A Glossary of Genealogical Terms

A glossary of genealogical terms.

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Abstract Index of Deeds, Canada: A type of land record that documents the chronological history of land transfers in Ontario, Canada, from one person to another. Each township or village in southern Ontario had a book with a page reserved for each individual parcel of land. Parcels were usually described by concession and lot numbers within the township or by lot numbers on subdivision plans of the village. The page listed the document number for each land transaction applying to that parcel of land and the date the document was registered. The document numbers in the Abstract Index of Deeds refer to original deeds and wills which were copied into separate county, township, or village deed books. The Abstract Index of Deeds is particularly important in Ontario research since few indexes to grantors (sellers) and grantees (buyers) exist. Also called Abstract Index of Title.

Abstract Index of Title, Canada: A type of land record that documents the chronological history of land transfers in Ontario, Canada, from one person to another. Each township or village in southern Ontario had a book with a page reserved for each individual parcel of land. Parcels were usually described by concession and lot numbers within the township or by lot numbers on subdivision plans of the village. The page listed the document number for each land transaction applying to that parcel of land and the date the document was registered. The document numbers in the Abstract Index of Title refer to original deeds and wills which were copied into separate county, township, or village deed books. The Abstract Index of Title is particularly important in Ontario research since few indexes to grantors (sellers) and grantees (buyers) exist. Also called Abstract Index of Deeds.

Abstract, census: The summary of census results sent to the United States government by the census taker.

Abstract, general: A summary that contains only the pertinent points of a longer text. Abstracts are commonly created for articles (such as obituaries) in periodicals and newspapers and for documents or collections of records.

Acadia, Canada: A region in what is now Eastern Canada that comprises the present-day provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The area remained under French control until the end of Queen Anne's War (1702–1713). The Treaty of Utrecht (1713), which ended this war, gave Acadia to Great Britain. A dispute arose, however, because some parts of Acadia had remained neutral during the war, so only peninsular Nova Scotia ended up in British control at that time. In 1755, during the French and Indian Wars, the British tried to force the Acadians to swear an oath of allegiance to the British king. The Acadians who refused were forced to move south. After suffering many hardships, most returned to southern New Brunswick. About 4,000 went to Louisiana, then a French colony, where they became the Cajuns.

Acadian: A person from Acadia; also a descendant of French settlers who came from the Acadia region of Canada, or present-day New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In 1755 during the French and Indian Wars, the British tried to force the Acadians to swear an oath of allegiance to the British king. When they refused, many were forced to move south. After suffering many hardships, some returned to northern New Brunswick and to coastal areas of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. About 4,000 went to Louisiana, then a French colony, where their descendants became known as the Cajuns.

Accelerated Indexing Systems: A private company that published indexes to various United States censuses and other records.

Account, financial: The records containing information regarding an individual’s or institution’s financial dealings.

Account, guardianship: A record that contains the details of a guardian’s services in support of a minor child.

Accounts, probate: Records that show all transactions pertaining to the settlement of a deceased person's estate.

Act book: A day-by-day account of probate court actions. Also called grant book.

Act of the Parliament of Canada: A decision, law, or determination made by the Parliament of Canada. Divorce in Canada used to require an act of Parliament.

Act of Union, Canada: A law passed by the British Parliament in 1840 that established a united government for Lower Canada (to be called Canada East and later Québec) and Upper Canada (to be called Canada West and later Ontario). In 1791 the British government had established two colonies in central Canada: one to please the English-speaking United Empire Loyalists and another to please the French-speaking settlers. These two colonies had separate governments until the Act of Union took effect in 1841. The act provided for one governor to oversee both colonies. It established two legislative bodies. The legislative council was made up of 20 people appointed by the governor. The legislative assembly was made up of 42 members elected by the people in the colonies. The act established English as the only official language for councils and assemblies. French was made the second official language in 1848.

Actes de tutelle: A French term for guardianship agreement.

Actes notaries: The French term for notarial records, which are records prepared by a notary. In France, Québec, and other areas of the world, notaries prepare acts and contracts and certify authentic copies of them. Some important notarial records in France include marriage contracts (contrats de mariage), wills (testaments), divisions of property among heirs (partages and successions), household inventories taken after someone's death (inventaires des biens or inventaires après décès), and guardianship agreements (actes de tutelle).

Action against Sweden, in Bohuslän (1788): A failed attempt by Norway to capture the fortress at Bohus.

Acuerdos: The Spanish term for an agreement or settlement.

Addendum: A portion of the International Genealogical Index® that contains the names acquired since the main file was published.

Addendum, Index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland on Microfiche, Scotland: One of the two parts of the index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland. It contains all entries that were missed in the Main index. The index is organized alphabetically by surname.

Additional Information, Scotland Church Records: A field on the Scottish Church Records that contains notes written by the person who indexed the original record. This field may contain frame numbers, additional relatives, or other information.

Addressbücher, Germany: The German word for a city directory, which lists the names, addresses, and possibly telephone numbers of people living in the same city.

Adjutant: An officer in the army, air force, or marines who helps other higher-ranking officers with tasks such as correspondence.

Administration: A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An administration may also be called a letter of administration or admon.

Administration bond: A written statement posted by the administrator of an estate guaranteeing that he or she will faithfully perform the tasks assigned by the probate court.

Administrator: An individual appointed by a court to settle a deceased individual’s estate if that individual did not leave a will.

