Churchwardens attended to see that the ceremony was performed, the name is derived from their staves of office.w.d. Learning to read Roman numerals and a little basic Latin will help you transcribe and understand the manuscript documents that you collect. Were the children legitimate or illegitimate, and did some or all children die within the lifetime of a parent? 8 0 obj Place names and surnames were not translated but first names were. I am pretty new to trying to read and translate Latin (I did have 4 years of high school Latin, but that was 50 years ago) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZ5-3BRX?i=78 image 79 right side 1st entry. g.}j1#%3_fd(94RrT;*TYV(1],4HiH.s(YR`%^Ij^0T My gt grandparents' marriage, Rosscarbery, Co . Among the Romans, this was a traditional salutation at the beginning of a letter. The endings of Latin words can also vary depending on the grammatical usage of the words, with specific endings used to indicate a word used as the subject of the sentence, as a possessive, as the object of a verb, or used with a preposition. Example: "That patient needs attention, "namely", "to wit", "precisely", "that is to say". But, many other documents, court records in particular, include an abundance of abbreviations that may be a mystery to the casual reader of Latin documents, especially when one's Latin vocabulary is limited. They do not tell us where an event took place, unless it is specifically stated. A. aar (r)- year. \ legitim.) A part of the monarch's title. Denby is a community near Penistone, but what does trem. Nearly all Roman Catholic church records used Latin to some extent. Genealogy 101: Who Is My First Cousin Once Removed? (2021, September 2). This is a list of common Latin abbreviations. OBt most likely indicates a shortening of the entire word (obiit). Another Latin abbreviation found in genealogy documents. Words that have extra strokes over one or more letters, or over the whole word, or that include odd symbols or superscripts, are very likely abbreviations. Typically, Latin was used in the more rural, Irish-speaking parishes while English was used in urban districts. In reading early church records from Preston, CT (1700's) I have come across some abbreviations and terms I do not know the meaning of. The meaning is distinct from "unanimously"; "nem. Church Abbreviations 6. Used to indicate additions to a text after the signature of a letter. Another Latin abbreviation, sometimes seen before a pastor's name. g8qD06*hMU+yA@4#N{fFt(F28n) ^M)2 )G,r% +~%6xm+4b7j; oj{7vy{@ Example: "These results agree with the ones published by Pelon, "and the others", "and other things", "and the rest", Other archaic abbreviations include "&c.", "&/c. Newspapers Break through Genealogy Brick Wall, Solving 100-Year Mystery, http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=159553&side=167, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZ5-3BRX?i=78. Translation: Honest young man Nicolaus Jochim son of deceased Friedrich Adam Jochim mayor of this town and Anna Barbara deceased his second legitimate wife with chaste virgin Maria Eva Gade daughter of George Gade, alderman and innkeeper (adursum??) Latin Abbreviations. in Matrimonio conjunxi Joannem Woodward (talis loco) filium Georgio Woodward et Annam Sharples (talis loco) filiam Edwardi Sharples. Religion, Baptist, . That seems to make NO sense, as the mother is always known and it is the father of a child born out of wedlock who could either run away/deny fathering the baby, or else acknowledge it as his bastard. Ive been searching the Web for 30 mins, but no satisfaction. Oxford: J. Most first names were in Latin. Comp: Eric Thomsen fromTierstrup, Eric Rasmussen, etc. That is, thankfully for everyone except family historians. Also, consult a variety of resources, such as these: Do you have a question about a Latin phrase youve encountered in your family history research? Reply. degree of consanguinity (or affinity or any other impediment), A further example was added to say that when a dispensation was granted by virtue of their missionary faculties the priest was to insert data per me dispensatione ab impedimento given by me a dispensation from the impediment of, In the Blog on 13 Aug, you discussed a marriage register entry from 1846, being unsure of the meaning of the Latin A me Misso Apco. 3. Meaning Abbreviated Abbreviations Common. The LDS Church as filmed about 33% of the Irish Catholic sacramental registers, and these are accessible in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or at an LDS Family History Center near your home. It may be well to state at once that since 29 December 1878, by order of LeoXIII, the great papal documents (Litterae Apostolicae) are no longer written in the old Gothic hand known as bollatico; all abbreviations, with the exception of a few obvious ones, like S.R.E., were abolished by the same authority (Acta Sanctae Sedis, XI, 465467). 