The year of Christ the Savior, similar to A.D. Used when referring the reader to a passage beginning in a certain place, and continuing, e.g., "p.6 et seqq." We value your, A Genealogists Guide to Old Latin Terms & Abbreviations. Newspapers Break through Genealogy Brick Wall, Solving 100-Year Mystery, http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=159553&side=167, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZ5-3BRX?i=78. (abbreviation for geboorte-, huwelijks en overlijdensregisters) birth, marriage and death registers: geb. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. I just want to say Thank You for taking the time to put this in the public domain to help other researchers, like myself who are unfamiliar with Latin texts. Latin was once the universal academic language in Europe. The third line has Comp. as the lead word and usually lists only male names. B., Vicar Apostolic of this district was a dispensation from the impediment of the first (or second etc.) For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) . What does Berekita v. Roman mean?? Any ideas? for de facto (in reality) or de fide (article of faith.) document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Online tutorial acquainting viewers with medieval Latin scripts and abbreviations. Thank you for your question. The conventional English transcription procedure is to use both Old and New Reckonings; for example, the Old Style of 1 February 1626 would be written as 1 February 1626/7 in the New Style. <> Wm = William =Willus. Jas = James. The birth date was assumed to be October(10th month), 28, 1874. means "page 6 and the pages that follow". OBt most likely indicates a shortening of the entire word (obiit). Sort. Jos = Joseph. stream Also, in. Place names and surnames were not translated but first names were. Pastor" or less literally, "baptized by the pastor" (who probably penned the record in the church book). Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. May also refer in parish chest materials to Smoke-penny= one of the dues once payable at Eastertime to the incumbent of a parish by his parishioners, in this case from the occupier of a house with a fireplace. Miss. <> "In the name of the Lord, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen", "in a letter" or other documented correspondence. When quoting a female author, use the corresponding feminine form. N.N. As the new system is readily found in use prior to the formal introduction, great care should be taken when transcribing documents of the pre-1752 period between 1 January and 24 March. debate cases in English, but all written records had continued to be in Latin. Proavus means great grandfather and proava means great grandmother. Without seeing your Slovak example, I would suspect P.L. The abbreviation conjug- legitt-can also easily betranscribed as conjugum legitimorum, meaning lawfully married, if one has previously seen this term written out in full. Catholic Encyclopedia. (LogOut/ used as example, "Name, o.c., date, volume, page" - I can only guess it means obtained conversion, but would like to know for sure. The second part is a typical abbreviaton for natus, indicating that the birth was in Denby. BVM = Blessed Virgin Mary. There are links to materials focusing on texts in different languages including Latin. . <> "ber" = sometimes added to a number to indicate a month of the year. 12 0 obj nat. mean? The writing is hard to read, the records are not standardized, and, most importantly, it is in Latin. The use of conventional phrases and abbreviations continues today. sep.= sepuliebatur or sepultus(-a) erat; was buried, par.=parochie; of the parish ofq. the scribes often included titles and postnomials while describing the people named in the documents and often abbreviated those titles and postnomials. CW possibly relates to a man who was widowed and changed his address with the parish in that year. The first was from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar. Hi. Its not quite as bad as you might imagine because in many cases the priest was just using a standard formula and filling in the blanks. Copyright 2006- 2023 by Stephen J. Danko, How the Carnival of Genealogy Makes the World a Better Place in which to Live, Beyond Amo, Amas, Amat: Latin for Genealogists | SpittalStreet.com, Administrative Structure of the Kolno Powiat, Administrative Structure of the Szczuczyn Powiat, The Immigration Passenger Manifest for the Family of Antoni Wseborowski 1903, The Hamburg Departure List Entry for the Family of Antoni Wseborowski 1903, The Birth and Baptismal Record for Jan Wszeborowski 1897, The Marriage Record for Antoni Wszeborowski and Magorzata ne Podeszwa Skowroska 1892, The Birth and Baptismal Record for Maryanna Skowroska 1835, The Birth and Baptismal Record for Anna Skowroska 1837. thepriests or scribes who wrote the documentsused Medieval Latin, not the Classical Latin usually taught in schools. Handwritten in church book, 1831. place and date of burial The mark at the end of this word looks a bit like a 'y', or the letter 4 on a calculator screen. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. See our separate guide to Latin terms for examples of this. Common Latin abbreviations abbreviation Latin translation usage and notes A.D. anno Domini "in the year of the Lord" Used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars.The A.D. or the Christian calendar era is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus of Nazareth, with A.D. counting years after the start of this epoch, and B.C. Irish Catholic parish register entries were recorded in either English or Latin. 1714. filius and filia are 'son' and 'daughter' respectively, but occasionally are written with the ff at the . For shorthand marks in Latin inscription and manuscripts, see, List of less common abbreviations and usages, Glossary of scientific naming Latin abbreviations, List of abbreviations used in medical prescriptions, "United States Government Printing Office Style Manual, Chapter 9: Abbreviations and Letter Symbols", "COMMONEST ABBREVIATIONS, SIGNS, ETC. Typically used when the person's dates of birth and death are unknown. }~eXV2B7F(b `-; _a uU%7Q@| ThoughtCo. endobj As a result, always verify death dates with official documents and even tombstones. It is not to be confused with the similar, Used as a placeholder for unknown names in, i.a., the. anon. Hi, Thank you for your message. Rector Miss. That seems to make NO sense, as the mother is always known and it is the father of a child born out of wedlock who could either run away/deny fathering the baby, or else acknowledge it as his bastard. Ive been searching the Web for 30 mins, but no satisfaction. Merovingian, Lombard, and Anglo-Saxon scripts offer each their own abbreviations, not to speak of the unique scotica manus or libri scottice scripti (Irish hand, or books written in the medieval Irish hand). Religion, Baptist, . 15 0 obj stands for prole legitima, or a legitimate child. Time, . A part of the monarch's title. In a few cases, English referents have replaced the original Latin ones (e.g., "rest in peace" for RIP and "postscript" for PS). Baptismal records should have been kept since the Trente council of 1545-1563, but for most areas they only survive since the early to mid 1600s. Hello, Looking at Irish Roman Catholic Baptism records, across the top of the page it says Mense Junii AD 1849 Die veis(reis?)(vus?) (Dates in Latin--see next section.) [avi] Parochus, or "I baptised. These administrative records are the non-sacramental records, and they include fraternal order books, church censuses, account books, and local history documents. ^s4b~/$TlepxR %)WGQ\O([G/cJ3[*(TJ*e%+Z|3UU| \u=)UM";C 4s=Q`DY=jbISqt5|1H9 Crt{XeX(1E($8I5bN[.,[! This late 16th-century example is of the words 'A declaracion': -rum. Please go to the beginning and end of the record set to see if abbreviations have been defined. Notice in this example, Mrs. Ann Parrott is referred to as the consort of Mr. James Parrott. Used to indicate additions to a text after the signature of a letter. ", "&e.", "&ct.", and "&ca.". This tutorial will introduce you to those formats, focusing on the specific information contained in each entry andwhere within the entrythat information can usually be found. (abbreviation) Anonymous. Know that male names often end in - us or - ius, while female names end in - a. Also included are lists of the months of the year, days of the week, and abbreviations. In addition to records of the sacraments performed in the parish, administrativerecords of parish activities exist. Today, we'll be discussing abbreviations and symbols used in Latin and German records. Ultimo (often abbreviated "ult."): Ultimo or Ultimo Mense is a Latin . One possibility is that the t is a cross. A postgraduate academic master degree awarded by universities in many countries. 13 0 obj The means of abbreviation were usually full points or dots (mostly in Roman antiquity), the semicolon (eventually conventionalized), lines (horizontal, perpendicular, oblong, wavy curves, and commas). For example, in taxonomy ", Used in abbreviations in "S.S.Theol.Doct." The LDS Church as filmed about 33% of the Irish Catholic sacramental registers, and these are accessible in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City or at an LDS Family History Center near your home. Hy = Henry. "If you are well, it is good. Among other people, or among other legal entities. In some churches, children were baptized the . = obit; dieds.p. Sancto Maria in oppido WiganI Charles Middlehurst ? Denby is a community near Penistone, but what does trem. Missus ., it looks as though both words are abbreviations but it doesn't seem too important at this point. Jak, orse means otherwise, so referring to her maiden name. <> I don't know what they mean. Required fields are marked *. endobj B16 = Pope Benedict XVI. Abbreviations used in apostolic rescripts, Abbreviations in general use, chiefly ecclesiastical, Abbreviations of titles of the principal religious orders and congregations of priests, Last edited on 12 November 2022, at 07:26, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_ecclesiastical_abbreviations&oldid=1121431020, This page was last edited on 12 November 2022, at 07:26. legitimized through subsequent marriage . Usually at the end of mathematical proofs. As if deciphering old records that were written, you suspect, with watered down ink and a nib that had seen better days was not hard enough, you often have the added complexity of them being written in Latin. = colored, kno. Its a good idea to look through the