Admiral: A high-ranking officer in the navy or coast guard. There are four grades of admiral: admiral of the fleet, vice-admiral, admiral, and rear-admiral. The admiral of the fleet is the highest-ranking officer in the British navy.

Admiral of the fleet: The highest-ranking officer in the British navy.

Admiralty court: A court with jurisdiction over ships and seamen. Admiralty courts were originally British courts. After the Revolutionary War, federal district courts began handling admiralty cases in the United States.

Admiralty court, Pennsylvania: A court established in 1697 in Maryland to deal with issues of navigation and trade. This court had jurisdiction in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Jersey. In 1789, this court was dissolved and the authority transferred to federal jurisdiction.

Admission record: A record created when an individual became a member of a church or a particular congregation.

Admon: A legal document appointing a person to supervise the distribution of an estate belonging to a person who died intestate (without a will). An admon may also be called a letter of administration or administration bond.

Admon with will: A record granting the right to administer an estate when the executor named in the will is deceased or unwilling or unable to act as executor.

Adoption: A legal process in which the rights, privileges, and duties of caring for a child are transferred from the natural parent(s) to another individual or couple.

Adoption record: A record of the legal proceedings in which the rights, privileges, and duties of caring for a child are transferred from the natural parent(s) to another individual or couple.

Adoptive parents: Parents who legally assume responsibility for the rights and privileges of a child not born to them. The duty of caring for the child is transferred from the natural parents to the adoptive parents.

Affidavit: A voluntarily written declaration of facts that is confirmed by the oath of the individual making the declaration and witnessed by an individual having authority to administer such an oath.

African-American: A term generally used in the United States to describe residents of African descent.

Agency records: Records kept by an agency of the United States government, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Agreement and crew list, Britain: A list of crew members serving on a ship that includes written agreements stating each crew member's wages, the capacity in which he was serving, and the nature of the voyage. Masters or owners of merchant ships were required to keep these lists and agreements starting in 1747 when Parliament passed the Act for the Relief of Disabled Seamen. Lists for a few ports survive for the period 1747 to 1834.

Agricultural schedule: A list in the 1850 to 1880 censuses that contains information on farms and the names of farmers.

Ahnenpaß, Germany: A type of record kept by many Germans during the Nazi era, starting in about 1937. It documents four generations of a person's family. The information was usually verified from civil registration records and parish registers. The English term for this type of record is ancestor passport.

Ahnentafel chart: A table that lists the name and date and place of birth, marriage, and death for an individual and specified number of his or her ancestors. The first individual on the list is number one, the father is number two, the mother is number three, the paternal grandfather is number four, the paternal grandmother is number five, and so forth. Ahnentafel is a German word meaning ancestor chart or ancestor table. This chart is also called a continental pedigree.

Alabama Territory, USA: A territory established in 1817 that covered all of present-day Alabama.

Albarazado: A term used in Catholic church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Albino: A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is African and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Alcalde Ordinario, New Mexico: A Spanish term referring to a mayor's court that handled civil and criminal cases in what is now the state of New Mexico between 1598 and 1847.

Alderman's court: A court created in 1851 by the Provisional State of Deseret. No records for this court appear to exist.

Alias surname: A second surname that a person adopts. This was a common practice in Germany. In German records, aliases may be preceded by the word genannt, vulgo, modo, sive, or alias. A few people in France, mostly sailors or soldiers, also took alias surnames. These were preceded by the word dit, meaning so-called.

Alien crew list, USA: A list of aliens employed on United States vessels as members of the crew.

Alien's declaration, Canada: A type of Canadian naturalization record in which aliens declare their intent to become Canadian citizens.

Alien's intention: The first legal document an alien files when he or she wishes to become a citizen of the United States. Filing this form signifies that the alien intends to become a citizen and will renounce all allegiance to other governments. The alien's intention is sometimes called a declaration of intention or first papers.

Aliens’ register: A document created during the Report and Registry process that listed all immigrants who reported to a local court to register their arrival in the United States.

Allen County Public Library: A public library in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This library has an excellent collection of materials about the Midwest, Indiana, and the United States. The Allen County Public Library also publishes the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), an index to genealogical periodicals.

Allí te estás: A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian, African, and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Allowance docket: A list of court-ordered payments.

Alsace Emigration Index: An index of people who emigrated from or through Elsaß-Lothringen (Alsace-Lorraine) between 1817 and 1866. About half of the people mentioned in this index are French. The others are mostly Swiss and German.

Alsace-Lorraine: Two regions in modern-day France that are located along the German border. Germany won these two regions in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian war. (The German term for the region is Elsaß-Lothringen.) France regained these two regions in 1919 with the Peace of Versailles.

Alsatian: A person from the Alsace region of France. Since many Alsatians spoke more German than French, they were often called Germans when they emigrated to other countries. Many Alsatians emigrated to Russia between 1763 and World War I. Beginning in 1874 many of these Russian Alsatians moved to the United States, Canada, and South America. In 1722 the Holy Roman emperors and Austro-Hungarian monarchs encouraged Alsatians and Germans to settle in their lands, especially on the border devastated by the Turks. Colonies developed in what became Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia. After World War II, many people of Alsatian descent moved to the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and other nations.

Alumni directory: A list of the names and addresses of people who graduated from a school, university, or other educational facility.

American: A person from the Western Hemisphere (North and South America). It can also refer to a person from the United States.

