of E. |
Church of England (Anglican communion), the established church in England |
C. of I. |
Church of Ireland (Anglican communion) |
C. of S. |
Church of Scotland (Anglican communion) |
Col. |
Colonel |
Coll. |
college |
colours |
heraldic term for the dark tinctures (see metals) |
commendator |
a minor cleric, of too young an age to be made rector, could in some circumstances be made commendator of a benefice;
as such he could take the income but needed to employ a priest or chaplain to minister to the parish; in effect he was acting as trustee for the benefice until he reached the age of 18years, when he could be considered for appointment as Rector |
cooper |
a barrel maker (craftsman), making wooden barrels to be used for transporting and storing wine, beer, fish, etc |
cornage |
a feudal rent or tax based on the number of horned cattle held (from the french corne, meaning a horn) |
county |
A local government region, in some instances also known as a shire. An English county may be correctly known e.g. as "the County of Gloucester" or as "Gloucestershire", but not as "The County of Gloucestershire" |
cousin-german |
derived from "cousin-germain"; in early times this indicated a near relative or person sharing a common descent; in modern times it is specifically a 1st cousin |
CPR |
Canadian Pacific Railway |
cr. |
created |
crest |
in heraldry, a component of armorial bearings usually carried or depicted on top of a helmet and displayed above the shield of a coat-of-arms
in the USA the word crest is often used to describe a coat of arms or full armorial achievement |
CS |
Civil Service |
curate |
in modern times a trainee cleric (clergyman), but in the past this could mean any cleric |
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d. |
died (deceased) |
(D) |
divorced |
Dame |
the wife or widow of a Knight; in recent times, as a title in it's own right, the female equivalent of a knight |
DCM |
Distinguished Conduct Medal |
DD |
Doctor of Divinity |
dexter |
heraldic term indicating the right of the field, as seen by the bearer of the arms, i.e. the viewer's left (see sinister) |
DL |
Deputy Lieutenant of a County; deputy to the Lord Lieutenant, the Monarch's personal representative in each county |
Dolphin |
the dolphin, known as king of fish, in heraldry may be represented:
Naiant
Hauriant
Uriant
Embowed |
Swimming horizontally, facing dexter (i.e. fesseways)
Swimming upwards, in a perpendicular attitude (i.e. paleways)
Swimming downwards, in a perpendicular attitude
with back arched | |
DoN |
Duke of Norfolk |
Dr. |
Doctor, often Doctor of Medicine (see MD) |
DSO |
Distinguished Service Order |
DSM |
Distinguished Service Medal |
dsp |
decessit sine prole (died without issue) |
dvp |
decessit viat patria (died in the lifetime of the father) |
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ed. or edit. |
edited |
edu. |
educated |
e.g. |
for example |
embowed |
heraldic term for curved or bent
for a dolphin specifically, this means "swimming horizontally, facing dexter, with back arched" |
emig. |
emigrated |
entail |
to bequeath landed property such that it must be passed down within the family, not given away or sold by later generations.
often such property was left "in tail male", the property passing only from eldest son to eldest son.
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ent. |
entered |
episcopalian |
of the Anglican church in the USA |
ermine |
heraldic term for fur, specifically the winter coat of the stoat, white with a black tail.
in heraldry, ermine is represented as white with (usually five or seven) black "ermine spots" |
escutcheon |
heraldic term for the shield on which a coat of arms is displayed |
est. |
estimated date |
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f. & ff. |
folio & folios |
FAI |
Fellow of the Auctioneer's Institute |
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A procedure for ending legal action by agreement between the parties, the agreement being known as a final concord or "fine". Early fines could be made in the Exchequer; after the early 14th century, fines were always made in the Court of Common Pleas.
Originally a means of resolving genuine disputes, by the middle of the 13th century the fine had become a popular method of conveying freehold property, the legal action being initiated with the cooperation of both parties. This procedure survived until the 1830s.
Three copies of an agreement were made on a single sheet, two on the upper left and right halves, a third at the bottom, or foot, of the document. The three copies were separated, by cutting the sheet along indented lines. The right and left copies were given to the two parties, the third copy at the "foot" of the document being preserved among the records of the court, safe from accidental loss or forgery. For this reason the documents are known as "feet of fines".
