• Abstract - summary of important points of a given text, especially deeds and wills.

• Administration (of estate) - the collection, management and distribution of an estate by proper legal process.

• Administrator (of estate) - person appointed to manage or divide the estate of a deceased person.

• Administratrix - a female administrator.

• Affidavit - a statement in writing, sworn to before proper authority.

• Alien - foreigner.

• Ancestor - a person from whom you are descended; a forefather.

• Ante - Latin prefix meaning before.

• Apprentice - one who is bound by indentures or by legal agreement or by any means to serve another person for a certain time, with a view of learning an art or trade.

• Appurtenance - that which belongs to something else such as a building, orchard, right of way, etc.

• Archives - records of a government, organization, institution; the place where records are stored.

• Attest - to affirm; to certify by signature or oath.

• Banns - public announcement of intended marriage.

• Beneficiary - one who receives benefit of trust or property.

• Bequeath - to give personal property to a person in a will. 

• Bond - written, signed, witnessed agreement requiring payment of a specified amount of money on or before a given date.

• Bounty Land Warrant - a right to obtain land, specific number of acres of unallocated public land, granted for military service.

• Census - official enumeration, listing or counting of citizens.

• Certified Copy - a copy made and attested to by officers having charge of the original and authorized to give copies.

• Chattel - personal property which can include animate as well as inanimate properties.

• Christen - to receive or initiate into the visible church by baptism; to name at baptism; to give a name to.

• Circa - about, near, or approximate - usually referring to a date.

• Codicil - addition to a will.

• Collateral Ancestor - belonging to the same ancestral stock but not in direct line of descent; opposed to lineal such as aunts, uncles & cousins. 

• Common Ancestor - ancestor shared by any two people.

• Consanguinity - blood relationship.

• Consort - usually, a wife whose husband is living.

• Conveyance - see deed.

Source: Provided by Dan Burrows.

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