whole register if it is a printed register then it might contain an example of the format that the priest was supposed to use, which can be a help when deciphering badly written words. Among the Romans, this was a traditional salutation at the beginning of a letter. for sine prole which indicates that someone died without issue. Latin was used in legal and church records in the past. Moving beyond acronyms, abbreviations, and contractions, the Polish Roots website has tips for translating Latin documents, and includes the Latin words to describe various classes of nobles and peasants, along with their Polish equivalents. I think these are all classifying the parents' religion (s), but cannot find anything explaining them. Can you help me understand the reference to a bear (?) Posted by Lawrence Gregory in Church Records. Hello, I frequently see obt before death dates on Victorian mourning jewelry. More articles about old terms found in historical newspapers: Found in History & Antiquities of Leicestershire by Nichols. Used before a chapter number of laws of the, A document containing a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. Often used in medical contexts. Baptist Training Union. The programs of PAF (by the LDS), ancestors (Evertons), Family tree, Legacy 7.5 are the standard's of Genealogical data entry - their abbreviations are the . Here is a list of frequently used abbreviationsto understand them better, acquaint yourself with some of the more common terms, such as decessit and obdormio, which mean died or fell asleep, legitima (legitimate), sine (without), matris and patris (mother and father), and prole (issue or offspring). <> The full Latin titles of all existing (Latin) dioceses may be seen in the Roman annual, "Gerarchia Cattolica", a complete list of the Latin names of all known dioceses (extant or extinct) is found in the large folio work of the Comte de Mas Latrie, "Trsor de chronologie, d'histoire et de gographie" (Paris, 1884). Because of this universal need for baptism, these records will include the majority of the people living in the parish, regardless of their social or economic status. Without seeing the original, I wonder if it is calling her the good mother. If you solve the mystery, please let me know. I'm looking at Dutch Reformed Church records in Churchtown, NY. Thank you for this interesting question. Suggest. Your email address will not be published. What is the cause of death Pytorie? 5 Million More Newspaper Articles Recently Added! . ThoughtCo, Sep. 2, 2021, thoughtco.com/latin-genealogical-word-list-1422735. 6 0 obj Example: "see page 258, The abbreviation is used in citations. (abbreviation for geboren) born: geb.dat. witness . "Latin Genealogical Terms." Some people use "Note" for the same purpose. con." Beginner's Latin. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Herbermann, Charles, ed. Without seeing the original, its hard to provide a precise answer, but I believe it may indicate in Latin something similar to mother in good standing in the church. However, with some exceptions (for example, versus or modus operandi), most of the Latin referent words and phrases are perceived as foreign to English. adelig - nobel. Meaning Abbreviated Abbreviations Common. or MA equates with Missioner Apostolic priest responsible for the mission. Thanks for clearing up that little mystery for me. The same Latin word may be found with multiple endings, depending on the way the word is used in the sentence. young man legitimatus per subsequius matrimonius . Genealogy 101: Who Is My First Cousin Once Removed? Vowel-sounds were frequently written not after, but over, the consonants. <> Means in the same article, book or other reference work as was mentioned before. 10 0 obj My apologies for such a long delay. A. aar (r)- year. This death occurred 2 mo postpartum in a 37-year-old woman. Cindy Brooman says: . We can see the names of the bride and groom, their parents and where they were from, the names of the witnesses and where they were from. A part of the monarch's title, it is found on all British and Canadian coins. A list of those used in Roman Republican and early Imperial times may be seen in James Chidester Egbert, Jr.'s Latin Inscriptions (New York City, 1896), 417459. Used in several related senses such as "in the sense of" or "in accordance with". A guide for family historians using church registers before 1733 when Latin is the official language, identifying key words and phrases to help you make sense of the records. Can you tell me what orse stands for? 3 0 obj The ecclesiastical words most commonly abbreviated at all times are proper names, titles (official or customary), of persons or corporations, and words of frequent occurrence.A list of those used in Roman Republican and early Imperial times may be seen in James Chidester Egbert, Jr.'s Latin Inscriptions (New York City, 1896), 417-459. Most popular Latin abbreviations updated in February 2023. Since the Council of Trent (1545-1563), Catholic parish priests have been required to keep record of certainsacraments in bound register books. degree of consanguinity (or affinity or any other impediment), A further example was added to say that when a dispensation was granted by virtue of their missionary faculties the priest was to insert data per me dispensatione ab impedimento given by me a dispensation from the impediment of, In the Blog on 13 Aug, you discussed a marriage register entry from 1846, being unsure of the meaning of the Latin A me Misso Apco. Census - census. Mary. Extra! Links to additional online content are included when available. 