By popular request, here is list of some specialist words and phrases with easy definitions.

Archdeacon: the rank in the church hierarchy immediately below bishop, responsible for running a part of the bishopric on a day-today basis. There are 52 archdeacons in England and Wales in 1460.

Chantry: The endowment of a priest to celebrate mass daily for the soul of the founder or someone dear to him.

Commons: the house of Parliament representing that part of the nation who are not VIPs. It consists of two knights from each shire and two burgesses from each town.

Convocation: a formal structured meeting of a body representing the clergy of a see; a clerical 'parliament'.

Court: generally, any meeting of advisors around a peer or a place where they meet to conduct business. Such business could be administration, entertainment or legal matters. The Court, (with a capital 'C'), is the court of the King of England. Lesser courts include the hundred courts, county courts, seignorial courts, etc.

Deadline: a confusing term with two, quite separate definitions. [GM] the latest date by which all orders are to be submitted. [Player] the date when it is time to start thinking about writing orders.J

Dowry: the sum of money or parcel of land that a bride brings to the jointure at the time of her wedding.

Great Council: a formal structured meeting of a body representing the VIPs: the titled nobility and higher clergy, today known as the House of Lords.

Jointure: when two people marry, they both bring a sum of money or a parcel of land, usually from their parent's holdings, which together become their jointure. The jointure is owned jointly, hence the term, and one on the death of one marriage partner, belongs to the other until death. This can impoverish some heirs considerably, and since a jointure is disposed of by will, rather than by inheritance, a widow's remarriage can alienate family estates permanently.

Lollard: An abusive term referring to heretical followers of the teachings of Wycliffe.

Mortmain: A grant of land into the "dead hand" of a corporate body, usually the Church. Such a grant meant that the land could never thereafter be eligible for death duties or succession dues.

Parliament: a formal structured meeting of a body representing the community of the realm consisting of the Great Council and the Commons.

Privy Council: the 'cabinet' of government typically meeting on an informal basis on a very frequent, almost continual, basis. The term 'Privy Council' didn't come in until Tudor times but there was a body performing this function by the mid-15^th Century so I admit the anachronism for reasons of clarity.

Peer: A man holding a title of Lord or a higher title: Viscount, Earl, Marquis, Duke and Prince of Wales. Bishops rank between Lords and Viscounts, Archbishops between Dukes and the Prince of Wales.

Praemunire: The right of the King's courts to hear legal cases involving clergy within England, as opposed to them being heard by clerical courts abroad.

Scandalum magnate: A form of scandal law whereby it is illegal for anyone to criticise an officer of the Crown or any peer of the rank of Earl or better, regardless of whether the accusations are true.

Suing for Livery of Estate: when a peer dies, his heir has to pay a sum of money to the King in return for assuming his inheritance. The sum paid is typically equal to one year's income and is usually spread over several years. The king may chose to reduce or even wave payment completely.

Temporalities: The secular resources of a church institution, especially a bishopric.