American Civil War (1861-1865): The war with the highest casualty rate in the history of the United States. It divided the United States into two factions. The Union was composed of northern states who supported maintaining the power of the federal government and abolishing slavery. The Confederacy was composed of southern states who believed in maintaining more power at the state level and preserving slavery. Also called the War between the States and the War of Secession.

American Genealogical Biographical Index: A source containing over 12 million brief citations of individuals and families, mainly from New England, who are mentioned in manuscripts, periodicals, family histories, town and county histories, and published military records.

American Indians: The original inhabitants of North and South America. Also called Native Americans. In Canada the original inhabitants, Native Americans and Inuit (Eskimos), are often referred to as First Peoples or First Nations.

American Loyalist: An American colonist who remained loyal to the King of England during the Revolutionary War. Many Loyalists moved to Florida, the Caribbean Islands (including Cuba), Canada, or back to England after the Revolutionary War.

American Lutheran Church Archives: The central archives of the American Lutheran Church.

American State Papers, Land Grants and Claims: A published collection of about 80,000 diverse land claims, such as claims for state, Indian, and militia bounty lands. It does not contain information about land granted to war veterans.

Amish: Members of the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church who followed the strict teachings of Jakob Ammann and broke from the Swiss Mennonites in the late 1600s. Many began migrating to America in 1720 and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. The "old order" followed strict practices that included severely plain dress and the shunning of electricity and telephones. After 1850 many "new-order" groups broke off to follow more modern practices. Today the largest old-order settlements are in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas.

Amish: Members of the Old Order Amish Mennonite Church who followed the strict teachings of Jakob Ammann and broke from the Swiss Mennonites in the late 1600s. Many began migrating to America in 1720 and settled in eastern Pennsylvania. The "old order" followed strict practices that included severely plain dress and the shunning of electricity and telephones. After 1850 many "new-order" groups broke off to follow more modern practices. Today the largest old-order settlements are in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas.

Amt, Denmark: The Danish word for county.

Amtsgericht, Germany: A local court in Germany.

Anabaptist: A religious movement that developed in Zurich, Switzerland, during the 16th century under the influence of Huldrych Zwingli. The Anabaptists, whose name means "rebaptizer," believed that infant baptism was blasphemous because people could not be punished for sin until they had developed an awareness of good and evil. Hence, though it was illegal, many Anabaptists were baptized a second time as adults. Anabaptists also believed in a separation of church and state, opposed war, and refused to swear oaths. The Mennonite and Amish faiths developed from the Anabaptist movement.

Ancestor: An individual from whom one is descended.

Ancestor passport, Germany: A type of record kept by many Germans during the Nazi era, starting in about 1937. It documents four generations of a person's family. The information was usually verified in civil registration records. The German word for this type of record is Ahnenpaß.

Ancestral File™: A computer file containing names and often other vital information (such as date and place of birth, marriage, or death) of millions of individuals who have lived throughout the world. Names are organized into family groups and pedigrees. To allow for coordination of research, the file also lists names and addresses of those who contributed to the file. Ancestral File™ is part of FamilySearch®.

Ancestral File™ number: A number used to identify each record in Ancestral File.

Andrea Leonardo Collection: A collection of research files about South Carolina families.

Anglican Church: A group of churches that are part of the Anglican Communion, which developed from the Church of England. The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the United States are also members of the Anglican Communion. Anglican beliefs are based on the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and follow the Book of Common Prayer, which outlines doctrine, discipline, and worship. National churches can revise the Book of Common Prayer to suit the needs of members in the country.

Anglican Communion: An international group of loosely organized, self-governing churches whose doctrines and practices are based on the Church of England. The major churches in the communion are the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Anglo-American: An English-speaking person of European descent who is living in the United States.

Angola: A term used in Brazilian Catholic Church registers to describe an African from Angola. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Anne Lea Nicholson Collection: A collection of documented family group records prepared by Anne Lea Nicholson. It is one of the first sources that should be checked for families from Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, Camden, and Cumberland counties in New Jersey and Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania.

Annual report: A report completed by stake, ward, branch, or mission clerks in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (The annual report from a branch may have been completed separately or as part of a mission report.) It lists the blessings, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, ordinations, missionary service, and divorces that occur in a stake, ward, branch, or mission during a given year. These reports were used from 1907 into the 1970s. In the United States and Canada, they were used until 1976. Also called Form E or Form 42FP.

Annual return: A yearly report made by the administrator or executor of an estate to a probate court.

Annuals Index: One of two indexes that comprise the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI). The Annuals Index is a subject index to articles that appeared in genealogical periodicals published in 1986 or later. This index is also on microfiche at the Family History Library™ (FHL fiche 6016864).

Anti-Burghers Church, Scotland: A church that formed out of the Secession Church in 1745. The Anti-Burghers believed that communion should be withheld from people who took the Burgess Oath, which contained a clause that the Anti-Burghers believed gave approval to the Established Church. In 1820 the Burghers and Anti-Burghers reunited.

Antirent movement, New York: A movement that began in 1839 when tenant farmers in New York revolted against the manorial (leasehold) system and the wealthy landowners who had inherited their land from ancestors who lived in the 1600s and 1700s. The tenant farmers had lived on the land for generations and felt that they rightfully owned it. Many farmers had not paid their rent for years, and in 1839 landowners tried to collect back rent. However, angry farmers, disguised as Native Americans, began terrorizing the landowners and county officials in Columbia and Delaware Counties. The farmers formed secret societies that became powerful enough to defeat any political party that opposed them. In 1846 the antirenters had the New York constitution amended in their favor, and the farms were handed over to the tenants in 1847, marking the end of the patroonship system in New York.

