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© St. Petersburg Times, published February 28, 2002
If there's one constant when it comes to language, it's that the meaning of words changes over time. When Shakespeare wrote, "Get thee to a nunnery," he didn't have a religious connotation in mind. After the Revolutionary War, pounds went on your hips and not in your pockets.
This tenet especially holds true when it comes to tracing one's roots. Every researcher eventually encounters archaic legal terms like "trusty friend" or "my now wife." Misinterpret them at your peril. At best, you'll charge off on a wild goose chase. Or worse, you'll link people to the wrong families.
"Trusty friend" is how John Murray is described by each person who signed a power-of-attorney document making Murray his or her personal representative in the sale of a parcel of land. The property was inherited jointly by the children and grandchildren of William Essick, who died without leaving a will.
The heirs lived in different counties spread across two different states. Two were named Murray, but the others had the surnames Stull, Kezzy, Seekman and Hamilton. Thus, it would not be unreasonable to conclude that Murray's connection to these people was limited to representing them in a legal capacity.
In reality, Murray was much more than a friend. Three of the heirs were his siblings. Another was an aunt. But the only place these family ties are clearly defined is in the 1810 courthouse document recording the transaction. That's where Murray is shown to have a personal stake in the land. Essick was his grandfather.
"Trusty friend" is often found in legal documents from the early 1800s. Like many labels and expressions used to describe relationships in earlier centuries, the phrase means something entirely different today.
"My now wife" is another term that causes confusion. Commonly used in the legal arena to differentiate between the current spouse and one that may come along later, its purpose was to protect the estate from future claims. Now was the operative word. But it bore no relationship to the number of times the man had wed. He could have had three previous wives. Or none at all.
The designations junior and senior have undergone an evolution. These days, parents tack junior on to a male child's surname when his name is identical to his father's. The older man takes on the senior designation when the younger one arrives on the scene.
It wasn't always that way. Before about 1900, these labels were often used to distinguish between two people of the same name -- one older, one younger -- who weren't necessarily father and son. They might be related. They could simply have lived in the same community. Women occasionally used these designations for the same reason.
In Colonial times, "in-law" signified any relationship that occurred as a result of marriage. When a woman referred to her father-in-law, she might be talking about her spouse's dad or her own stepfather. Likewise, her son-in-law could be either her stepson or her daughter's husband. In one probate record I saw, heirs-in-law referred to a married couple. The deceased was the wife's father.
Nieces, nephews, close friends or relatives came under the cousin umbrella. And brothers and sisters may be blood relatives or other members of a religious organization.
Some words have simply fallen out of favor. Relict and consort, once popular on tombstones, indicated which spouse died first. An epitaph reading "Mary Smith, relict of John Smith," means Mary outlived John. Conversely, "Mary Smith, consort of John Smith," indicates John was still living when Mary died.
A half-cousin is a person with whom you share one grandparent in common. Learn more about kinship connections at www.cyndislist.com/cousins.htm.
-- Donna Murray Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns. Sorry, she can't take phone calls, but you can write to her c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@aol.com.