One reason for the popularity of feet of fines was that married women could participate in them without the risk of a later challenge on the grounds that they had been coerced by their husbands. As a result, married couples often used feet of fines to convey property.
There are no comprehensive indexes for feet of fines, but for some English counties local record societies have published calendars covering particular periods. There are some indexes covering particular periods and counties, mainly compiled in the 17th century. |
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to invest with a fief; the beneficiary of a feoffment; one to whom land is given as a fief |
fief |
inheritable land held from a lord, in return for service |
field |
heraldic term for the surface of the shield in a coat of arms |
finned |
heraldic term for a fish (or dolphin) with the fins coloured differently to the body |
fl. |
flourished (i.e. was living) at this date, e.g. fl.1421 |
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a folio is both page sides of a single manuscript sheet, the front side called "recto", the reverse side called "verso".
the recto side is indicated e.g. as f.137r (or simply f.137), the verso side as f.137v |
fortnight |
fourteen nights, two weeks (see sennite) |
FRCP |
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London |
FRCS |
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of London |
FRCSI |
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland |
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GB |
Great Britain (see UK)
The crown of Scotland had joined with that of England in 1603, when the Stuart King James III of Scotland also became King James I of England. Great Britain was formed in 1707 by a union of the parliament of Scotland with that of England & Wales (themselves joined 1535) |
GEDCOM |
a standard text file format for computerised family tree data, enabling it be read by any genealogy software program |
Gov. |
Governor |
Gt. |
Great |
gules |
heraldic term for the tincture (colour) red |
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hauriant |
heraldic term, applied to a fish (or dolphin) which is upright; i.e. in a perpendicular attitude (i.e. paleways) - see naiant |
heraldry |
A term encompassing the devising, granting, and blazoning of coats-of-arms.
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Hon. |
Honourable |
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ibid. |
ibidem (latin) = "from the same source", "in the same book or passage as the previous note" |
i.e. |
that is |
inc. |
including |
inf. |
infant |
incumbent |
the holder of a church benefice, e.g. rector or vicar |
in tail male |
an entail where landed property is bequeathed such that it is kept within the family, passing from eldest son to eldest son.
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i.p.m. |
Inquisition Post Mortem ("inquisition after death"), a.k.a escheats.
This was a local inquiry into lands held by a deceased person who had been a feudal tenant in chief (direct tenant of the crown), to establish what lands were held and who should succeed to them. The principal purpose was to discover what income and legal rights were due to the King. They survive from around 1240 until the Restoration in 1660, when feudal tenure was abolished. They are in no way connected with the modern medical post mortem, carried out after a suspicious death.
After the death of a tenant in chief, a writ (of 'diem clausit extremum') would be issued to the local escheator, the official responsible for taking possession of the dead tenant's estate. He would then convene a local jury and conduct an inquiry - usually a separate one was held in each of the counties where the deceased had held land. The earliest inquisitions are less detailed, but generally the information recorded would include the date when the tenant died, the names of the manors held and details of the services performed in return for them, and also the name, age and relationship of the heir (or of each coheir). The ages might well be approximate, particularly if given in 'round figures', and for older heirs; if the heir were a minor, however, accuracy would be important. |
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Jr. |
Junior |
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KC |
King's Council, a barrister-at-law (see QC) |
KIA |
killed in action |
Knight |
member of an order of knighthood; a title originating in the middle ages, originally awarded for military service but in modern times may be awarded for any significant service over a long period
a knighthood, unlike a Baronetcy, is not hereditary, but a knight is addressed as "Sir", his wife or widow as "Lady", in the same manner as a Baronet |
Knight of the Shire |
MP (Member of Parliament) representing a county in the national parliament at Westminster (London), or in Ireland before 1801, at Dublin |
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Lady |
title and form of address for the wife or widow of a Peer (Lord), Baronet or Knight |
langued |
heraldic term for the tongue of a beast where shown in a different colour to the body |
living |
an ecclesiastical benefice |
LL.B. |
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Lord |
another name for a Peer; also the form of address for a Peer |
lord of the manor |
the holder of a manor in medieval and later England; this is not a title or rank, they are not Peers - lords of the manor are usually of the untitled land owning class known as landed gentry; in modern times "lordships of the manor" have sometimes been sold, with supporting documents, separately from the property to which they relate |
Lt. or Lieut. |
Lieutenant |
Lt.Col. |
Lieutenant-Colonel |
Lt.Gov. |
Lieutenant-Governor |
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m. |
married |
MA |
Master of Arts degree |
mainprize |
bailiff; in medieval times, a local official who oversaw the day-to-day running of a manor |
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border or "border country", e.g. the area close to the border between England and Scotland |
mark |
In England where the currency unit was £1 = 12s = 240d the mark was a unit of money of account, equal to 13s 4d (i.e. 2/3 of a £).