Appearance docket: A book containing minutes or abstracts of court appearances.

Appellate jurisdiction: The authority of a court to review and revise decisions made by lower courts.

Application, land: A formal, written request submitted by an individual seeking a land grant.

Application, organization: A formal, written request to become a member of an organization.

Applications for Passage Warrants (Series L), Canada: A list of the names of immigrants in Ontario, Canada, whose passage was paid by sponsors.

Appointment to public office: The act of assigning, as opposed to electing, an individual to serve in a government position.

Appraisal: The process of determining the value of property, such as a deceased individual’s estate or a document stating the value of property.

Appraisement: The estimated value of property.

Appraiser: An individual who determines the value of property. When determining the value of a deceased individual's estate, appraisers use an inventory to estimate the estate's value.

Apprentice: An individual, usually a child, who was legally bound to the master of a trade to work for the master and learn the trade. The master provided training, food, and lodging for the apprentice.

Apprenticeship tax, Britain: A tax assessed on the money a master received for an apprenticeship indenture. This tax was assessed from 1710 to 1811. Apprentices put out by a parish or charity were exempt from the tax.

Archaic word: A word that is no longer used or that has a meaning that has changed substantially over time.

Archdeacon's court, Church of England: An English ecclesiastical court with jurisdiction over an archdeaconry. These courts frequently handled probates.

Archdeaconry: An ecclesiastical division within a diocese that is headed by an archdeacon. It may consist of one or more rural deaneries.

Archive: A place where institutions such as governments, businesses, and churches keep their records and official documents. Also used in the plural.

Archive Section of the Family Group Records Collection: A portion of the Family Group Records Collection that contains five million family group records submitted by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1942 and 1969. Information from these records has been added to the International Genealogical Index®.

Archives and Libraries, Family History Library Catalog™: A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize information about other archives (places where institutions such as governments, businesses, and churches keep their records and official documents) and libraries (places that contains books, manuscripts, music, art, and other reference materials).

Archives départementales, France: The French term for departmental archive. These archives collect records for a department of the French government. Departmental archives have most of the French records of genealogical value, including civil registration records, pre-1792 church records, census records, some notarial records, and military conscription records.

Arizona Territory, USA: A territory organized in 1863 that comprised the present-day state of Arizona and part of Nevada. Many of the settlers in the area were from Confederate states, so in 1862 they applied to become a Confederate territory. The Confederate government sent troops to occupy New Mexico and Arizona and granted the request of the settlers. This action had little effect because Union forces defeated Confederate forces in New Mexico and Arizona. The United States Congress created the Arizona Territory in 1863 to retain control over the area.

Ark: One of the two ships that brought Catholic and Protestant English settlers to the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in 1634. The other ship was named the Dove. The settlers founded St. Mary's City. King Charles I had originally granted the Maryland region to George Calvert, who died before the king could sign the charter, so the king granted the charter to Calvert's son Cecelius. Cecelius, himself a Roman Catholic, believed in religious freedom and saw to it that law and policies were established to guarantee that right in Maryland.

Armiger: A person entitled to use a coat of arms.

Armorial: An alphabetical list of people entitled to use a coat of arms. The armorial also describes the coat of arms. The term armorial can also refer to anything having to do with heraldry.

Army: The branch of a nation's armed forces that is trained to fight on land.

Article, periodicals: A written work in a magazine or newspaper.

Artifact: An object. In terms of family history research, an artifact is an item that provides information about an ancestor’s life, such as tools, books, or jewelry.

Artificer: A mechanic in the British military who makes and repairs machinery.

As Enumerated, 1881 British Census: An index of the 1881 British census that is organized in the same order as the original census. It can help identify households and neighbors living on the same street.

ASCII: A type of data format for computers. ASCII contains a specified set of letters, numbers, characters, and spaces.

Assembly of God: The largest Pentecostal religion in the world. Its official name is the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Pentecostalism grew out of the religious revival of the early 1900s. Its doctrines include the infallibility of the Bible, the fall and redemption of man, divine healing through prayer, baptism by immersion, eternal punishment for the unsaved, and the return of Christ to rule on earth. Pentecostals believe that every Christian should be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Assessment roll: A list of property owners, the value of their property, and the amount in taxes each owner owes.

Assistant surgeon, British: An officer in the British army who helps the surgeon (doctor).

Assisted emigrant: Between 1815 and 1900, qualified emigrants received passage money or land grants in their destination country as an alternative to receiving poor relief. After 1840, New Zealand and Australia offered money or land grants to skilled workers to encourage immigration.

Assisted emigrants register: A record of people who applied for assistance to emigrate to a new country.

Assize court, England: A court in England that deals with more serious criminal cases. It existed from the 1200s to 1971 and consisted of twelve judges appointed by the Crown.

Association: An organization of people who have common interests or goals.

Association of Professional Genealogists: An organization for professional genealogists.

Atlantic provinces, Canada: A grouping of Canadian provinces consisting of Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

Atlas: A book or computerized collection of geographical maps and charts.

Audencia, New Mexico: A Spanish term referring to a Mexican court of appeal that handled civil and criminal court cases in what is not the state of New Mexico between 1598 and 1847.

Audiencia: A regional court that functioned under a Spanish viceroyalty. These courts had legal, financial, and administrative powers. They supervised local courts, applied Spanish law, and served to establish a legal tradition that has persisted in Hispanic America.

