KYJacksonPurchase-L Archives

From: Bill Utterback <>
Subject: Terminology in the 18th & 19th Century - "D" Words
Date: Mon, 02 Feb 1998 19:48:26 -0600

My friends -

Today, we will continue with our look at old terminology which was more
common in prior times than it is now, and which you may see in legal
documents, family letters and other written materials of that era. We will
look at words that begin with "D".

-B

dafter - refers to a daughter - sometimes seen in colonial documents
dairer - a man who owned or worked for a dairy
dairyman - this is not what it seems - it refers to a man who rented cows
from a farmer
d and coh - sometimes seen in legal documents - daughter and co-heir
dandy brush - sometimes seen in estate inventories - a brush used to
curry horses
darg man - sometimes seen in colonial newspapers and letters, it refers
to a man who worked on a day to day basis
daughter-in-law - we are familiar with the common use of this term, but
it can occasionally refer to a stepdaughter as well
day house - another term for a dairy
d.b.n. - de bonis non - a situation in which an administrator of an estate
died before completing his duties and another individual had to
be appointed to finish the work
deacon seat - sometimes seen in estate sales, it was a bench placed
directly in front of the fireplace
de avo - occasionally seen in wills and probate records - "from the
grandfather"
deed of acquittance - this is seldom seen, but refers to a situation in
which a resurveyed patent was found to have more acreage than
originally thought - the patent owner could purchase the extra
acres if he wished by a deed of acquittance
demi-john - sometimes seen in inventories - a jug from one to ten gallons
inside a wicker case, having a handle that is wicker
devise - the act of bequeathment, i.e., the act of giving another person
something through a will
dil - sometimes seen in probate records - daughter-in-law
dirk cane - occasionally seen in inventories - a cane with a dagger(dirk)
concealed in it
dissenter - in the 18th and 19th centuries, this most commonly referred to
one who left a church in a dispute over theology or other matters
ditch back - rarely seen in metes and bounds descriptions, it refers to
a fence
doctor of skill - a term sometimes used to denote a physician of
particular skill or specialization
domestic - often seen in census records, it most often referred to a
sister or other female relative who lived in the household
and assisted with housework, although there were occasions
when the person might be unrelated to others in the house.
domicile - be careful when you see this one - it does not refer only to
a homeplace, but a place to which an individual will return.
He/she may have lived and died away from their "domicile",
which was their "real" home. But if they died elsewhere, you need
to look for probate records in the distant location, also.
dower - a legal provision which entitles a married woman to automatically
receive a portion of her husband's estate, upon his death without
a will.
dovecot - an interesting old term, which refers to a hold cut in the side
of an outbuilding to allow pigeons to nest
dragoon - often seen in military terminology, the word refers to a
soldier trained in both cavalry and infantry disciplines
dropsy - an old medical term referring to water retention in tissues
drugger - a druggist or apothecary
duces tecum - often seen in the phrase "subpoena duces tecum", it is
an order of the court to bring an item or items into court
dugway - occasionally seen in road orders, this is a cleared pathway that
is considered more satisfactory than a path, but is not as well
constructed and kept as a "road"
dyspepsia - often seen in old medical descriptions, it refers to
indigestion

-To be continued...
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• Terminology in the 18th & 19th Century - "D" Words by Bill Utterback <>