Robert Coincidentally I've been sent some transcriptions from the Churchwardens' and Overseers' Accounts for Cheriton Fitzpaine in North Devon and the word estate is used in a similar manner to the usage you've found in Dorset. I only have selected extracts for the surname Cruwys but here are two examples: An Account of Wt. Prentices have been bound this Yeare 1727 to whom and for wt. Estates… includes: Wm. Cruwys was Bound to Mr. Maunder for ye other pt of ye Barton [Langworthy's] called Tuckers April 26th 1735: An Account of Wt Apprentices were bound out ye Yeare last past, to Whom and for what Estates Includes Thos. Cruwys to Mrs. Anne Lake for Chilton W. G. Hoskins says in his book "Devon": "Of the farms in the parish [Cheriton Fitzpaine], Chilton, Coddiford, Coombe Barton, and Lower Dunscombe appear as small estates in Domesday". Debbie Kennett In a message dated 15/02/2007 22:58:59 GMT Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Can any kind lister throw expert light on the 18th century use of the word "Estate" ? In the Parish Vestry Book of Holwell ( now in Dorset , then an exclave of Somerset ) in 1750-1751 , a number of young people are to be apprenticed , not to individuals but to the estates of named people . I am used to the modern use of the "estate" of a dead person , but is this the use intended here ? There seems to be rather a high proportion of apprenticing to estates of dead people to be likely , or is it ? Was there another use of "estate" at the time which would explain this ? I don't think the usage implies the modern-style "corporate" estates of agribusiness or of "aristo" Woburn style estates . Holwell agriculture was typically pasturing , one of lots of small landowners with tenant farmers and subletting to dairymen , not of big estates . Thus I would have expected that apprenticeships would be to specific individuals , rather than "corporate entities" . Here are the entries - I have not suppressed any apprenticeship entries from these years , so it is a complete "sample" : 18.11.1750 was agreed at a Vestry then held that James Line son of Jno. Line should be put an apprentice to the Estate that Allin T/Fothervile now lives on. Likewise George the son of George Richards to Ambrose Damer. 8.4.1751 Also agreed that Wm. Chaffie son of Thos. Chaffie should be put out as Apprentice to Caddies Estate and his son George an Apprentice to (Mrs Lane crossed through) Wm. Coombs Estate and Reuben Richards, son of George Richards, to Mr Nicholas Gillingham's Estate and Nicholas Clark son of Nicholas Clark to ffarmer Jno. Kiddles Estate. 5.5.1751 Agreed Ruth Richards daughter of George Richards to be put to Mrs Lanes Estate So out of seven apprenticeships to be paid for by the parish , six are to "estates" and only one to an individual . Odd or not ? TIA, Robert Hillier, Poole, Dorset