Auditor's books: Books containing information about personal payments for provisions, sewing, nursing, and wagon use during the Revolutionary War. The records cover from 1784 to 1800.

Aufgebote, Germany: A German word for marriage banns or proclamations.

Author/Title Search: A type of search available in the microfiche version of the Family History Library Catalog™. Records are listed alphabetically by author and title. This search is not available in the computer version of the catalog.

Authority: The right and power to make decisions, take action, enforce law, or influence others.

Aveux et dénombrements, Canada: A type of land record used in the mid-1700s in Québec, Canada, roughly translated as "land descriptions" or "censuses of land and inhabitants." The aveux et dénombrements list the name of the principal habitant (occupant) of each farm in each seigneurie (manor) but not family members or farm workers. The information required in this record was very precise and included the exact location of the land, its size, the streams that flowed through it, the number and condition of buildings and mills on the lands, the number of tenants and the rents they paid, and the acres of cultivable land.

Aveux, Canada: A French word for oaths. The term aveux et dénombrements refers to a specific type of land record used in Québec.

Avocat: A French term for lawyer.

Award books: Records of land grants given to settlers in Hawaii between 1836 and 1855.

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Background information: Information about the land, people, history, government, and other characteristics of an area. Background information helps to focus research in the most appropriate types of records for a given area and time period.

Bankruptcy: The state of being unable to pay one's debts. To formally declare bankruptcy is to seek relief from creditors through a court action. An individual, government, business, or other organization can declare bankruptcy.

Banns: A public announcement made by a couple to their local church congregation that they planned to marry. The couple may also have posted a written notice on the church.

Baptêmes: The French word for baptisms.

Baptism certificate: A certificate stating the date and place an individual was baptized into a church.

Baptism for the dead, Latter-day Saint: A priesthood ordinance performed in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church members are baptized by proxy in behalf of people who have died.

Baptism, general: An initiation into a Christian church, usually performed by sprinkling the individual with water or immersing the individual in water.

Baptism, Latter-day Saint: The introductory ordinance into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church practices baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The ordinance symbolizes the individual's rebirth as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Baptismal date: The day an individual is baptized.

Baptismal records: Records created when an individual participates in the rite or ordinance of baptism to become a member of a church.

Baptist Church: A group of Protestant churches that was founded by John Smythe during the early 1600s while he was a refugee in Amsterdam. The Baptists oppose infant baptism and baptize only adults who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Baptist churches are governed by local congregations and often organized into separate conventions or associations, such as the Baptist World Alliance and the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Ireland. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Baptist organization in the world with 37,000 churches in the United States and its territories. It was organized in 1845 and has offices in Nashville, Tennessee.

Barbour Collection: Abstracts of town, church, and other original records from the earliest period of Connecticut's history to the 1850s. The collection is indexed, but the index is incomplete and contains errors.

Barcino: A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian, African, and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Barnardo, Thomas John: The founder of a large philanthropic organization in Great Britain during the 1860s. This organization founded 90 homes for destitute children and founded many schools with unlimited admittance policies, which were rare at the time. The organization also helped send children (orphans and others) from Britain to Canada. These children were often called "Barnardo's children." The boys were sent as farm laborers and the girls as "mother's helpers."

Barnocino: A term used in Catholic Church registers to describe a person from Spanish-speaking Latin America whose ancestry is a mix of Indian, African, and Caucasian. Racial classifications were often based on physical appearance or social status; therefore, they were not always accurate.

Baron: The lowest title in the British and French peerage. A baron's wife or a woman who inherits or is granted the title is called a baroness. The title of baron was introduced to Great Britain in 1066 after the Normans took power. The king bestowed land and the title of baron to some of his men for their service. These men could give this land and the title to their oldest sons. Eventually the barons became divided into greater and lesser barons, depending on how much land they held. The greater barons eventually became earls and dukes. Lesser barons became the retainers. Currently, the title of baron is given by the British monarch for distinguished service or distinction in arts or letters. Barons may no longer give the title to their heirs. In other European countries, a baron may have various ranks. In Latin America, the baron (barón) was below the viscount (vizconde) and above a lord (señor).

Barón: The Spanish word for baron, a title of nobility ranking below a viscount (vizconde) and above a lord (señor).

Baronet, Britain: The highest title in the British gentry, ranking below a baron and above a knight. The title of baronet was created in 1611 by King James I, who sold this title in return for much-needed money. Now the title of baronet is granted by the British monarch to anyone he or she wishes to honor. The title may be passed on to heirs, but a baronet does not have a seat in the House of Lords.

Barony, Ireland: A land division within a county in Ireland. Baronies were originally held by Irish chieftains, who obtained or leased it from the kings of the provinces. Eventually baronies came to be used only for financial and administrative reasons.

Basic Search Strategies: The section of a research outline that describes a general process for conducting family history research.

Bastardy bond: A document guaranteeing that the father of an illegitimate child would take financial responsibility for the child. This document relieved the parish from that responsibility. Also called a bond of indemnification.

Batch number: A number used in the International Genealogical Index® and Scottish Church Records to find the original source of the information in an entry.

Batch number, Index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland: A number given in the Index to the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland that helps identify which microfilm contains the original parish record. The Batch Number Index identifies which batch numbers are tied to which films of original records.