106 views. Kimberly Powell is a professional genealogist and the author of The Everything Guide to Online Genealogy. 3. the scribes who recorded the documents were not always fluent in Latin,and they sometimes misspelled wordsand made grammatical errors. St Mary in the town of Wigan, Jacobum Hall filium Georgii et Marie Hall de Staley Bridge et Annam Heaney filiam Nicolai et Judith Heaney de WiganJames Hall, son of George and Mary Hall of Staley Bridge, and Anne, daughter of Nicholas Heaney and Judith Heaney of Wigan, interrogavi, eorumque mutuo consensus habito, solemniter per verba de praesenti matrimonio conjunxiI asked, and having their mutual consent, solemnly united by words of marriage. <> I remember a particularly tense parent-teacher conference when I was a girl, during which the teacher implied that I wasnt well-suited for the subject. 14 0 obj But, many other documents, court records in particular, include an abundance of abbreviations that may be a mystery to the casual reader of Latin documents, especially when one's Latin vocabulary is limited. Words and abbreviations that have been in general use but are currently used less often. "Ecclesiastical Abbreviations". Short intro followed by lists of abbreviations for Latin terms found in church records. Examples: CCLC, LC, CNC or CWC. Every day, GenealogyBank is working hard to digitize more U.S. newspapers and obituaries, expanding our, Louise A., of Longview, Washington, had a mystery on her hands. Latin was used in legal and church records in the past. praesentibus notis testibus Henrico Baron et Catherine Baron qui uterque habitat Wiganthe presence of witnessesHenry Baronand Catherine Baron, who both live in Wigan. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth before the partitions in the last decades of the 18th century, church and courtdocuments were frequently recorded in Latin and, in the Austrian Partition, the records were usuallywritten in Latin even after the partitions. The abbreviations N. and Nblius seemed to me to be an abbreviation for Nobilis, meaning Noble, but the abbreviations G. and Gnosis had me stumped until I learned that these abbreviations stood for Generosis, again meaning Noble, albiet a Noble of higher status than one with only the title Nobilis. Change). List of Common Phrases used in Parish Records. <> g8qD06*hMU+yA@4#N{fFt(F28n) ^M)2 )G,r% +~%6xm+4b7j; oj{7vy{@ <>/Font<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 720 540] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> The second line begins with Comm. as the lead word and lists female name (i.e., a mans wife named ____). Coad, You will see that the priest is expected to indicate his rank. "in a relaxed, generous (or 'ample') sense", "it is permitted to know", "one may know", "to wit", "if there is need", "if occasion require", "if necessary". Sometimes notices are copied from newspaper to newspaper, and if a notice was republished more than 30 days from its first publication, the interpretation would be incorrect. London . Sometimes extended to comical length with, Often used to prefix the subject of traditional. They do not tell us where an event took place, unless it is specifically stated. Therefore, Latin will be found used in the earlier records of most European countries, as well as in Roman Catholic records around the world. Jos = JosephGeo = George Widows and Widowers: Consort and Relict. The meaning is distinct from "unanimously"; "nem. Translation: Honest young man Nicolaus Jochim son of deceased Friedrich Adam Jochim mayor of this town and Anna Barbara deceased his second legitimate wife with chaste virgin Maria Eva Gade daughter of George Gade, alderman and innkeeper (adursum??) See if there is a corresponding or follow-up document to verify information (such as in a probate file). Certain letters, like p and q, that occur with extreme. For instance, 7br refers to Septem or month number 7 occurring during the . Hi, Im seeing this word in a number of Hungarian documents and Im sure its very simple but I cannot translate it and understand how it is being used in the context of some records. The entry concludes trem. Earlier in my blog, there is a reference for spl (sine prole legitima). A dedicated genealogist, she, You can unsubscribe at any time. Legal documentation may include abbreviations regarding the status of a decedent. March Addition: GenealogyBank Just Added New Content from 46 Titles! New York: Robert Appleton Company. lists Christian names; lists titles of columns in registers; . There's also helpful background on Irish . I recommend you look for other records (written by the same recorder on nearby pages to see if there is something similar that might give clarity to the old script. I see that you wrote me some time ago. ", "viz." This page has been viewed 61,888 times (0 via redirect). Slightly odd wording but it is clear what is being said. In many countries throughout the world, Catholic parish records were written in Latin even into the 20th century. View at http://ao.salldata.dk/vis1.php?bsid=159553&side=167. 