In account books, probate inventories, etc an amount in money could appear written e.g. as "5 marks" but more often the 5 marks would be written as the currency equivalent, £3 6s 8d. This is the reason that so many inventory valuations end in either 6s 8d (1/2 mark) or 13s 4d (1 mark). Only accountants could have devised such a system.
The mark did not exist as a coin in England, although the gold noble when first issued in 1344 was valued at 6s 8d (= 1/2 mark) and the gold angel when introduced in 1464 was also worth 6s 8d, but the value of gold coins tended to change over time.
The term "noble" continued to be used as a word meaning "1/2 mark" long after the noble itself had ceased to be in circulation as a coin. |
manor house |
residence of the lord of the manor and his household; in modern times the house of the principal landowner in a village community |
MBE |
Member of the Order of the British Empire |
MD |
Doctor of Medicine (see Dr.) |
mem. |
member |
memorandum
or
memoranda |
a noncupative or oral Will, spoken to witnesses, is recorded by those witnesses as a written Will headed "memorandum" or "memoranda" |
metals |
heraldic term for the light tinctures (see colours) |
Mgr. |
manager |
MHF |
Master of Foxhounds |
MO |
Medical Officer |
MP |
Member of Parliament representing a County, City or Borough constituency in parliament (see Knight of the Shire) |
MRCS |
Member of the Royal College of Surgeons |
Ms. & Mss. |
manuscript & manuscripts |
mullet |
heraldic term for a five pointed star |
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naiant |
heraldic term, applied to a fish (or dolphin) swimming horizontally, facing dexter (i.e. fesseways) - see haurient |
noble |
a gold coin introduced in England in 1344, valued at 6s 8d (1/2 mark) but the value of gold coins tended to change over time. See angel |
Noncupative Will |
a spoken Will, a Will delivered orally to witnesses, often on a person's deathbed.
such an oral Will is recorded by the witnesses as a written Will headed memorandum or memoranda |
NS |
"New Series" of a periodical or professional journal (see OS) |
NSW |
New South Wales, Australia |
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OBE |
Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
obit. |
obituary |
Or |
heraldic term for the metal gold (the "O" always upper case) |
OS |
"Old Series" of a periodical or professional journal (see NS) |
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p. & pp. |
page & pages |
papal bull |
a document recording an official edict of the pope in Rome, issued by the Vatican |
patron |
person holding the advowson for an ecclesiastical parish (usually the person on whose land the church was built, often the lord of the manor) |
PC |
Privy Councellor |
PDF |
Adobe Systems Portable Document Format. This file format enables an image of data, created using any application (software, program) on any type of computer, to be shared shared with people using different applications and different computer types. |
Peer |
in the UK, the holder of one of the five degrees of nobility, Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount or Baron;
these titles are hereditary, the holder being a member of the Peerage, a Lord |
peerage |
the nobility |
Peer of the Realm |
a "Peer of the United Kingdom", entitled (until recently) to sit and vote in the House of Lords, the British parliamentary upper house |
Ph.D. |
Doctor of Philosophy degree |
Pl. |
plate, illustration in a book |
post |
after (e.g. post 1862 = after 1862); see ante |
pr. |
probate, the proving of a Will; in England & Wales until 1858 this was in an ecclesiastical court, from 1858 at the [PPR] |
prebend |
the stipend of a Canon |
prebendary or preb. |
the holder of a prebend; a non-residential or honorary Canon of a cathedral |
precentor |
a senior cleric at a cathedral, responsible for direction of choral services |
proper or ppr. |
heraldic term for an animal or object displayed "in its natural colour" |
provost |
anciently, an officer of a medieval administrative district
also the Steward or Bailiff of a medieval manor |
pub. |
published |
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QC |
Queen's Council, a barrister-at-law (see KC) |
QLD |
Queensland, Australia |
quire |
eight folios (i.e. 16 page sides) of manuscript, created by folding a single large sheet of parchment or vellum three times |