Bates Collection of Genealogical Data: An 88-volume collection of information about Rhode Island families collected by Louise Prosser Bates. It contains abstracts of deeds, land grants, probate records, genealogies, town records, and cemetery records. It is at the Rhode Island Historical Society and on microfilm at the Family History Library™.

Batismos: A Portuguese word for baptisms.

Bauptismos: A Spanish word for baptisms.

Bautismo: A Spanish term for baptism. Also used in the Philippines.

Begräbnisse: The German word for burials.

Begravede: A Norwegian and Danish word for burials.

Begravna: The Swedish word for burials.

Beneficiary, insurance: An individual who receives the proceeds or benefits from an insurance policy.

Beneficiary, probate: An individual who receives property or money from a deceased individual’s estate.

Benjamin Lake Noyes Collection: A collection of genealogies and correspondence concerning many Maine families, especially those who settled at Deer Isle in Hancock County.

Between the Miami Rivers Survey: A land survey that the United States government conducted between the Great and Little Miami Rivers in Ohio. The survey used the same nonstandard method used in the Symmes Purchase.

Bible Records, Family History Library Catalog™: A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize Bible records (birth, marriage, and death information written in family Bibles).

Bible records, general: Birth, marriage, and death information written in family Bibles, usually on pages set aside for such a purpose.

Bibliography, Family History Library Catalog™: A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize lists of books, periodicals, or other resources related to a particular topic.

Bibliography, general: A list of books, periodicals, or other resources that were used to prepare a book or article; also a separate list of books, periodicals, or other resources related to a particular topic.

Bibliothèque Généalogique, France: A library in Paris, France, that has a name index, genealogical books, and genealogical periodicals from all parts of France. Translated as Genealogical Library in English.

Bibliothèque Publique d' Information, France: A library in Paris, France, that has a collection of 300,000 volumes and 2,400 periodicals. It has a good genealogical collection.

Bienes de difuntos: A Spanish term for inheritance records and inventories of personal estates. Also used in the Philippines.

Bill of sale: A written document that transfers personal property from one individual to another. It proves that a sale occurred.

Biografica: A biographical collection of notes, newspaper clippings, and obituaries of Swedish army officers and others.

Biographical dictionary: A compilation of histories of people’s lives. The people selected for a biographical dictionary usually have something in common, such as occupation, place of origin or residence, or experience in a historical event. Also called a biographical encyclopedia or compiled biography.

Biographical Dictionary of Early Virginia, 1607-1660: A biographical dictionary that contains more than 100,000 entries and mentions over 30,000 people who are named in wills, deeds, court orders, histories, and Virginia Company records.

Biographical encyclopedia: A compilation of histories of people’s lives. The people selected for a biographical encyclopedia usually have something in common, such as occupation, place of origin or residence, or experience in a historical event. Also called a biographical dictionary or compiled biography.

Biographical sketch: A brief account of an individual’s life.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index: An index that lists the subjects in most nationwide American biographical dictionaries. This index is essential for finding biographical sketches. It concentrates heavily on the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Biography File: A 180-drawer card index to newspaper clippings, local histories, and periodicals from Maryland during the 1800s and 1900s. This file is at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland.

Biography, Family History Library Catalog™: A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize biographies (histories of people's lives) and biographical dictionaries and encyclopedias (compilations of histories of people’s lives).

Biography, general: A history of an individual’s life.

Biography, PERiodical Source Index: A record type used in the Locality and Research Methodologies sections of the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI) to identify articles that contain biographical information about a person or group of people.

Birke, Denmark: A Danish civil district, an area covered by a court. Also called herred.

Birth certificate: An official government document stating an individual’s birth date, birthplace, and parentage.

Birth record: An official government document stating an individual’s birth date, birthplace, and parentage.

Birthplace Index, 1881 British Census: An index of the 1881 British Census that is organized alphabetically by surname then by individuals' parish of birth. The Birthplace Index can help you identify possible brothers, sisters, and cousins who were born in the same parish but who may have moved to a different part of Great Britain.

Bishop's court, Church of England: The highest court in a diocese of the Church of England. These courts also had superior jurisdiction over lesser courts in probate matters. Bishop's courts are also called episcopal, commissary, diocesan, exchequer, and consistory courts.

Bishop's transcript, Church of England: A contemporary copy of a parish register of the Church of England that a local priest sends to the bishop of the diocese each year. The transcripts were supposed to be exact, but entries were sometimes abbreviated and may contain additional or variant information. If the original parish register has been lost, the bishop's transcript may be the only source of information.

Bishops’ report, Latter-day Saint: A list of Latter-day Saint heads of households and the wards in which they lived. This report was prepared in 1852 and 1853.

Bjelke Feud (1658-1660), Norway: A military action in which Norway regained Trondheim and Romsdal, which it had lost to Sweden in the Krabbe War.

Black Books: A part of the Maryland State Papers that contains messages, petitions, addresses, accounts, court proceedings, and other legal documents from 1636 to 1785.

Black Hawk War (1832): A war fought between the Sauk and Fox Native Americans and the United States militia and regular troops. The leader of the Native Americans was named Black Hawk.

Black Hawk War (1865-1867): An Indian war that arose when a Ute chief named Black Hawk led an uprising against the settlers in Utah.

Blazon: An official description of a coat of arms. Blazons are found in armorials. The term blazon is also used to mean a coat of arms.

Blessing certificate, Latter-day Saint: A certificate issued when a baby is blessed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Blessing of baby, Latter-day Saint: A priesthood ordinance of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in which an infant is given a name and a blessing.

