family Before the seventeenth century the term included not only relatives but also other members of a household, including, servants, apprentices and others.
Family Bible A bible, often very large with a family's birth, marriage, death, christening, and burial details written on blank or specially designed pages..
Family Group Record Form used by family historians to record names, dates and places of birth, marriage, death, burial, and source information about a single family.
Family History Library Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA the largest family history and genealogy library in the world; also called the LDS Family History Library; official name: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Family History Library. Over 1,000 branches (called Centres) of the Family History Library have been established world wide.
farthing land A quarter of of a yardland, or approximately 30 acres.
father-in-law The father of a spouse.
family tradition Tales, stories, anecdotes, or memories passed from one generation to another.
fee simple An inheritance having no limitations or conditions in its use.
fee tail An inheritance having limitations regarding the heir
feme Female, woman, or wife.
Feme sole An unmarried woman or a married woman with property independent of her husband.
feoffment A mode of transferring a freehold estate from one person to another.
feudal levy A requirement for tenants-in-chief to recruit troops for the king.
FFHS Federation of Family History Societies
FHC Family History Centre (See: Family History Library ).
FHG Fellow of the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies.
FHLC Family History Library Catalogue.
FHS Family History Society.
folio A leaf section of a book or manuscript (especially a ledger); in probate records, the folio number may not be a page number, as a folio usually consists of several pages.
foreigner A person who was not a freeman of a city or borough in England.
fother An odd-shaped parcel of land in an open arable field.
foundlings A term usually applied to infants who were left on the steps or at the entry of a church where they were certain to be found.
freehold A tenure of real property, such as land, held by right of inheritance, purchase, or gift, etc., usually implying the absolute ownership of the land, subject only to fee simple of allegiance to the Crown. Land held in Fee Simple or Fee Tail by a knight in service or socage.
Freeholders' List A list of people within a rural vestry or urban corporation who were eligible for jury duty; also called a Jurors' List.
Friend A member of the Religious Society of Friends; a Quaker.
F.S.A. Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
F.S.G. Fellow of the Society of Genealogists.
furlong One-eighth of a mile, 220 yards. A parcel of land formed by parallel strips which are 220 yards long.
FWK Framework knitter.