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The precise origin of language may be cloudy, but it's perfectly clear that language continually evolves. Advances in science and technology and trends in culture routinely pump new words into our vocabulary and make others obsolete. Each generation speaks a little differently. And the meaning of words often changes over time.
Tell a kindergartener today that he sounds like a broken record, and he won't have a clue what you mean. After the Revolutionary War, pounds went on your hips and not in your pockets.
Rooters must keep this concept in mind. Every researcher eventually encounters archaic legal terms such as "trusty friend" or "my now wife." Misinterpreting them can send you chasing after the wrong family ties and people who don't exist.
John Murray is described as a "trusty friend" by each person who signed a power-of-attorney document designating him a personal representative in the sale of a parcel of land.
The property was inherited jointly by the children, grandchildren and son-in-law of William Essick, who died without leaving a will. The heirs lived in different counties spread across two different states. A couple were named Murray, but other heirs had surnames that included Stull, Kezzy, Seekman and Hamilton. It's easy to conclude that Murray's only connection to them was as a legal representative, but that would be a mistake. Three heirs were his siblings. One was his aunt and others were cousins.
These ties were proved in the 1810 courthouse document recording the transaction in which Murray is shown to have a personal stake in the land. Essick was his grandfather.
The expression "trusty friend" is common in legal documents from the early 1800s. As with many labels used to describe relationships in that era, it means something entirely different today.
"My now wife" is another idiom that can throw a researcher. Its purpose in the legal arena was to distinguish between the current spouse and one that may come along later, in order to protect the estate from future claims. "Now" was the operative word. It made no difference whether or not the man had been previously married.
The titles junior and senior once referred to age, not family ties. Parents tack junior onto a male child's surname when he's named after his father. Dad doesn't become senior until junior makes an appearance.
Up until about 1900, these tags were often used to avoid mixups between two people of the same name - one older, one younger - who lived in the same community. They weren't necessarily father and son. They might not even have been related. 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 spoke about her father-in-law, she might mean her spouse's dad or her own stepfather. A son-in-law could be a stepson or a daughter's husband. In one probate record, 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. During other time periods, the word "cousin" mysteriously vanished. And brothers and sisters may be blood relatives or other members of a religious organization.
Words sometimes simply fall out of favor. Relict and consort, once popular on tombstones, indicated which spouse died first. If Shirley Johnson's epitaph reads "relict of Samuel Johnson," it means she outlived Sam. Conversely, "Shirley Johnson, consort of Samuel Johnson," on the tombstone indicates Sam was still kicking when Shirley died.
- Read past Donna Murray Allen columns online at www.sptimes.com Type "Donna Murray Allen" in the search box. You can write to Allen c/o Floridian, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or e-mail her at rootscolumn@yahoo.com Her Web site: www.rootsdetective.com includes information on classes and lectures. Allen welcomes your questions about genealogy and will respond to those of general interest in future columns.