TIP #148 - DEFINITIONS - Q THROUGH S I am always asked to continue the series of old definitions and I hope these help. Sandi Quadrimus: Four years old. Quadroon: 1/4th black, a child from a mulatto and a white parent. Quarter Eagle: With an eagle on one side of a gold coin, this was worth $10 or $2.50. Quarterly Court: A county court which met every three months. Replaced by the Circuit Court. Quartermaster: The officer who issued clothing and food, assigned the housing when in the field. Quarter section: 1/4th or 160 acres. Queer Customers: Itinerants such as tramps, fugitives, prostitutes, street-ministers, gamblers, etc. Quern: A simple hand mill for grinding grain. Quid Pro Quo: A consideration such as the cost paid for land, means "what for what." Quinine: Treatment for malaria or various fevers, a Peruvian bitter drug. Quinsy: Tonsillitis of the acute variety. Quit claim: "Free from claim." Quit rent: Property tax. Rack yard: Animal farmyard. Ragman: One who collected old cloth. These were resold or used in the tannery business. Raising: Building and erecting of a barn or cabin, a neighborhood event. Randy begger: Another name for a tinker. Raper: Rope maker. Raser house: Barbershop. Rate payer: Tax payer. Real property: Land or real estate which was disposed of in a will. Recognitors: A jury called. Regiment: A permanent group of soldiers, the largest group with continually serving officers. Regular preacher: A minister assigned to one church, rather than a circuit riding minister. Relay station: The stopping point on a mail route or stage coach route. Horses rested or exchanged. Relict: a widow. Husband normally deceased. Relinquishment of dower: When a wife would give up her rights to land belonging to her late husband. Remand: A case which is sent back to the court which sent it or to send a prisoner to jail after a hearing. Remitting/remittent fever: Such as malaria, fever keeps returning. Rent rolls: A list of the citizens in an area who rented rather than owned land. Replevin: To regain possession of personal property which supposedly had been illegally taken. Revenuer: A federal agent who enforced the law against "moonshiners." Revenue stamp: A stamp placed on documents showing that the tax had been paid. Reversion: To return the estate to the one who had given it after the term specified had elapsed. Revocation: Recall, withdraw, make void … used in many wills - a new will revoked the old. Rickets: a deformity found mainly in children caused by a vitamin deficiency, caused deformities. Riding chair: A cart or wagon drawn by one horse. Rood: A measurement varying from ½ to 8 yards. Root doctor: A physician using herbs for healing. Ruff tree: The roof beam on a house. Saddler: One who made and repaired saddles. Sad iron: A iron heated on a stove for pressing clothes. Sager: Lawyer Saint Hugh's bones: Tools used by a shoe maker. Saint Vitus dance: A children's disease primarily. Salted paper photos: Made using a chemical process which placed silver particles in, rather than on, paper. Salter: One who supervised a saltworks operation, or one who mined or sold salt. Saltern: A building used in the production of salt. Salt lick: The location where there is a high density of salt deposits. Sambo: A child who was 3/4ths black (child of a mulatto and a black). Sans issue: A couple who had no children. Saw mill: Any type of machine used to saw logs into lumber. Scaldhead: One afflicted with ringworm on the head. Scarlatina: Scarlet fever. School street: University. Scire facias: The renewal of a judgment after time had elapsed. Scirrhus: A cancerous tumor, hard. Scotch-Irish: Northern Ireland descendants of Scotch settlers. Screffe: Sheriff. Scrie Facias: A legally binding document based on a record requiring a person to give good reason why the records should not be enforced. "It was ordered that." Scrip: Paper certificates. These were issued in an emergency and used in lieu of money. Scrofula: TB of the glands, bones and joints. Scutter: One having diarrhea. Seat house: A large or manor house located on an estate. Security: Anything of value including money promised to ensure payment of an obligation. Self-marriage: Marrying without parental consent. Sending out: Allowing your child to be raised in another home either closer to school, to learn a trade. Senex: Old, elderly senior. Separate examination: Questioning of the married woman to be sure she understands a transaction and is not being forced to sign against her will. Sepulturae locus: Cemetery. Setting off the dower: Dividing the property when a widow is given her 1/3 dower. Settlement: Final account of an estate including receipts and expenses. Severalty: Owning property in one's own name. Shamboat: A boat moored close to shore which provided entertainment. Was moved from site to site. Shanty boat: A boat occupied by a lumberman. Sharecropper: A farmer employed by the land owner and received a portion of the crop. Sheriff's deed: Land on which taxes have not been paid was sold at public auction. The deed was Issued by the Sheriff and entered in his name. Sherry vallies: Outer pants which were heavy and worn for long horseback trips. Sine: Without. Sin eaters: Mourners at a funeral who were hired and "took upon themselves the sins of the deceased." Sine loco: Without place. Sine parole: Without issue. Sister: Referred not only to natural sisters but sometimes step-sister, half-sister, sister-in-law. Slave schedule: Census portion listing slave owners and their slaves before the Civil War. Sleeping partner: A limited business partner. Slop dealer: A store owner who handled cheap, inferior quality clothes. Soft-Shell: Normally Baptist, not as conservative as the Hard Shell. Son-in-law: Could also refer to a step-son. Spicer: A grocer. Steeple house: Church. Still house: Distillery. Suborn: By bribary, force a person to give false testimony. Subpoena duces tecum: To cause an individual to bring evidence into court needed for the case. Subscribing witness: One who signs a document as a witness. Subsister: A prisoner without money. Substitute soldier: One serving for another in the military; paid by the one who was supposed to serve. Sugarhouse or sugarshed: A pole frame of lumber nailed to 3 sides, contained a pit where sap could be reduced to sugar. Summary court: Found in southern states for slaves. Supra scriptum: "as written above". Surety: An individual who with his own free will makes himself liable for someone else's debts if the Borrower defaults. Surrogate wife: Mistress. © Copyright 12 May 1998, Sandra K. 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