Abbreviations
The editor writes:
Common abbreviations
These are intended to save on writing & typing, and on space
– but they are not mandatory and are not used on every
occasion. Hopefully, the abbreviations are mostly
self-evident and so can be read easily without impairing
readability & hopefully without a more elaborate
thesaurus.
Addresses
Street names are usually abbreviated as North Pde, Norfolk
Bldgs, Parsonage La, Queen Sq etc, with Psg for
“Passage.” Modern spellings are used.
Personal forenames
The following are found in abstracts & are used as such, or
may be expanded in editing -
Alex (for Alexander), Chas, Eliz, Geo, Jas (for James), Jno (for
John or perhaps Jonathan), Jos (Joseph or possibly Josiah),
Rbt (for Robert), Sam (for Samuel), Thos & Wm, & many
more.
Original spellings are used, with an initial capital
letter.
Property
We mostly use enq for enquiries, rather than partcrs for
particulars.
Currency
We use £ s d for pounds (l), shilling/s
(s) & pence (d)
In Georgian times the suffix l was used, not the £
symbol.
Guin for guinea/s or 21s. The guinea was the standard gold
coin until 1817, when it was replaced by the gold sovereign or
£.
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|
Armed services & Church |
|
pte |
private |
|
capt |
captain |
|
corp |
corporal |
|
lieut |
lieutenant |
|
maj |
major |
|
gen |
general |
|
adm |
admiral |
|
Civil status, titles etc |
|
Hon |
Honourable |
| Mr |
|
|
Mrs |
|
|
M |
Monsieur |
|
Mme/s |
Madame/Mesdames |
|
bart |
baronet (suffix) |
|
esq |
esquire (suffix) |
|
bach |
bachelor |
|
spnst |
spinster |
|
decd |
deceased |
|
kt |
knight |
|
MP |
Member of Parliament |
|
J(P) |
justices (of/for the peace) |
|
Organisations, establishments &
buildings |
|
regt |
regiment |
|
univ |
university |
|
govt |
government |
|
Counties |
|
Cambs |
Cambridgeshire |
|
Somrst |
Somerset |
|
Wilts |
Wiltshire |
|
Gloucs |
Gloucestershire |
|
Time |
|
yr, hr, min & sec |
|
Days of week |
|
Usually abbreviated as Mon, Tue, Wed etc. Upper case for
1st letter. |
|
Month |
|
Usually abbreviated as Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr etc. Upper case
for 1st letter.
Where the expression inst. is used originally, it is replaced
with the relevant month. |
|
Weights & measures etc. |
|
dwt |
pennyweight (Troy) |
|
dr |
dram (avoirdupois) |
|
oz |
ounce (=16 dr) |
|
lb |
pound |
|
st |
stone |
|
qtr |
quarter |
|
cwt |
hundredweight |
|
in. |
inch/es |
|
ft |
foot/feet |
|
yd |
yard |
|
furl |
furlong |
|
m |
mile/s |
|
bshl |
bushel (usually =8 gallons) |
|
hghd/s |
hogshead/s |
|
doz |
dozen |
|
fl. oz |
fluid ounce |
|
qrt |
quart |
|
gal |
gallon (=4 quarts 160 fl.oz) |
|
acr |
acre/s (=4,840 sq.yd) |
|
Editing |
|
[NOTP] |
no other titled people] |
|
[NFD] |
no further detail/s |
|
[NFI] |
no further information |
|
Miscellaneous |
|
a/c |
account/s |
|
advt |
advertisement |
|
adj |
adjacent or adjoining |
|
agric |
agricultural |
|
approx |
approximate/ly |
|
arith |
arithmatic |
|
bk |
book |
|
Bldgs |
Buildings |
|
c |
(circa) about |
|
cert |
certificate/s |
|
cnr |
corner |
|
co |
company |
|
contd |
continued |
|
Corprn |
Corporation |
|
DL |
Deputy Lieut. |
|
dtr |
daughter |
|
eldr |
elder |
|
enq |
enquiries |
|
esp |
especially |
|
et seq |
& following (days) |
|
etc or &c |
& others (et cetera) |
|
f/hold |
freehold |
|
G.R. |
ground rent |
|
inc |
including |
|
info |
information |
|
illus |
illustrated (of books etc) |
|
jnr |
junior |
|
l/hold |
leasehold |
| Lond |
London |
|
messg, mssg or messuage |
messuage |
|
mfr/s |
manufacturer/s |
|
nr |
near |
|
N, S, E, W |
compass points - North etc |
|
o’c |
o’clock |
|
occup |
occupant (of property) |
|
opp |
opposite |
|
p.a |
per annum/yearly |
|
partcrs |
particulars |
|
possn |
possession (of property) |
|
pubd |
published (for “Publications”) |
|
sic |
thus |
|
snr |
senior |
|
soc |
society |
|
Tnmnt |
tenement" |
Dr Donald Straughan, 2005
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