Dave, I hope this isn't presumptious, but I would like to post this on Forums at FamilySearch. I have asked several colleagues and no one has a clear answer although they really enjoyed your e-mail. We would like to see what comes up at Forums. Anthony Camp, a famous British genealogist, watches the Forums page and we're hoping that he answers it. I will get back to you as soon as I know the answer. Margo McKinstry British Research Consultant FamilySearch -----Original Message----- From: oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of David Beames Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 8:54 AM To: OXFORD Subject: [OXF] A smidgin of Latin Hi all As some listers know, I co-ordinate the OFHS Wills Library Project. A couple of times lately, ploughing through PCC wills to be added to the Library, I have come across an odd phrase in the official note which is added to the will when it is "proved": This time, it's with the 1670 will of Thomas Allen of Goring. "Probatum ... apud aedes Exonienses scituat' in le Strand in Comitatu' Middlesex..." That's "Proved ... at aedes Exonienses situated in the Strand in the County of Middlesex..." But what's "aedes Exonienses " ?? Well, "aedes" is said to be a temple or a house, and an exonium (or essonium) was in English law an excuse for non-appearance at a Court Baron. While I love the idea of a Temple of Excuses, it doesn't seem to have much to do with granting Probate, which has to be done at a court of some kind, and in this case was at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Where DID the PCC sit? I'd thought maybe at Lambeth, but was it in the Strand, where the Law Courts are today? The tube station nearest to the Law Courts is called Temple Bar, which presumably meant something long before the tube was invented. I'm wondering whether "aedes Exonienses" was the nearest the scribes could think of (in Latin) to "Temple Bar". But please does anyone actually KNOW ? DaveB ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interactive Oxfordshire parish map: http://searches.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/pardata.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Hello Everyone, I got a response from Anthony Camp. This is what he says. "The Prerogative Court of Canterbury normally sat at Doctors' Commons near St Paul's Cathedral but this was destroyed in the Great Fire and until it was rebuilt the Court sat at Exeter House (sometimes called Burghley House or Cecil House) in the Strand. So this is Exeter House. It was demolished shortly afterwards." Dave - I hope that helps. Margo -----Original Message----- From: oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Margo Mckinstry Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 9:59 AM To: oxfordshire@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [OXF] A smidgin of Latin Dave, I hope this isn't presumptious, but I would like to post this on Forums at FamilySearch. I have asked several colleagues and no one has a clear answer although they really enjoyed your e-mail. We would like to see what comes up at Forums. Anthony Camp, a famous British genealogist, watches the Forums page and we're hoping that he answers it. I will get back to you as soon as I know the answer. Margo McKinstry British Research Consultant FamilySearch -----Original Message----- From: oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:oxfordshire-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of David Beames Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 8:54 AM To: OXFORD Subject: [OXF] A smidgin of Latin Hi all As some listers know, I co-ordinate the OFHS Wills Library Project. A couple of times lately, ploughing through PCC wills to be added to the Library, I have come across an odd phrase in the official note which is added to the will when it is "proved": This time, it's with the 1670 will of Thomas Allen of Goring. "Probatum ... apud aedes Exonienses scituat' in le Strand in Comitatu' Middlesex..." That's "Proved ... at aedes Exonienses situated in the Strand in the County of Middlesex..." But what's "aedes Exonienses " ?? Well, "aedes" is said to be a temple or a house, and an exonium (or essonium) was in English law an excuse for non-appearance at a Court Baron. While I love the idea of a Temple of Excuses, it doesn't seem to have much to do with granting Probate, which has to be done at a court of some kind, and in this case was at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Where DID the PCC sit? I'd thought maybe at Lambeth, but was it in the Strand, where the Law Courts are today? The tube station nearest to the Law Courts is called Temple Bar, which presumably meant something long before the tube was invented. I'm wondering whether "aedes Exonienses" was the nearest the scribes could think of (in Latin) to "Temple Bar". But please does anyone actually KNOW ? DaveB ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interactive Oxfordshire parish map: http://searches.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/pardata.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interactive Oxfordshire parish map: http://searches.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/pardata.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to OXFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message