Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion : Foldout

Abbreviations


This Foldout collects the entries for some of the abbreviations such as

which might be encountered in family and local history research

Many of the these abbreviations are derived from Latin words and phrases


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

A. T. S.
Auxiliary Territorial Service

AB
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
artium baccalaureus

Same as BA

Abm
Abraham

Admon
A Letter of administration.

The Yorkshire Indexers website is compiling indexes to Wills and Admons recorded in the Deeds Registry [1901-1920]. The Indexes are to be found at URLs of the form

where the final letter = A in this instance = indicates the initial letter of surnames on that page

AFC
Air Force Cross

See DFC

Ag.Lab
Agricultural labour.

The term is widely used in censuses and other records.

Many of these were recorded prior to the Industrial Revolution

Alex
Alexander

Alexr
Alexander

AM
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
artium magister

Same as MA

AMIPE
Associate Member of the Institute of Production Engineers

See MIPE

AO
or A Ω. The first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet, and a synonym for the name of Jesus Christ

ARCM
Associate of the Royal College of Music

See LRAM

ARIBA
Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects

See FRIBA and RIBA

AS
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
anno salutis

A.Sc.A


Question: Does anyone know what the letters stand for?

M. F. Walton used them in 1861

 

ATC
Air Training Corps

ATS
Auxiliary Territorial Service

AVCM
Associate of the Victoria College of Music

B

B
The letter B might be used to record an illegitimate child in parish registers

BA
Bachelor of Arts. Same as AB

Benj
Benjamin

Bernd
Bernard

BMA
Brighouse Motor Agency

botp
both of this parish, both resident in this parish.

See otp

BS
British subject.

This is used in the census from 1851 to indicate that the individual was a British Subject born overseas.

See F and NAT

BSc
Bachelor of Science

BT
Bishop's transcripts

C

C of E
Church of England

CBE
Commander of the Order of the British Empire

See DBE, GBE, KBE, MBE and OBE

cf
Compare

Chas
Charles

ChB
Baccalaureus Chirurgiae Bachelor of Surgery

CMG
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George

See CMG, DCMG, GCMG and KCMG

CWGC
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Cwt
Hundredweight

D

d
Symbol for the penny, the unit of currency before decimalisation

DBE
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire

See CBE, GBE, KBE, MBE and OBE

DCL
Doctor of Civil Law

DCM
Distinguished Conduct Medal

DCMG
Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

See CMG, GCMG and KCMG

DD
Doctor of Divinity

Dd
David

DDD
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
dono dedit dedicavit

DFC
Distringuish Flying Force Cross

See AFC

DipHE
Diploma in Higher Education

DL
Deputy Lieutenant.

See Deputy Lieutenant for the West Riding

DNIC
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
dominus noster iesus christus

Do
Dorothy

DPH
Doctor of Public Health / Diploma of Public Health

DSO
Distinguished Service Order

dwt
Pennyweight

Dy
Dorothy

E

Ed
Edward

Edm
Edmund

Edw
Edward

Eliz
Elizabeth

Em
Emily

F

F
In mediæval times, a person found guilty of theft might be branded on the cheek with the letter F. He might also have his ears cut off, his nostrils slit, and/or his hands cut off

F
Foreign.

The letter F was used in the 1841 census to indicate that the individual was born overseas – that is, in foreign parts.

See BS and NAT

FHC
Family History Center of the Latter Day Saints

FHS
Family History Society.

See CFHS

FLS
Fellow of the Linnaean Society

See Dr Reginald Gervase Alexander and Arthur Crabtree

FRCP
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians

FRCPI
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

FRCS
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons

See MRCS

Fredk
Frederick

FRGS
Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society

FRHistS
Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

FRHS
Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society

FRIBA
Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects

See ARIBA, FRIBA and RIBA

FRS
Fellow of the Royal Society

FRSA
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

fs
Female servant

FSA
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries

FZS
Fellow of the Zoological Society of London

G

GBE
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire

See CBE, DBE, KBE, MBE and OBE

GC
George Cross

GCMG
Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George

See CMG, DCMG and KCMG

Gent
Gentleman

Geo
George

GOONS
Guild of One Name Studies

GRO
General Record Office

H

hm
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
hoc monumentum

Hon
Honour

hse
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
hic sepultus est

Hum
Humphrey

Humy
Humphrey

Hy
Henry

I

IGI
International Genealogical Index

IHS
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
iesus hominum salvator

J

Jas
James

Jno
John – not Jonathan

Jonth
Jonathon

Jos
Joseph

Josh
Joshua

JP
Justice of the Peace, a magistrate

Js
James

K

KBE
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire

See CBE, DBE, GBE, MBE and OBE

KC
Queen's Counsel

See QC

KCMG
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George

See CMG, DCMG and GCMG

L

L
The symbol £ is used for the pound, the unit of currency before decimalisation and after. The abbreviation comes from the Latin libra [a pound]

lb
Pound

LCP


Question: Does anyone know what the letters stand for?