7 0 obj I dont have a firm answer about the abbreviation f.p. Latin, Hungarian and Slovak translations to English of church records for baptism, marriage, and death records. The first line of a baptism entry lists the parents and the name of the child. Looking through Ukrainian church records from 1839. endobj Cert is in relation to a man who is intending to . Therefore January, February and most of March were the last months of the year. Refer to the FamilySearch Wiki on the subject: Look . A very useful work for all Latin abbreviations is that of CAPELLI, Dizionario delle abbreviature latine ed italiane . [The original link is broken. Comm: Giertrud Nielsdatter and Berthe Pedersdatter from Grenn. (pudica virgine) Maria Eva Gade Joes Georgii Gade Scabini et hospitis ad ursum et Barbarae ejus uxorii legitimus. Meaning Abbreviated Abbreviations Common. So now, Id like to share some tips for understanding old Latin terms you may encounter in your own genealogy research. https://www.thoughtco.com/latin-genealogical-word-list-1422735 (accessed March 5, 2023). Unfamiliar handwriting and language can make German church records intimidating, but you can interpret them with practice and a few resources. Used to indicate additions after a postscript. Foot Shape Ancestry: What Your Toes Can Tell You, 1960s Facts: Fun, Interesting & Historical USA Trivia, Knowing Your Ancestors Professions Can Yield New Insights into Colonial Life, Researching Your Pilgrim Ancestry from Mayflower Ship Passengers, 1950s Fun Facts: Pop Culture & Historical USA Trivia. In "Xmas" the second letter has been dropped. For instance, one of the records (translated) reads thus: Niels Pedersen and Dorethe Thomasdatter of Albge _?_ (a child) in the church called Thomas. Thanks. Before 1752, the year officially began on 25 March. The singular form is never. Geo = George. To convert dates between 1 January and 24 March to modern dating, add one year onto the year given in the parish . However, I must give a word of cautionmeanings and interpretations change over time. Here are some abbreviations you may find in genealogy records. <> Anno pdo. What is the P.L. in the column Per Quem Copulati? Medieval manuscripts abound in abbreviations, owing in part to the abandonment of the uncial, or quasi-uncial, and the almost universal use of the cursive, hand. After the deceaseds name is post-pdf. Any idea what this means? D&period;C&period; Decreto Conscriptorum. The endings of Latin words can also vary depending on the grammatical usage of the words, with specific endings used to indicate a word used as the subject of the sentence, as a possessive, as the object of a verb, or used with a preposition. Common genealogy terms, including record types, events, dates, and relationships are listed here, along with Latin words with similar meanings (i.e., words commonly used to indicate marriage, including marry, marriage, wedding, wedlock and unite). Contractions in early Latin miniscule mss. I know he was a probate judge, but am not sure if the abbreviation means that or not. Also includes a list of Latin and Hungarian terms for occupations and causes of death. Example: "These results agree with the ones published by Pelon, "and the others", "and other things", "and the rest", Other archaic abbreviations include "&c.", "&/c. My mother, who was then at the height of her passion for genealogy, disagreedand so I continued studying Latin, under extreme duress. Notice in the following obituary, the death date is reported as the 29th ultimo. Since the obit was published on 5 October 1838, this is saying Elizabeth Grady died 29 September 1838. <> Need assistance? <> 8 0 obj 20+ Church acronyms and abbreviations related to Latin: Latin. That means its not an f at all but a long lower-case s, which means exactly the same as the ordinary short lower-case s were all used to. Throughout history, terms come and terms goand thankfully for most people, archaic expressions disappear. By Rick Crume Premium. absolvere - to give absolution. Sue, Thank you for commenting. The Catholic records on Findmypast include baptisms, marriages, burials and congregational records such as confirmations. This is SO helpful! absolusjon - absolution (religious) absolutio (latin) - to confess ones sins. Although the specific requirements for keeping parish registers have changed from time to time, the formats of baptisms,marriage and death/burial entries have stayed basically the same. endobj Rici=of Richard. "Guilel" is an abbreviation of Gulielmus, Latin for William. i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, vii, viii, ix, x = 1 to 10xx, xxx = 20 & 30i or j = primo; on the first, dom.=dominus (-a); lord or sir (lady or dame), fil.pop= filius(-a) populi or filius (a) vulgi; bastard son or daughter of a harlot, in com.=in comitatu; in the county (of)libre = book, ob. OB is an indication of the Latin word obiit (death) and if it is followed by a date, that would be the date of death of a loved one. Since the keeping of records as part of the civil registration systems did not start until the 19th century, parish . The stone had a cross that was engraved with the initials: CSMA, which were in the cross and set forth thus (the A was in the middle of the cross): Can you tell me what the CSMA stands for?