Glossary of old English words used in the Sussex Weald
Original	Meaning and examples
advowson	the right to appoint a priest to an ecclesiastical benefice
almshouse	charitable foundations to care for the elderly, poor, infirm and wayfarers
assert, assart	land newly cleared for tillage and cultivation
berg, borg	hill
bloomery	a forge that produced iron bars known as 'blooms'
boc	beech: Buxted - derived from boc stede or beech place
bridle-way ]	a highway over which the public have rights of way
bridle-path]	on foot and on horseback
brook	meadow abutting on a stream which is liable to flood
burh	fortified town or dwelling
carucate	a plough-land
chapel of ease	a chapel provided for the ease of those living at some distance from the parish church
chuck	block of wood
close rolls	registered copies of private letters and documents of the Royal Court of Chancery such as conveyances and writs
copyhold	copyholders held their land by right of a title entered in the Manor Court Rolls, a copy of which was given to them
curtilage	the court and outbuildings attached to a dwelling
demesne	land attached to a mansion
den or denn	woodland pasture Birchden: a den among birch trees
estovers	the right to dig turf from the wasteland of a manor
feet of fines	a formal conveyance of land
fleche or fletch	arrow - Fletching: where arrows were made
frankpledge	the responsibility of a small community to ensure that anyone accused of an offence was available to answer the charge at Court
gill, ghyll	narrow, steep-sided valley with a stream through it
glebe	piece of land serving as part of a clergyman's benefice and providing income
ham	settlement
hamm	water meadow - Blackham: a black water meadow
hammer pond	a type of mill pond associated with the production of iron
hatch	a fenced enclosure
heriot	obligation upon an heir to return property, donate the best animal or make a payment to the lord of the manor prior to being allowed to enter the inherited land
hoath	a clearing on heathland - East Hoathly: the eastern part of a clearing on heathland
hundred	a tenth century administrative division of a shore or rape: Rotherfield hundred
hurst or hyrst	wooded hill
knight's fee or service	a feudal obligation to provide military service to the Crown for forty days each year
manor	a feudal estate and, in essence, the forerunner of local government through a system of Manor Courts recorded in Court Rolls
marl	soil consisting of clay and lime, with fertilizing properties
marlpit	an open pit, the primary purpose being to obtain marl for improving the soil; often a secondary one being the extraction of the iron ore below the marl
mere	pool Maresfield Meresfield derived from-open and and pool
messuage	a dwelling house with outbuildings and land assigned to its use
peculiar	property exempted from the jurisdiction of the diocese in which it lies
perry	pear or fruit tree Perryfield: a field of fruit trees
rape	an area consisting of several Hundreds. The Sussex Rapes were Chichester, Arundel, Bramber, Lewes, Pevensey and Hastings
reredos	a decorative stone or wood screen
stede	place Horsted: the horse place
subsidy rolls	list of tax payers
tithe	a tax of one-tenth of the annual produce of land or labour formerly levied to support the clergy and the Church
tun	farmstead or manor
tye	an enclosed common or large open field Holtye - an enclosed common by a hollow
villein	an unfree tenant who held land subject to agricultural service and fines
virgate	a yardland, about 30 acres
wald	forest or woodland Andredesweald - the forest of Anderida
From the very useful website and suggested by Thai Goulton. Also of interest: The Local History Companion by Stephen Friar - Sutton Publishing Ltd 2001 and Sussex Place-Names by Judith Glover - Countryside Books 1997