James Stewart Ross used them in 1905

 

See MCP

ld
Lawful daughter

LlD
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
legum doctor

LNR
Local Nature Reserve

LRAM
Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music

LRCP
Licentiate, Royal College of Physicians

LRCPI
Licentiate, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

ls
Lawful son

M

MA
Master of Arts. Same as AM

Marg
Margaret

Mart
Martha

Matt
Matthew

Mattw
Matthew

MB
Bachelor of Medicine

MBC
Metropolitan Borough Council

MBE
Member of the Order of the British Empire

See CBE, DBE, GBE, KBE, MBE and OBE

MBIE
Member of the British Institute of Embalmers

See Francis Clifford Lawrence

MC
Military Cross

MCP


Question: Does anyone know what the letters stand for?

Robert Dallinger Markham used them in 1861

 

MD
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
medicinae doctor

also Managing Director

MI
Monumental inscription

MICE
Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers

MIME
Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers

MIPE
Member of the Institute of Production Engineers

See AMIPE

MOH
Medical Officer of Health

mp
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
monumentum posuit

MP
Member of Parliament

M.Ph.Sc
Master of Pharmaceutical Science

MRCS
Member of the Royal College of Surgeons

See FRCS

MS
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
memoriae sacrum

ms
Male servant

Mus.Bac
Bachelor of Music

My
Mary

N

NAT
Naturalised.

This was used in the census from 1851 to indicate that the individual was a naturalised British citizen.

See BS and F

NBI
National Burial Index

O

OBE
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

See CBE, DBE, GBE, KBE and MBE

ONS
One Name Study.

See GOONS

OPS
One Place Study.

See ONS

OTC
Officers' Training Corps aka the University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC) 

otp
of this parish, resident in this parish.

This does not imply that the individual was born in the parish, but only that he/she has lived here for (at least) the preceding 3 Sundays / 3 weeks.

See botp and otsp

otsp
of this parish, resident in this parish.

See otp

oz
ounce

oz tr
Troy ounce

P

PC
Police Constable / Privy Council

Pc
Privy Counsellor

pc
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
pone curavit

PLG
Poor Law Guardians

pm
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
piae memoriae

PME
Pleasant Monday Evening

PR
Parish Register

PRO
Public Record Office

PSA
Pleasant Sunday Afternoon

PTE
Pleasant Thursday Evening

Q

QC
Queen's Counsel.

See KC

QSA
Queen's South Africa medal. Presented for services in the Boer Wars.

See Thomas Hinchcliffe

R

RA
Royal Academy of Arts

RAMC
Royal Army Medical Corps

RASC
Royal Army Service Corps

RDC
Rural District Council

RFA
Royal Field Artillery

RGA
Royal Garrison Artillery

RIBA
Chartered Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects

See ARIBA and FRIBA

See FRIBA

ric
Received into the church

Ric
Richard

Richd
Richard

RIP
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
requiescat in pace

Robt
Robert

RRC
Royal Red Cross.

A British & Commonwealth decoration for services in military nursing

RSD
Rural sanitary district.

S

Saml
Samuel

sm
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sacrum memoriae

SoG
Society of Genealogists

sp
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sine prole

spl
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sine prole legitima

spm
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sine prole mascula

ss
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sanctae

stb
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sanctae theologiae baccalaureus

Ste
Stephen

stp
This Latin term is found in Monumental Inscriptions and is an abbreviation for
sanctae theologiae professor

T

Tam
Thomasin

TD
Territorial Decoration

Tho
Thomas

Thos
Thomas

U

U
When occurring at the beginning of a word, v was often used for the letter u in printed and handwritten document, and vice versa:
As for stealinge, that is a thing vsuall: who stealeth not? For not only you that haue besett me, but many other in many places
In Latin inscriptions, the letter V was used instead of U before the 16th century

UDC
Urban District Council

Ult
/ Ultimo.

The abbreviation is used to mean last month, as in


The meeting was held on the 21st ult. 
 

See Inst and Prox

USD
Urban sanitary district.

V

V
In mediæval times, a vagrant might be branded with the letter V

V
When occurring at the beginning of a word, v was often used for the letter u in printed and handwritten document, and vice versa:
As for stealinge, that is a thing vsuall: who stealeth not? For not only you that haue besett me, but many other in many places
In Latin inscriptions, the letter V was used instead of U before the 16th century

VAD
Voluntary Aid Detachment which provided nursing services during World War I, and World War II

VM
The Victory Medal was awarded to anyone who was serving in the Armed Forces between 5th August 1914 and 11th November 1918.

See 1914 Star

W

W. H. L.
With hard labour

Wid
Widow.

See Relict

Witn
Witness

Wm
William

X

Xian
Christian

Xpr
Christopher

XR
Χ / Ρ = the first 2 letters of the Greek name of Christ

Y

Yd
Yard




© Malcolm Bull 2017 / [email protected]
Revised 10:32 on 22nd December 2017 / mma969 / 61