Vulgar words in Our Legal Heritage : 600-1776 King Aethelbert - King George III (Page 1)

This book at a glance

bastard x 10
frig x 1
sleazy x 1
whore x 3
            

Page 1

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,125   ~   ~   ~

It contained sleazy docks, prisons, gaming houses, and brothels.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 1,317   ~   ~   ~

The days of the week were Sun day, Moon day, Tiw's day (Viking god of war), Woden's day (Viking god of victory, master magician, calmer of storms, and raiser of the dead), Thor's day (Viking god of thunder), Frig's day (Viking goddess of fertility and growing things), and Saturn's day (Roman god).

~   ~   ~   Sentence 2,612   ~   ~   ~

On the southern bank of the Thames River was growing the disorderly suburb of Southwark, with fishermen's and boatmens' hovels, and taverns and brothels that were frequented by drunkards, rakes, and whores.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 3,170   ~   ~   ~

Bastards were not heirs, even if their father married their mother after birth.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,374   ~   ~   ~

Still in existence is the old self-help law of hamsocne, the thief hand-habbende, the thief back-berend, the old summary procedure where the thief is caught in the act, AEthelstan's laws, Edward the Confessor's laws, and Kent's childwyte [fine for begetting a bastard on a lord's female bond slave].

~   ~   ~   Sentence 4,403   ~   ~   ~

The ecclesiastical courts deemed marriage to legitimize bastard children whose parents married, so they inherited personal property and money of their parents.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 6,857   ~   ~   ~

A child born before espousals is a bastard and may not inherit, even if his father is the husband.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 8,906   ~   ~   ~

The mother and reputed father of any bastard who has been left to be kept at the parish where born must pay weekly for the upkeep and relief of such child, so that the true aged and disabled of the parish get their relief and to punish the lewd life.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 9,867   ~   ~   ~

The constable and churchwardens together collected money for the parish, looked after the needy, and kept in close touch with the overseers of the poor, who cared for the sick and old, found work for the idle, took charge of bastards, apprenticed orphan children, and provided supplies for the workhouse.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 9,943   ~   ~   ~

Lewd women, having bastards, chargeable to the parish, shall be committed to the house of correction to be punished and set to work for one year.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 9,959   ~   ~   ~

Mothers concealing the death of a bastard baby shall suffer as for murder, unless one witness proves the child was born dead.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 11,528   ~   ~   ~

Churchwardens could seize the goods and chattels of putative fathers and mothers deserting bastard children.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 12,346   ~   ~   ~

One such ballad goes: "Through all the employments of life Each neighbor abuses his brother; Whore and Rogue they call Husband and Wife; All professions be-rogue one another.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 12,348   ~   ~   ~

Another is: "A Fox may steal your hens, sir, A Whore your health and pence, sir, Your daughter rob your chest, sir, Your wife may steal your rest, sir, A thief your goods and plate.

~   ~   ~   Sentence 14,588   ~   ~   ~

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stone; Stonehenge; straw; streets; subtenants; successor; sue; suit; summary; summon; Sunday; Supporters of the Bill of Rights Society; surety; surgery; surname; swearing; swords; tale; tallage; tanner; tavern; tax; tea; team; Ten Commandments; tenancies; tenancy, tenant; tenants in common; tenement; tenure; term; testament; Thames, River; theft; thegn; Theodore; theology; theow; thermometer; Thirty Years' War; tile; tiler; tin; title; tolls; tories; tort; torture; tournament; Tower Hill; Tower of London; town; town-reeve; trades, tradesmen; transportation; treason, high and petit; treasure trove; treasury; trespass; trespass on the case; trial by combat (battle); trover; turnpike; twelve; tyne; umbrella, Unitarians; university; usury; use-trust; vagrants, vagrancy; vassal; verderer; verdict; vessels; vikings; vill; villages; villeinage; villeins; vintner; Virginia; wall; Wallis, John; War of the Roses; ward, wardship; wardmoot; wardrobe; warrantor, warranty; waste; water; watermen; watermill; waterwheel; Watt, James; wealthy; weapon; weaving, weavers; webs; wed; wedding; weights; weir; well; wer, wergeld; Wesley, John; Westminster; whigs; whipping; White Tower; Whitsuntide; widows; wife; wife-beating; wills; Winchester; wind mills; window tax; wine; witch; witchcraft; wite; witen; witenagemot; witnesses; wives; Wolsey, Thomas; Wyclif, John; woman-covert; women; wool; wounding; writs; writs of assistance; writs of error; Year Books; yeomanry, yeomen ***

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