20+ Church acronyms and abbreviations related to Latin: Latin. In later years, I discovered that I shared my moms passion for genealogyand when I started seeing old documents with Latin phrases such Caesars Veni, Vidi, Vici (We came, We saw, We conquered), my early education studying the Latin language started paying off. Need help deciphering church record abbreviations. AM. <> The following are some of of the abbreviations which he used: M - Married, D - Died, W - Widowed, R - Moved from the parish, C- Changed his address within the parish, N - New resident, P - Poor man. Information leaflet providing translation from Latin to English pertaining to church registers. Marriage Register - matrica (marriage register), bannorum (register of marriage banns), liber. <> These records can be divided into two categories: Non-Sacramental Records and Sacramental Records. I have been told that this rank carried security of tenure of the mission, i.e. When encounteringthe abbreviation c withwhat appeared to bean apostrophe above the letter, one might suspect it to be a contraction of cum meaning with, and indeed that is the case. <> Im looking at Irish marriage records and see ASHE Catherine .orse EFFER in 1841. hiVr\JB+C.ZD H $m^m.vs'dD0ZG_Jb.seuu This death occurred 2 mo postpartum in a 37-year-old woman. Common Latin Words Found in Genealogy Documents. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. There are links to materials focusing on texts in different languages including Latin. 1733 is also generally reckoned to mark the end of the use of Latin in Church of England parish registers - but not Roman Catholic Posted by Lawrence Gregory in Church Records. I don't know what they mean. Also included are lists of the months of the year, days of the week, and abbreviations. March Addition: GenealogyBank Just Added New Content from 46 Titles! Thank you for this question. The first was from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar. However, the Church record shows the date as 28 Decembris 1874 (see image and url below) which I assume would be December 28, 1874 since I can see records for all of the 12 . The abbreviations of the titles of Roman Congregations, and of the individual canonical ecclesiastical authorities, belong also to this class. The ecclesiastical words most commonly abbreviated at all times are proper names, titles (official or customary), of persons or corporations, and words of frequent occurrence.A list of those used in Roman Republican and early Imperial times may be seen in James Chidester Egbert, Jr.'s Latin Inscriptions (New York City, 1896), 417-459. This example comes from St. Sylvester's Church, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii. endobj Just discovered this website, and the latin explanations. <> The second may begin with an n and the third may be Lustruis or something similar. 7 0 obj Sancto Maria in oppido WiganI Charles Middlehurst ? Introduction: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak explains some of the old termsmany of them derived from Latinthat genealogists encounter during their family history research. vel Miss. I have read it stands for a Latin phrase but cannot locate the exact phrase. In the fourth class of abbreviations belong all such as are used to describe the elements of the year, civil or ecclesiastical. used as example, "Name, o.c., date, volume, page" - I can only guess it means obtained conversion, but would like to know for sure. "In the name of the Lord, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen", "in a letter" or other documented correspondence. Please go to the beginning and end of the record set to see if abbreviations have been defined. Hy = Henry. So now, Id like to share some tips for understanding old Latin terms you may encounter in your own genealogy research. That means its not an f at all but a long lower-case s, which means exactly the same as the ordinary short lower-case s were all used to. We value your, A Genealogists Guide to Old Latin Terms & Abbreviations. (to which class belong the numerous Catacomb inscriptions); finally some miscellaneous abbreviations like those used in the publication of documents concerning beatification and canonization. 