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cobbler - a shoemaker

Coc kney - a slightly contemptous name for a townsman, or one born in London

cod - an English term, contemptous, for fool; codger

cod. - abbreviation for codicil

codicil - a supplement or an addition to a will that may modify or explain the terms of the will, or add to or subtract, qualify, revoke, or restrain provisions.  It has the same authority as a will, and supercedes provisions in the will

co-executor - one who acts in conjunction with another in the execution of a will

coffeehouse - a restaurant where coffee and other refreshments are served, and at which many meet for exchange of political views and to transact business

cohabitation - living together as husband and wife

coke - charcoal

cold plague - a form of influenza that killed many persons, in which the body suffered extreme chills

colic - severe griping pains in a stomach caused by affection of the bowels or other organs; gaseous

collateral - anything given in value to support as security a loan other obligation

collateral ancestor - of the same general ancestry but in direct line of decent

collier - a coal miner; a ship of which coal is the principal cargo

colony - a settlement or body of settlers in a new country, or a new part of the country, usually connected with the parent country or state politically or religiously

colors - the flags or emblems denoting allegiance to a country, group, or military organization

combine - farm machinery used to harvest grain, particularly wheat, in which the wheat is threshed and cleaned

combining - the straightening of wool or cotton fibre preparatory to weaving

comforter - a long woolen scarf worn about the neck; a quilted bedcover

commissary - a supply store, stocking goods of various nature, including food, for the benefit of certain group, i.e., military, coal miners, railroad employees

commissioner - one appointed by a court or commission to carry out some specific duties

Commissioners Books - record books of a commission usually appointed by a court for specific duties.  Many deed records are to be found in books of County Commissioners, which, in general, oversee the affairs of the county, particularly road maintenance

Committee of Correspondence - committees of private citizens formed just prior to the Revolutionary war to consult with each other and to prepare to take prompt action against the British when an if necessary

Committee of Safety - see Committee of Correspondence

common ancestor - the one person from whom you and certain other relatives are descended

common laborer - usually denoting a person of no particular skill or craft and engaged in manual labor

common law - laws deriving from the custom, practice and usage; unwritten, based upon judicial decisions, legislative decisions without statutes, and personal custom

common law marriage - the relationship between a man and woman living together as man and wife but without a marriage ceremony

common law wife - a woman who lives with a man, as man and wife, but without a marriage ceremony

common pleas - civil actions at law brought by one person against another

commoner - one not related to royalty

commons - an area much like a public park, to be used by all persons in the community; in colonial times, also a pasture on which the cattle of all was permitted to graze

commonwealth - a republic; a form of government in which the people as a whole have a voice or interest; Kentucky is known as a commonwealth rather than a state

commotion - physical disturbance, more or less violent; also, a concussion

community property - property owned in common by both husband and wife as a result of a marriage relationship; in some states, all property procured by either during marriage is such

company - an expression of visitors, as "company's coming for dinner"

compendium genealogy - a very broad collection of genealogies of a great many people compressed into a small space of volume

competent person - one judged to be sane and capable of managing his own affairs, or those of others

compiled genealogy - a series of genealogical lineages compiled by one or more persons, supposedly based on research

compiled sources - the gathering together in one place or volume information from many sources, such as family histories, biographical works, directories, registers, manuscripts, local histories, and periodicals, pertaining to one general subject

complaint - the formal charge filed by one person against another in a court action

complainant - the person making the complaint in a court action

computerized genealogy - the use of the electronic computer in gathering, sorting and indexing masses of information

condemn - a judicial act by which private property is to be seized or destroyed for the good of the community as a whole

connestoga wagon - a large heavy wagon with hoop-supported canvas-covered top used first in the Connestoga Valley in Pennsylvania and utilized in the emigration westward

Confederate States - the eleven southern states which seceded from the American Union in 1860-1861, forming a confederacy of their own, resulting in the Civil War of 1861-1865

