As now, those terms were not words of precise definition and there was
always a gray zone between any of those.   The terms were used to describe
measures of place and position in society, and as we changed, so too did
those definitions.   

Johnson in his dictionaries of 1755 and 1802 and Walker in 1823 are as close
as we likely can find to how we then described and defined ranks within
one's place and time.  We should all remember what Holmes told us 100 years
ago; "A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanging, and its meaning
may vary greatly with the time and the context in which it is found."

I suppose that no better examples of changing definition are to be found
than to compare the meanings of "Mr." and "Gentleman" "vulgar" with what we
now use those words to mean.

Johnson says that "Gentry" means "birth, class of people above the vulgar,
and a term of civility".  Gentleman means "a man of birth; a man of
extraction though not noble, a man raised above the vulgar by his character
above post, a term of complaisance and a man who waits about the person of a
man of rank.".  Esquire means "a term of dignity next below a knight", the
second son of a nobleman and those sons born after him, all the younger sons
of a nobleman, a JP or magistrate, but only so long as such men are in
office or so commissioned.

Later and in these colonies the title was afforded to a landed man above the
vulgar.  Vulgar was defined as "mean" "a common man" and Walker in 1823
defines the word as "a plebeian, mean".  Walker says base meant despicable.

Last; "spinster" was defined by Johnson as "a general term for a girl or
maiden woman" and Walker - 20 years later - define it exactly as did
Johnson.       

-----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of Charlene Murphy
Sent: Saturday, January 17, 2009 11:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VA-ROOTS] Terms

Can someone explain the terms, or is there a website that explains 
genealogy
1.  Gentry
2. The title of Gent
3.Esquire
4. Spinster, is there an age limit, could it be a young unmarried girl?
Thank you, Charlene

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