14 0 obj These administrative records are the non-sacramental records, and they include fraternal order books, church censuses, account books, and local history documents. endobj But, many other documents, court records in particular, include an abundance of abbreviations that may be a mystery to the casual reader of Latin documents, especially when ones Latin vocabulary is limited. Know that male names often end in - us or - ius, while female names end in - a. At the time, Hungary was predominantly Catholic, accounting for over 60% of the country's population, and up to 90% of in parts of northwestern Hungary and Burgenland, Austria. endobj Two similar historical Latin terms often found in old obituaries are consort and relict; as noted in the following examples, they tell a researcher specifically if a woman was a widow prior to her death, or if her husband became a widower after she died. Examine the syntax within the presented context. [citation needed]. Used with dates to indicate "approximately". On these documents from an Italian church, the last names were in their original Italian. Every day, GenealogyBank is working hard to digitize more U.S. newspapers and obituaries, expanding our, Louise A., of Longview, Washington, had a mystery on her hands. The normal format in Latin seemed to be: Thomas filius Henrici BLOGGS et Anna uxor ejus baptizatus fuit (date in Latin) Anno Pro. Sometimes on church records names may be abbreviated, so for example the abbreviation may actually read DL, which would be short for Daniel. Thanks. In many countries throughout the world, Catholic parish records were written in Latin even into the 20th century. Missus. Military - militaris, bellicus. The research information obtained in 1959 shows triplets (Mattaeus, Antonius, and Joanna) born "28.X.1874". <> and "e.g. Powell, Kimberly. - (he or she) died without offspringParish - parochia, pariochialisParish priest - parochusTestes - witnessesTown - urbeVillage - vico, pagusVidelicet - namelyWill/Testament - testamentum. A postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. Census - census. Call Number: FLS2016 038003 [PA2814 .G36 1995 OVERFLOWJ34], Call Number: FLS2016 040538 [PA2895 .M67 1989 OVERFLOWJ34]. <> It is possible that these abbreviations may refer to the names of the parents. What does the LL stand for? con." Extra! Genealogy Tip: References should be interpreted as relative, and not exact. [closed] +3 votes. or MA equates with Missioner Apostolic priest responsible for the mission. <>/Font<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 720 540] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> (abbreviation for geboorte-, huwelijks en overlijdensregisters) birth, marriage and death registers: geb. The first class of abbreviations includes those used in the composition of Pontifical documents. Meaning Abbreviated Abbreviations Common. Also abbreviations used on census records - since they are generally and most generally used or copied over itnto a genealogy database. Miss. I see that you wrote me some time ago. Legal documentation may include abbreviations regarding the status of a decedent. Latin was used in legal and church records in the past. The Catholic records on Findmypast include baptisms, marriages, burials and congregational records such as confirmations. Hello, I frequently see obt before death dates on Victorian mourning jewelry. Suggest. Apcus. <>>> Sancto Maria in oppido Wigan Jacobum Hall filium Georgii et Marie Hall de Staley Bridge et Annam Heaney filiam Nicolai et Judith Heaney de Wigan interrogavi, eorumque mutuo consensus habito, solemniter per verba de praesenti matrimonio conjunxi, praesentibus notis testibus Henrico Baron et Catherine Baron qui uterque habitat Wigan. RP ,Oj5tI/nZCKSajhaXL\nbIwVuq\kn/fH$Hm[H+bilGxKr*AG1R./oF*"@ 1)f6l4T !g6vp^_f6,e[?{x?q7Q=/f:8#(YzB3pC?hFNA~? Im researching Slovak church records in Latin. Without seeing the original, I wonder if it is calling her the good mother. If you solve the mystery, please let me know. al)Anno Domini (A.D.) - in the year of our LordArchive - archiviaCatholic church - ecclesia catholicaCemetery (graveyard) - cimiterium, coemeteriumGenealogy - genealogiaIndex - indiceHousehold - familiaName, given - nomen, dictus (named), vulgo vocatus (alias)Name, surname (family name) - cognomen, agnomen (also nickname)Name, maiden - look for "from" or "of" to indicate maiden namenata (born), ex (from), de (of)Obit - (he or she) diedObit sine prole (o.s.p.) Abbreviations, ECCLESIASTICAL.The words most commonly abbreviated at all times are proper names, titles (official or customary), of persons or corporations, and words of frequent occurrence.A good list of those used in Roman Republican and early Imperial times may be seen in Egbert's "Latin Inscriptions" (New York, 1896), 417-459.The Jewish scribes and Talmudic scholars also had . in prepositions and terminations, became the source of many peculiar abbreviations; similarly, frequently recurring words like et (and), est (is). As they seem to become accepted usage in genealogy. Since the keeping of records as part of the civil registration systems did not start until the 19th century, parish . <> Most children were baptized within days of being born. 1714. filius and filia are 'son' and 'daughter' respectively, but occasionally are written with the ff at the . This late 16th-century example is of the words 'A declaracion': -rum. <> The mark at the end of this word looks a bit like a 'y', or the letter 4 on a calculator screen. stream St Mary in the town of