A cottager. Here's the OED definition. DSH ----------------------------------------------- coterell 1 Feudal Antiq. Also cotterell, -ill. [a. OF. coterel, med.L. coterellus, dim. of OF. cotier, med.L. cotarius, coterius, the occupant of a cota or cot. Cf. coterie.] A cottar, a cottager. [c 1086 Domesday Bk. (Du Cange), Septem villani quisque de una virgata, & 16 coterelli, & 2 servi. 1289 Charter in Kennett Par. Antiq. I. 439 Una cum villanis, coterellis, eorum catallis, serviciis, sectis et sequelis.] 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. x. 97 (MSS. G & I) These were almes?to comfortie suche coterels [other MSS. cotyers]. Ibid. 193 (MS. I) As coterels þei lybben. 1440 Promp. Parv. 96/1 Coterelle. 1560 in Crossraguel Chart. (1886) I. 120 His and thair subtennentis, cottrallis, servandis, and assignayes. 1866 Macm. Mag. XIII. 252 Besides these villains there are eight coterells or cottagers, four of whom are women and probably widows. 1866 Rogers Agric. & Prices I. iv. 75 There are nine coterells, each holding a cottage, and most of them an acre of land. ¶Applied (erroneously) to the tenement. 1617 Minsheu Ductor, Coshe or Coterell in old English, is the same that a Cottage, or a little house. [Hence in Phillips 1657-1706.] c 1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) I. 193 Each Copiholder of a yard land, halfe yard land, farrundle, and Cotterell. -------------------------------------------------------------- Lux et Veritas et Libertas "It may be said that, thanks to the 'clercs', humanity did evil for two thousand years, but honoured good. This contradiction was an honour to the human species, and formed the rift whereby civilisation slipped into the world." "La Trahison des clercs" [The Treason of the Intellectuals] (1927) Julien Benda (1867-1956) wrote in message news:[email protected] I'm having trouble with the phrase 'Rents of coterels by the year' in the Cartulary of Ramsey Abbey. I believe the rental amount of 'duo solidi, sex denarii; duo altilia' to be in modern terms '2s 6d and 2 chickens (?)' but I don't know what a coterel is. I didn't come up with anything with google or an online dictionary. Perhaps it's the spelling. Also as this is a book of charters to the abbey, would this be a grant of the income from a coterel that the donor owns or is this rental that he is paying for a coterel that the abbey owns? Whatever a coterel is. Thanks.