Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 5.djvu/430

 318 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, (4.) Stag-, a colt or young horse from one to three years okl, in the dialect of the north. The author of the Craven Dialect would derive it from Belg. Stegen, to mount, ^M. a colt fit for riding. See Brockett and (Jamieson,) v. Staig. The word occurs in the Durham Inventories, published by the Surtees Society, vol. i. pp. 242, 245, &c. (5.) The terra spiuk, which signifies a chaffinch in some local dialects, has not been noticed by north country glossarists, nor by Mr. Halliwell, in the sense here implied. It probably means spotted, as spinked is explained in the "Craven Dialect." Spiiikie, in the Scottish dialect, signifies slender. (Jamieson.) In ano- ther north country will, published by the Surtees Society, a " takked cow" is mentioned, the same probably as spynke, above. (6.) A mash-vat, a large vessel used in brewing. To mask, in the north, signifies to infuse, as — mask the tea. (Brockett.) " To maske, ceryif/are." (Catholicon ma- lerna lingua, MS. dated 1483.) The terms mashin fat, mashfatt, mashin tub, are of frequent occurrence in the Wills and Inventories published by the Surtees Society. The complete brewing apparatus in a small family in the north, at the time when the testator lived, appear to have been " a brew-lead, a mashin fat, one gile fatt and a woort tub," valued at 18s. (7.) An oxgange or oxgate, bovatus terre, commonly signified so much land as might be ploughed by one oxe in a day ; jugum denoted the extent which might be ploughed by a yoke of oxen. The quantity of the oxgange differed according to custom, it has been rated by some writers at thirteen acres. See Spelman. Here, however, the term denotes as much corn as grew on an oxgange, according to Yorkshire measure. This mode of expression was not singular in the north. Margaret Burdon, widow of a wealthy farmer of Elton in the county of Durham, beciueathed, in 15(35, to her son, " halfe a oxe gand of hard wayre corine, grow- ing nowe of the ground winter and ware corne." To another person she left 'halfe a oxe gand of hard corne (wheat or maslin sown before winter) and of wayre corne (barley or oats) now of the ground." Dated, Jan. 10. She also speaks, more correctly, of the hard corn and " wayre corn of one oxgand of land," and makes distribution of land she held, by " oxgands," during the remainder of her lease. — Wills and Inventories, Surtees Society, vol. i. p. 239. (8.) A gymmer, in the north, is a ewe sheep from the first to the second shearing, according to Brockett : a hog is a sheep from a lamb to its first shearing, after which it is a dinraont, if a wedder, and a gimme r, if a ewe. See Craven Dialect, Jamieson, &c. Su Goth, gimraer, ovicula que primum enititur. Gelt-gimmer, a barren ewe. Gemer lamb, gymmer's hoggs, &c., are frequently named in the Durham Inventories published by the Surtees Society, vol. i. pp. 229, 239, 318. (9.) The expression " farmehold," which occurs in both the wills given above, does not appear to have been noticed by glossarists, Ralph Claxton, a Durham yeoman, gives, in 1567, to his wife the lease of his " farmhold" during her life, but if she remarried, he willed that his son should have "• the said lease and fermhold during all my yeres to come." He willed also that his sou should have the lease of his fermhold after his widow's death. Wills and Invent., vol. i. p. 275. Farm, properly signifying the land let out for rent, as also rent itself ; Jiriiia, this term denotes land held by such payment. (10.), Sheep hogs, already explained to be sheep in the state from a lamb to the first shearing, sheep one year old, in Scotland harvest hogs. The term is com- monly used in the north, in the southern and eastern counties they are more com- monly called hoggrels. Porkers were distinguished as " swine hogges," as still in the north they speak of hog-pigs.