Wigan, Jacobum Hall filium Georgii et Marie Hall de Staley Bridge et Annam Heaney filiam Nicolai et Judith Heaney de WiganJames Hall, son of George and Mary Hall of Staley Bridge, and Anne, daughter of Nicholas Heaney and Judith Heaney of Wigan, interrogavi, eorumque mutuo consensus habito, solemniter per verba de praesenti matrimonio conjunxiI asked, and having their mutual consent, solemnly united by words of marriage. Could these be Latin abbreviations and, if so, what do they mean in context of the baptism protocol? List of Common Phrases used in Parish Records. This website contains resources for those interested in Medieval English Genealogy. Hi there, perhaps you can help me: on a South African death certificate dated 1890, the doctor wrote the following for Condition in Life: Fide maiter lustrous. If so, please ask it in the comments section and well try to answer it for you. Dear Erudita74, Thank you so much! Latin is the mother language for many modern European languages, including English, French, Spanish and Italian. In a few cases, English referents have replaced the original Latin ones (e.g., "rest in peace" for RIP and "postscript" for PS). Unfamiliar handwriting and language can make German church records intimidating, but you can interpret them with practice and a few resources. Latin for local history : an introduction, A Latin glossary for family and local historians, Understanding Documents for Genealogy and Local History, Paleography: Interpreting Handwriting in Genealogical Research, Some Notes on Medieval English Palaeography. "Ecclesiastical Abbreviations". Therefore, Latin will be found used in the earlier records of most European countries, as well as in Roman Catholic records around the world. The following is a condensed list of terms most commonly used in Latin church records. The development of printing brought about the abandonment of many abbreviations, while it suggested and introduced new ones a process also favoured by the growth of ecclesiastical legislation, the creation of new offices, etc. (. Wm = William =Willus. Church Abbreviations in Latin 2. Home : Encyclopedia . Missus ., it looks as though both words are abbreviations but it doesn't seem too important at this point. (1913). place of residence with house number . 10 0 obj wedding= Knobstick wedding; the wedding of a pregnant single woman to the putative father-to-be, under pressure from the parish vestry. Many just have Eum. elaborately abbreviated. For example Jacobum (accusative form of Jacobus) can mean Jacob or James, cross checking with census records will resolve this. Between the seventh and ninth centuries the ancient Roman system of abbreviations gave way to a more difficult one that gradually grew up in the monastic houses and in the chanceries of the new Teutonic kingdoms. Instant (often abbreviated "inst."): This term refers to a recent occurrence in the present or current month. In the 1860 census for Randolph County, Alabama, my ancestor Joseph Currie is listed as Framer, JTC (according to Ancestry.com. It is not unusual to find, within the pages of one record, different variations used, but care should be taken to ensure that in these instances, it is a variation and not meant to indicate something else. Words and abbreviations that have been in general use but are currently used less often. In "Xmas" the second letter has been dropped.Jas = James Nearly all the abbreviations below have been adopted by Modern English. In 1752, two changes were made to the English Calendar. They were once very numerous, and lists of them may be seen in the works quoted below (e.g. Most of these 1813 Catholic baptismal records include an abbreviation following the names of the parents, and before the names of godparents. Copyright 2006- 2023 by Stephen J. Danko, How the Carnival of Genealogy Makes the World a Better Place in which to Live, Beyond Amo, Amas, Amat: Latin for Genealogists | SpittalStreet.com, Administrative Structure of the Kolno Powiat, Administrative Structure of the Szczuczyn Powiat, The Immigration Passenger Manifest for the Family of Antoni Wseborowski 1903, The Hamburg Departure List Entry for the Family of Antoni Wseborowski 1903, The Birth and Baptismal Record for Jan Wszeborowski 1897, The Marriage Record for Antoni Wszeborowski and Magorzata ne Podeszwa Skowroska 1892, The Birth and Baptismal Record for Maryanna Skowroska 1835, The Birth and Baptismal Record for Anna Skowroska 1837. thepriests or scribes who wrote the documentsused Medieval Latin, not the Classical Latin usually taught in schools. A dedicated genealogist, she, You can unsubscribe at any time. Rector Miss. Cert is in relation to a man who is intending to . endobj is used to indicate a detailed description of something stated before, and when it precedes a list of group members, it implies (near) completeness. How to Read Old German Church Records. Hi, I studied medieval