Confederacy - see Confederate States

confinement - used to denote a period when a women is in childbed

Confiscation Bill - an Act which provided for the confiscation of property of those person supporting the south in the Civil War

congestive chills - malaria

congestive fever - malaria

conjoint will - see joint will

consanguinity - collateral or lineal blood relationship

conscription - the compulsory enlistment of men for military service

conservatory - a school or academy of music; also a hospital for the raising of orphans

consideration - the price or motive (such as natural affection) in any contract where property is sold or transferred

consociation - a confederation of churches or religious societies

consort - a partner, companion, spouse

constable - a peace officer, a term used for the police officer of a small community

constablewick, or constabulary - the area policed by a constable, or the organized body of constables of a county

consumption - an earlier name for tuberculosis

Continental - of a belonging to the colonies or states immediately before and during the Revolutionary War; a soldier serving in the Continental Army; a supporter for the Revolution; currency issued by the Continental Congress with no backing, hence, "not worth a Continental"

Continental Line - troops organized first as state militia, then under the control of the federal government, in the Revolutionary War

continuance - a postponement of a court case until another time

continuation - see continuance

contraband - anything prohibited to be imported, exported, or supplied, as smuggled goods, During the Civil War, a fugitive or captured slave was considered to be contraband

conveyance - the document, or deed, by which real estate is transferred from one person to another

cooking iron - any of the iron utensils used by colonial and frontier settlers, particularly those with heavy lids

coonskin cap - a round cap made from the skin of the raccoon, a fur cap, usually with the tail of the animal hanging from the rear.  Headgear of a frontierman

cooper - a barrel maker

co-owner - one who has title to any property in conjunction with one or more other persons

Copperhead - a nickname during the Civil War for a northern person who sympathized with the south

copperplate - a polished plate of copper on which there is engraved a design; copperplate utensils were thus

copyhold - an estate occupied and held at the discretion of the landlord

copyright - the exclusive right given by law to an author or composer or artist to print and sell his works for a specified number of years; now the lifetime of the author plus fifty years

cord - a measure of wood, stone or brick, originally measured with a sting, usually 8' x 4' x 4'

cord bed - a bed by which the support of the mattress is by cords tied at intervals between the side frames

corduroy road - a road made of logs laid together usually across swampy ground, sometimes with space between the logs giving a very rough, bumpy, uncomfortable surface ribbed like corduroy material

cordwaner - (cordwainer)  - a worker in dressed leather, including a shoemaker

corn - used to refer to any small grain at times

cornbread - any corse bread made from corn, a frequent meal of settlers

cornhusking - the stripping of the outer husk from corn, frequently the occasion for a party and gathering

coroner - this official investigates the death, sometimes superficially, of all persons who have died of peculiar circumstances, or who were not under the care of a physician.  A town or city official, usually a county official

coroner's jury - a jury empaneled to hear evidence and circumstances regarding the death of a person who has died in peculiar and possibly violent manner; presided over by the coroner

corporal punishment - punishment inflicted against the body

corporal property - tangible property.  Any property which can be seen and handled, as opposed to incorporeal property which is intangible.  Both can be inherited

corps - a tactical division of an army, or a body or group of persons associated for a common purpose

corruption - infection; also, the alliteration of a word by spelling or sound

cos. - abbreviation for counties

costermonger - a street-seller of fish, fruit or vegetables, usually from a cart or wagon; a contemptous term also

costiveness - constipation

co-tenancy - joint ownership or occupancy of land; see also Tenancy in common, Tenancy by the entirety, joint tenancy

cotton boats - flatboats constructed of lumber used to transport cotton to the seaports, and usually dismantled at the port where the lumber was sold

coulee - a deep ravine, usually by erosion, with water during the Spring or in heavy rainfall

councilor - an official member of a council

counselor - an adviser, and attorney

counting house - an office or room in which the bookkeeping is ; a bank

country gentleman - a wealthy farmer

country squire - a wealthy person living in the rural district or whose income is derived from agriculture

county - the political and administrative division of a state

county agent - a state official who works within a county promoting the best methods of agriculture

County Chancery Court - a county court in matters of equity and guardianship in some states

county clerk - administrative official of a county court, charged with keeping the records

county commissioner - a county official elected to attend to certain matters in the county, particularly road maintenance

county court - a civil court acting within a county

county equity court - a county court in matters of equity and guardianship in some states; a civil court

county histories - histories of a county, including the settlement, early settlers, officials, and usually biographical sketches, commonly prepared in the period 1880-1920 by companies who sold subscriptions for such often as a result of including the biographical sketch of the family of the subscriber; vanity books.  Of certain but limited genealogical value

County Orphans Court - civil courts in some states having jurisdiction over orphans and adoptions

County Recorder - a person having legal knowledge charged with keeping records of the proceedings of the criminal courts, in some areas