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RAF |
Royal Air Force |
RAAF |
Royal Australian Air Force |
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Roman Catholic church |
RCAF |
Royal Canadian Air Force |
Ref. |
Reference |
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cleric holding a benefice where the tithe was paid directly to the incumbent; in modern times may be responsible for other clergy and several parishes |
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regnal year |
A regnal year is reckoned starting from the date of a sovereign's accession or its anniversary, e.g. Henry VIII became King of England 22-Apr-1509, therefore the regnal year "30 Henry VIII" is 22-Apr-1538 to 21-Apr-1539. |
register |
an official record of events bound into a series of volumes
e.g. Birth, Marriage or Death Register; Bishops' (Diocesan) Register; PCC Probate Register |
relict |
widow or widower |
RM |
Registered Midwife |
RN |
Royal Navy |
RAN |
Royal Australian Navy |
RCN |
Royal Canadian Navy (before 1968) |
RIC |
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RNZAF |
Royal New Zealand Air Force |
RNZN |
Royal New Zealand Navy |
Roll of Arms |
An Armorial - a collection of coats of arms, these may be recorded in a variety of ways; written (blazon), painted, drawn or carved; usually arranged as a row of shields accompanied by the identity of the person bearing the arms. |
RUC |
Royal Ulster Constabulary |
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SA |
South Africa |
sable |
heraldic term for the tincture (colour) black |
sec. |
secretary |
sep. |
separated |
sigillum |
a seal (latin) |
sejant |
heraldic term for "in a sitting posture" |
sennite |
seven nights, one week (see fortnight) |
seawake |
watching the coast for invasion |
sentence |
in probate, a judgement about a disputed Will, given at the conclusion of litigation |
shire |
A local government region, also known as a county. An English county may be correctly known e.g. as "the County of Gloucester" or as "Gloucestershire", but not as "The County of Gloucestershire" |
sinister |
heraldic term indicating the left of the field, as seen by the bearer of the arms
i.e. the viewer's right (see dexter) |
Soc. |
Society |
spreadsheet |
a spreadsheet is a computer file simulating a flat accounting work sheet, or the software from which it is generated |
Sr. |
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SRN |
(State) Registered Nurse |
suit of court |
attendance at the manor court |
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TCD |
Trinity College, Dublin (anciently the only University in Dublin) |
temp. |
during the time of |
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term for the heraldic use and representation of metals, colours and furs
Metals (light tinctures)
Or |
gold/yellow |
argent |
silver/white |
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Colours (dark tinctures)
azure |
blue |
gules |
red |
purpure |
purple |
sable |
black |
vert |
green |
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in its natural colour,
i.e. as found in nature |
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trefoil |
heraldic term for a three lobed leaf, i.e. a stylised clover leaf |
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UC |
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UDV |
United Dairy Farmers of Victoria (Australia) |
USA |
United States of America |
UK |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland - called such from 1801, when the parliaments of Great Britain (GB) and Ireland combined and home-rule for Ireland ended. The name continued officially until 1927, but in reality only until the Republic of Ireland was formed and withdrew from the union in 1922
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (from 1927) |
unm. |
unmarried |
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v. or vol. |
volume |
vert |
heraldic term for the tincture (colour) green; in monochrome this is represented by as closely spaced diagonal lines, upper left to lower right |
vicar |
an Anglican cleric (priest), the incumbent of an ecclesiastical parish of the established Church of England/Scotland/Ireland etc |
vicarage |
residence of a vicar |
VFF |
Victorian Farmers' Federation, Victoria, Australia |
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yrs |
years | |
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