Irish history at Trinity College, Dublin but this one stumps me. Understanding Terms Found in Historical Newspapers, Perseus Latin Dictionary at Tufts University, Job Names in Historical Newspapers: Researching Old Occupations, Historical Job Names in Newspapers (Part II), Early Women Occupations, Jobs & Avocations, Old Diseases & Early Medical Terms in Historical Newspapers, Nautical Terms & Phrases Found in Old Newspapers. One possibility is that the t is a cross. legitimized through subsequent marriage . Latin Names. Handwritten in church book, 1831. This tutorial will introduce you to those formats, focusing on the specific information contained in each entry andwhere within the entrythat information can usually be found. Latin was used in the records of most European countries and in the Roman Catholic records of the United States and Canada. Abbreviations used in apostolic rescripts, Abbreviations in general use, chiefly ecclesiastical, Abbreviations of titles of the principal religious orders and congregations of priests, Last edited on 12 November 2022, at 07:26, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_ecclesiastical_abbreviations&oldid=1121431020, This page was last edited on 12 November 2022, at 07:26. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The year of Christ the Savior, similar to A.D. Used when referring the reader to a passage beginning in a certain place, and continuing, e.g., "p.6 et seqq." 11 0 obj Anno Dni. However, with some exceptions (for example, versus or modus operandi), most of the Latin referent words and phrases are perceived as foreign to English. I will truly appreciate your help. What does Berekita v. Roman mean?? She teaches at the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. adelig - nobel. Sue, Thank you for commenting. Used in editing to indicate that something should remain as it is, and not be changed. Example: "see page 258, The abbreviation is used in citations. A part of the monarch's title, it is found on all British coins. (Renata is also Latin . is commonly used in English instead to convey this meaning. Under the Julian reckoning, months were abbreviated thus: Under the calendar year with the Gregorian reckoning, the months of January, February and March became the initial months of the year, not the final months. Without seeing the document, its not possible to determine what trem. stands for. S\m7n7lpX@;X/xU9zgb Kl%.BKEJro:pe^ x They multiplied with time, and were never so numerous as on the eve of the discovery of printing; many of the early printed books offer this peculiarity, together with other characteristics of the manuscript page. The exact usage of the term varies between British English and American English. You can find out more about Findmypast's Catholic records for the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland and beyond here. the priest could not be moved without his approval. In some countries registers of Protestant churches, such as Lutherans and Anglicans, were also maintained in Latin. I'm looking at Dutch Reformed Church records in Churchtown, NY. Parker.) In the third class belong scholastic abbreviations, used to designate honorific titles acquired in the schools, to avoid the repetition of lengthy titles of books and reviews, or to facilitate reference to ecclesiastical and civil legislation. locus domicilii cum numero domus . Note that first names are in Latin and so again there can be uncertainty over James/Jacob etc. Sometimes referred to loosely as a Visitation. The second part is a typical abbreviaton for natus, indicating that the birth was in Denby. These websites contain text samples and other source materials. It does not indicate that this priest held a University degree of Master of Arts, for sine prole which indicates that someone died without issue. Last week, we covered the Church records written in Latin. Any ideas? The Jewish scribes and Talmudic scholars also had frequent recourse to abbreviations. I cannot answer definitively, but suspect it was an indication of pylorie, a kind of stomach infection. Just after the frontispiece, there were instructions on how to complete the entries, with the printed text in normal print and the priests entries in italics , Anno 1885 die 13 mensis Maii, Ego N.N. xpher or Xpoferus= Christopher The first two letters are not really X and p but the greek letter X (Ch) and p (r) Xp was a customary abbreviation for Christ. Church Abbreviations. simply means that nobody voted against. Can you tell me what orse stands for? All abbreviations are given with full stops, although, in most situations, these are omitted or included as a personal preference. DS69.1.R3 RR4 Religion/ANE. I agree that it looks like JP C. I would contact a county historian to verify, but it probably indicates he was a justice of the peace for the county. You can learn to interpret the Latin language you encounter