What do the abbreviations in the Sasine Abridgements stand for?
The abbreviations mainly concern types of legal document being registered and commonly occurring legal terms. The Scottish Council on Archives is grateful to Andrew Jackson for permission to reproduce this list.
| assig. | assignation |
| bar. | barony |
| bond and disp | bond and disposition in security.
The commonest form of heritable security in the 19th century. It combines a personal bond by the borrower with a disposition of the lands on which the sum was secured |
| bond corrob. and disp. | bond of corroboration and disposition.
A heritable security where the bond is intended to corroborate an obligation already undertaken (for example by an ancestor of the obligator) |
| ch. | charter |
| ch. conf. | charter of confirmation
(from a feudal superior) |
| ch. conf. and novodamus | charter of confirmation and novodamus.
A charter of confirmation also containing a new grant (novodamus) or a change in the incidents of tenure of the previous grant. |
| ch. resig. | charter of resignation
(from the feudal superior) |
| ch. resig. and adjud. | charter of resignation (by a superior) on an adjudication (i.e. a judicial process to attach heritable property for debt) |
| ch resig G. S. | charter of resignation under the Great Seal |
| comp. | comprising |
| con. excamb. | contract of excambion, for the exchange of properties, for example to rationalise boundaries. |
| con. fee and liferent | conjunct fee and liferent. A joint fee in two or more persons during their lives, the survivor taking a fee of one half and a liferent of the other. |
| con. of ground annual | contract of ground annual
A form of heritable security. |
| decr. arb. | decreet arbitral.
The award of arbitrators on a point or points jointly submitted to them by parties in dispute. |
| disch. | discharge |
| disp. | disposition |
| disp. and assig. | disposition and assignation |
| disp. in impl. | disposition in implement.
A disposition granted in implement of a previous imperfect conveyance. |
| disp. of tailzie | disposition of tailzie
(i.e. constituting an entail). |
| eod. die | eodem die
(on the same day) |
| extract sp. service | extract of special service
(see ret. gen. serv.) |
| feu. ch. | feu charter |
| feu. con. | feu contract |
| feu. disp. | feu disposition.
In the 19th century the distinction between the charter and the disposition was that a charter was used to create a new feu, and a disposition to carry one forward to a new proprietor. A form of disposition was also used for the former purpose, however, and was known as a feu disposition. |
| G.R. | general register (of sasines) |
| G.S. | great seal |
| mar. con. | marriage contract |
| not. instrument. | notarial instrument
Strictly, any instrument drawn up by a notary. The document referred to as such in the late 19th century normally concerns trustees, either their assumption of the new trust, or the addition of new trustees. |
| oblig. | obligation |
| par. | parish |
| post nupt. mar. con. | post nuptial marriage contract |
| P.R. | particular register (of sasines) |
| pr. chan. | precept furth of chancery.
A deed similar in effect to a precept of clare constat q.v., used where the crown was the superior |
| pr. cl. con. | precept of clare constat.
A deed granted by the superior to the heir of a deceased vassal, reciting that it ‘clearly appears’ (clare constat) that the recipient is the lawful heir, thus enabling him to take sasine. |
| proc. resig. | procuratory of resignation.
The appointment of one or more procurators to resign property into the hands of the superior. By the 18th century this was usually a clause in a disposition rather than a separate document. |
| ratif. | ratification |
| ren. | renunciation |
| resig. ad. rem. | resignation ad remanentiam.
Resignation into the hands of the superior was either for the purpose of a regrant to a third party (resignation in favorem), or to remain in the superior’s own hands (resignation ad remanentiam). |
| ret. gen. serv. | retour of general service.
The verdict of an inquest establishing that a claimant was the heir of a deceased person. A retour of general service merely established his character as heir. A retour of special service detailed the lands in which the deceased died infeft. |
| seq. | sequestrated |
| Latin phrases | |
| eod. die | on the same day |
| loco tutoris | in place of a tutor |
| pro indiviso | undivided |
| propriis manibus | with his own hands |
| vide | see |