Blue Books: A part of the Maryland State Papers that contains records relating to stock in the Bank of Maryland from 1733 to 1810. The collection contains information about paper money investment schemes, lawsuits against the state of Maryland, and papers concerning property that citizens lost during the Revolutionary War.

Board for Certification of Genealogists: A professional organization for genealogists. The board administers a certification process.

Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles, Hawaii: A commission established in Hawaii in 1845 to settle land disputes between the king of Hawaii, who owned all of the land, and settlers who were not native to Hawaii. The king received a portion of the land, and the rest was divided equally between the government, chiefs, and tenants. To acquire ownership of land, an individual made a claim to the commission. This commission was also known as the Land Commission.

Board of Commissioners, USA 1805: A committee organized by the United States Congress in 1805 to investigate claims made by landowners to lands previously granted by the French and Spanish governments.

Boatswain: The officer on a merchant or navy ship who has charge over the hull, sails, rigging, and so forth.

Boer Wars (1877-1901): A term referring to two wars between the British and the Boers (now called Afrikaners) in South Africa. The first Boer War occurred in 1880 and 1881, when the Boers gained independence from Britain. The second Boer War, which occurred between 1899 and 1902, happened when the Boers tried to deny British citizens and other non-Afrikaners full political rights. The Boers won the opening battles of the second war, but the British eventually won the war. The Boer troops surrendered in 1900, but guerilla fighting lasted until 1902.

Bond of curation: A written guarantee posted by the guardian of a minor child who is old enough to marry but still younger than 21 to guarantee that the guardian will faithfully perform the tasks assigned by the probate court.

Bond of indemnification: A document guaranteeing that the father of an illegitimate child would take financial responsibility for the child. This document relieved the parish from that responsibility. Also called a bastardy bond.

Bond of tuition: A written guarantee posted by the guardian of a minor child who is not old enough to marry to guarantee that the guardian will faithfully perform the tasks assigned by the probate court.

Bond with a will annexed: A probate record posted by estate administrators or executors that ensures they will properly carry out their duties. This document has a will attached to it.

Bond, financial: A legal act by which people obligate themselves or their heirs, executors, or administrators to pay a certain amount of money to another individual under certain conditions.

Bond, general: A binding agreement or a certificate or evidence of debt.

Bond, investment: A certificate or other type of evidence showing that a company, government, or institution promises to pay the purchaser of the bond (the lender) the amount of money loaned plus interest.

Bond, jail: The amount of money needed to get out of jail while awaiting trial. Also called bail.

Bond, probate: A probate record posted by estate administrators or executors that ensures they will properly carry out their duties.

Bondsman: An individual or institution that signs a bond to guarantee that if the bond holder does not meet the obligations, that individual or institution will. Also called a surety.

Bonus application papers: An application for a financial bonus promised by the United States government to men who enlisted in the United States military during World War I.

Book indexes by vessel line: Indexes to passenger lists. The indexes are arranged by the shipping line and the date of arrival in the United States.

Book of remembrance, Latter-day Saint: A record in which members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints record important Church-related events (such as baptism, confirmation, priesthood ordination, marriage, and so forth) and family history information.

Book review: An article that summarizes a book and evaluates the quality of the book’s information and writing.

Bordeaux Emigration Index, France: A card index to about 16,000 people who emigrated from Bordeaux, France, between 1713 and 1787.

Border Crossing Indexes, Canada: A card index to the Canadian border crossing manifests. Sometimes officials recorded information only on the index card for the crossing instead of in both the index and the border crossing manifest.

Border crossing lists, USA: Lists beginning in 1895 that document people who have crossed the border between the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Border crossing manifests, Canada: Lists of passengers being transported from Canada into the United States. Canadian shipping companies began keeping these records in 1895. There are two type of manifests: lists of people traveling by train and lists of people traveling by boat. The manifests may include the person's name, port or station of entry, date of entry, age, literacy, last residence, previous visits to the United States, and birthplace. Sometimes officials only recorded the information on the index card rather than on the manifest. Beginning in 1908 the companies began keeping similar records of people arriving in Canada from the United States. These records are not indexed and are not available through the Family History Library™. Also called Canadian border crossing lists, passenger lists, and manifests.

Border crossing records, USA: Lists beginning in 1895 that document people who have crossed the border between the United States and Canada or Mexico.

Borgerskabprotokoller, Denmark: A Danish word for citizenship book. It lists the people who received the rights to citizenship extended by a city. Citizenship rights included the right to engage in business in the city, protection under the law, and permission to live in the city without being expelled. The book includes the names of the people granted citizenship and their age, social and economic status, occupation and training, and sometimes birthplace and names of relatives. Until the twentieth century, only males of the middle or upper class, usually merchants and tradesmen, were granted citizenship.

Borough court, Connecticut: A court in Connecticut with townwide jurisdiction over civil matters. Borough courts were succeeded by the circuit courts.

Borough, Great Britain: A self-governing town or city that sends a representative to Parliament.

Borough, Scotland: A city or town in Scotland. In current usage, the term borough refers only to towns with a charter. Also spelled burgh.

Boundary: A separation, whether natural or manmade, between properties or jurisdictions.

Bounty land: Federal land given to people for their service in the military.

Bounty land warrant application: A formal, written request for a piece of federal land in return for past military service.

Bowman Collection: A card index to Connecticut vital records in Massachusetts from 1800 to 1900.

