The Statutes of the Realm/Volume 1/Introduction/Appendix/D

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APPENDIX. D.





Explanation of the Contractions,

Used in printing the Records and Manuscripts copied in this Collection.

THE general Character and Appearance of the Charters and Records copied in this Collection, are exhibited in engraved Specimens.[1] With respect to the Printed Contractions, it is to be observed, that wherever the Manuscript is abbreviated, the Print has a Mark of Contraction, as similar to that of the Manuscript as the Types will admit. The different Manuscripts vary a little from each other in the Mode of making the several Contractions. The following Explanation of the Marks of Contraction used in the Print (applying both to the Latin and French Text, though the latter is generally less abbreviated than the former), may serve as well to render the printed Copy intelligible, as also to explain the Contractions in the Manuscripts, and to make the reading and consulting of them, when necessary, more easy to Persons not used to antient Records.

A strait Line over a Vowel denotes the Omission of the Letter m or n following:
qu quam n non stat statim
antiqa͏̄ antiquam cmun commun voltat voluntatem
h hominum avadi avauntditz
The strait Line over m in the Middle of a Word denotes the Omission of the Letter n following:
oes omnes oia omnia
A Crooked Line over some Letter, or a Line through some Letter, of the Word contracted, denotes the Omission of one or more Letters of the Word:
Ga Gratia Eis Episcopis c͠o, t
cio or tio
Bal̴l̴is Ballivis os omnes cion or tion
no nobis litates libertates coronac͠ois coronacionis
eat habeat Ds Dominus expeditac͠o expeditacio
Sa Salutem dic dictum, &c. malic͠ose maliciose
A small superior Letter denotes an Omission, of which such Letter forms a Part:
qam
quam occaone occasione pimis primis si sibi
qa͏̄ impisonetr imprisonetur pi prius ni nisi

The following Characters or Abbreviations have certain explicit Significations, viz.

Character. Signification.
us
At the End of Words in the Dative or Ablative Plural:
Abbatib Abbatibus quib quibus
sometimes
et
s set (sed) poss posset
Or as a comprehensive Mark of Abbreviation:
qui quilibet videl videlicet
qn quandoque

above the Line.
us
Not being the Dative or Ablative Plural:
hujmodi
hujusmodi dedim dedimus
hi
huj hujus excare excusare
sometimes
os, or ost.
p
post ptea postea
pt

even with the Line.
com, or con
tenta contenta muni communi seil conseil
or qꝫ que
absqꝫ absque us usque
Frequently used also for quod and quia.
◌͛ er
ecitum exercitum infreint infregerint mae manere
itie itinere des deners
sometimes
re
essum egressum transssum transgressum
rum
antecesso antecessorum no nostrorum
Sometimes to mark an Abbreviation beginning with r:
co coronacionem
& et
The & appears in the Print wherever an Abbreviation for et appears in the Manuscript.
and
In the Copies of some Scotch Records in Appendix H. to the Introduction.
eciam
est
cer
feit fecerit tum certum
acietur amercietur cator mercator
vicium servicium vir servir
cea cetera ram terram
spasours trespasours
fit fuerit it habuerit
estoi estoverium otes overtes
mer
ser
ter
sometimes
tre
uer
ver
per
As the Prepositions per and pro, and in forming Words:
pro
ceit ceperit pia propria
b probum sone persone
atement apertement fit profit
misit permisit misit promisit
chein prochein a persona
also for
par and por
atus paratus celes parceles
teme tempore corum corporum
pre
sentem presentem la prelatz
m predictum ndront prendront
tz
fi fitz fe fetz
establisemen establisementz tenaun tenauntz
In the Copies of some Records the following Characters occur.
is or s
Scott Scottis As also the Saxon Characters,
Lord Lords þ th ȝ y

In citing the several Statute Rolls, Parliament Rolls, and Close, Patent, Fine, and Charter Rolls, the Year of the King, the Part, if there are more Rolls than one of the same Year, the Membrane or Skin, and the Number of the Article, where is it so distinguished on the Roll, are particularised; and if it is on the Dorse or Back of the Roll that also is noticed.—The several Membranes or Skins of which of the Rolls are composed, are frequently numbered from the bottom to the top of the Roll, the Membrane at the End being numbered 1, and so progressively up to the beginning of the Roll;—Thus:

Mag. Rot. Stat. m. 46 d. signifies,—The Great Roll of the Statutes, on the back of Membrane 46.
Rot. Parl. 6 Edw. II. P. 2. nu. 3. - Parliament Roll 6 Edward II. Part II. Number 3.
Rot. Claus. Close Roll. Rot. Fin. Fine Roll.
Rot. Pat. Patent Roll. Rot. Cart. Charter Roll.
In Cedula - In a Schedule or separate Skin or Membrane attached to the Roll. For Explanations as to the other Records and Manuscripts cited, See Appendix C.


  1. For Specimens of Original Charters, and of the Charter Roll, See the Plates at pages 3, 6, 9, 20, 22, 28, and 33, of the Charters prefixed to the Statutes in this Volume: of the Patent Roll facing page 4, of the Statute Roll page 114, and of the Close Roll page 118 of the Statutes in this Volume.