with by applying an understanding of keywordsand phrases. It contains genealogical information about millions of people from many nations. G0((bMnx(g'. Moving beyond acronyms, abbreviations, and contractions, the Polish Roots website has tips for translating Latin documents, and includes the Latin words to describe various classes of nobles and peasants, along with their Polish equivalents. (See Catholic societies, orders of merit.) View at http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=159553&side=167. They are: a) o.c. A prescription indication that the drug is to be administered only once. For example, in taxonomy ", Used in abbreviations in "S.S.Theol.Doct." Suggest. <> The same Latin word may be found with multiple endings, depending on the way the word is used in the sentence. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. absolutio publice (latin) - to publicly confess ones sins and being given absolution. Praesentibus ) Joanne Edwards (talis loco) - "pro tempore" (temporary or acting in the place of). Throughout history, terms come and terms goand thankfully for most people, archaic expressions disappear. The virgine filia reference tells you that Catharine was the daughter of Stephanus and the filius cond notation indicates that Michael was the son of Georgii of Tarnok. To be certain, please check with an appraiser of antique jewelry as I suspect it may have a more specific meaning, such as the death of an infant. endobj Earlier in my blog, there is a reference for spl (sine prole legitima). Often used in medical contexts. Learn how church records can reveal immigrant ancestors' origins, provide mystery parents' names, stand in for missing birth records and more. B16 = Pope Benedict XVI. For church records or local legal documents, comparison with later documents from the same region or community that are not written in Latin will often solve the problem. 3 Responses Melanie Zumwalde says: May 5, 2022 at 4:44 pm. 3 0 obj The ecclesiastical words most commonly abbreviated at all times are proper names, titles (official or customary), of persons or corporations, and words of frequent occurrence. The more familiar you are with translating records, the easier your job will be. The second line begins with Comm. as the lead word and lists female name (i.e., a mans wife named ____). [avi] Parochus, or "I baptised. 6 0 obj I know what all of it means except the last word. = sine prole; without offspring. It is a Latin abbreviation for 'rum', used in words in the genitive case ending in 'orum' or 'arum'. . A list of those used in Roman Republican and early Imperial times may be seen in James Chidester Egbert, Jr.'s Latin Inscriptions (New York City, 1896), 417459. = will datedtwp = townshipnat. There are several factors that make these records difficult to read, including the facts that: In my own research, the contractions, abbreviations, titles, and postnomials have often confounded my ability to transcribe and translate the documents I encounter. I?m not really sure what the MI/ML may stand for, possibly Margaret/Mary-Elizabeth. Notice in the following obituary, the death date is reported as the 29th ultimo. Since the obit was published on 5 October 1838, this is saying Elizabeth Grady died 29 September 1838. Genealogy Tip: If a Latin term ends in us, then it refers to a male; if it ends in an a, it generally refers to a female. Latin Abbreviations 4. }w~3SVZ|1 8 stands for prole legitima, or a legitimate child. More articles about old terms found in historical newspapers: Found in History & Antiquities of Leicestershire by Nichols. You may want to purchase a Latin to English dictionary to help with translations. Notice in this newspaper clipping example, Margaret is referred to as the relict, or widow, of the late William McCarron. Can refer to one's body of business practices. I recommend you look for other records (written by the same recorder on nearby pages to see if there is something similar that might give clarity to the old script. This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 16:12. The three most common old Latin terms for dates are: instant, ultimo, and proximo, which refer to the present month, last month and next month respectively. Sometimes notices are copied from newspaper to newspaper, and if a notice was republished more than 30 days from its first publication, the interpretation would be incorrect. Most genealogy researchers define caelebs as a man who was singleso if you didnt explore further, you might assume that caelebs indicated someone who had never been married. It Is Well with My Soul: the Story of Horatio Spafford, Signers of the Declaration of Independence & Their Scions (part 1). The singular form is never. Vowel-sounds were frequently written not after, but over, the consonants. Missus., it looks as though both words are abbreviations but it doesnt seem too important at this point.