Box Type, Latter-day Saint: A printed book used to record membership records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1920 and 1941. Each page of the book had four to six boxes, and each box contained the complete membership information for an individual. The records are available at the Family History Library™ and Family History Centers™.

Branch history, Latter-day Saint: An historical account of a branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Branch records, Latter-day Saint: Membership records that each branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints keeps of members who live within the branch boundaries.

Branch, Latter-day Saint: A local division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is similar to a ward but usually does not have enough membership or enough priesthood leadership to support all the programs of the Church.

Brief description, Family History Library Catalog™ on compact disc: A screen on the compact disc version of the Family History Library Catalog™ that shows the title of the source.

Brieve, Scotland: A document created by a chancery court in Scotland that summoned the local sheriff's court to hold a jury trial. Brieves were issued when a landowner died and the heir wished to take ownership of the land.

Brigadier, British: An officer in the British army who ranks below a major general. A brigadier commands a brigade.

Briggs Collection: A large collection of typed transcripts of wills, cemetery records, vital records, and other family records for families from the towns of West Greenwich, Exeter, and Coventry in Rhode Island. It was created by Anthony Tarbox Briggs and is at the Rhode Island Historical Society and on microfilm at the Family History Library™.

British: Pertaining to something or someone from Great Britain. Many British people emigrated to the Americas, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

British census: A census taken by the British government in Britain, including England, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man, and Channel Islands.

British Genealogical Record Users Committee: A group of organizations that are dedicated to preserving and providing access to genealogical and historical records.

British Library: The national repository for all materials published in England. It also has a large collection of manuscript materials. The British Library is one of the five copyright libraries in Great Britain.

British North America: The name used for colonies that remained in British hands after the Revolutionary War between 1783 (when Britain acknowledged the independence of the United States) and 1867 (when the Dominion of Canada was created).

Bromwell Index: A five-volume alphabetical list of prominent people from Colorado. The index covers up to the year 1933 and is held by the Colorado Historical Society.

Brown Books: A part of the Maryland State Papers that contains military and civilian communications dating from 1775 to 1803. The books also contain Revolutionary War correspondence, including lists of rebels, payments, seizures, arrests, and military engagements.

Buddhism: A major world religion founded in India in 500 B.C. by a teacher named Buddha. It has influenced religious, social, and cultural effects in much of Asia. In each area it has often combined with teachings from other religions such as Hinduism and Shinto. Zen Buddhism, practiced chiefly in Japan, has some distinctive differences. Buddha taught that each person's position in life was determined by actions in past lives. He sought to conquer attachments to worldly things.

Bureau de l'état civil, France: The French term for a civil registration office.

Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, USA: Former name of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Bureau of Indian Affairs: An agency of the United States government that manages and keeps the records of the government’s interaction with American Indian tribes.

Bureau of Land Management: An agency of the United States government that manages and maintains the government's survey and land records. The bureau also manages national lands and their resources, including mineral resources. The bureau was created in 1946 when the Government Land Office (GLO) and the Grazing Service were combined. It is under the Department of the Interior.

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, Freedmen's Bureau: An agency created by the United States Congress in 1865 to help former slaves make the transition to freedom. The bureau provided food, clothing, and shelter and created schools, hospitals, and universities. It distributed abandoned lands to former slaves. Although President Andrew Johnson twice vetoed bills to renew the agency, Congress repassed them and expanded the bureau's powers in 1866. The bureau was dissolved in 1872.

Bureau of the Census: The agency of the United States government charged with taking a national census every 10 years.

Bürgerbücher, Germany: A German term for citizenship books. In Germany, these books were used to record the names of people who had received the rights to citizenship. Also called Bürgerlisten.

Bürgerlisten, Germany: A German term for a citizenship book. In Germany, these books were used to record the names of people who had received the rights to citizenship. Also called Bürgerbücher.

Burgess: A resident of a city who has full rights of citizenship within the city. Tradesmen and craftsmen were burgesses. The term burgess can also refer to a freeman who lived in a rural area. In Scotland, a burgess is a craftsman or tradesman who lives and works within a burgh.

Burgh: A city or town in Scotland. In current usage, the term burgh refers only to towns with a charter. Also spelled borough.

Burgh court, Scotland: A Scottish court with jurisdiction over a royal burgh. These courts handled minor civil offences.

Burgher: A citizen of a town.

Burghers Church, Scotland: A church that formed out of the Secession Church in 1745. This group believed that communion should not be withheld from people who took the Burgess Oath. In 1820 the Burghers and Anti-Burghers reunited.

Burial plot: A specific piece of ground within a cemetery where an individual is or can be buried.

Burial record: A record detailing where a person is buried.

Burial register: A list of the people buried in a cemetery.

Business directory: A list of the names and addresses of businesses or business people.

Business Records and Commerce, Family History Library Catalog™: A subject heading used in the Family History Library Catalog to categorize information about businesses, trades, and other types of commerce.

Buyer: An individual purchasing something, such as a piece of land.

Byfogden, Denmark: The judge of a Danish city court. In the 1700s this court handled matters of commerce, such as citizenship records.

Bygdbøker, Norway: A Norwegian term meaning "rural chronicles" or "community books." The bygdbøker are Norwegian town histories that contain extensive genealogical information about the people living in the community.

Byting, Denmark: A Danish city court. In the 1700s this was the court of first instance (the court where a case begins) in general cases.

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