| Word/Phrase | Definition | Useage |
|---|
| M.S. | 1. Male servant 2. Merchant Service (Seaman) | Scot.Occup |
| ma cousine | Cousin (female) | French |
| ma grand-mère | Grandmother | French |
| ma mère | Mother | French |
| ma soeur | Sister | French |
| ma tante | Aunt | French |
| Maderer | Garlic seller | UK Occupation |
| Madras maker | Madras is a form of fine lace made in a lace mill | Scot.Occup |
| Madre | Mother | Italian/Spanish |
| måg | son-in-law | Swedish |
| maggio | May | Italian |
| magref | colic | Swedish |
| magsjukdom | stomach disease | Swedish |
| magskärv | painful stomach disease | Swedish |
| magvärk | stomachache | Swedish |
| Mai | May | Germany/French |
| Maiden name | A woman's family name before marriage. Some women keep their maiden names after marriage, while others take their husband's surname. | Genealogy |
| Mail Agent | Government appointed Agent sailing on Royal Mail Ships (RMS) to ensure the mail was 'protected and handled in a proper manner' | UK Occupation |
| Mailler | A mailler, or mealler, paid farm rent in money or kind, not in labour. | Scot.Occup |
| maj | May | Swedish |
| majestät | royal majesty (as in Kunglig Majestät) | Swedish |
| majestätsbrott | treason | Swedish |
| maka | spouse, mate, husband, or wife | Swedish |
| makarnas gemensamma barn | child(ren) a couple had together | Swedish |
| make | spouse, mate, husband, or wife | Swedish |
| Maker-up | 1) Made up garments to order 2) Chemist 3) Agent for paraffin sales | UK Occupation |
| Male Maker | Maker of travelling bags - 'males' - from the bags used by the Royal Mail | UK Occupation |
| Malender | Farmer | UK Occupation |
| Malignant sore | Diphtheria | Medical |
| målsman | guardian | Swedish |
| Maltster / Malster | Brewer, Made or sold malts | UK Occupation |
| Maltster | Maltster, or maltman , prepared malt from fermented barley for brewing or distilling | Scot.Occup |
| mamsell | Miss | Swedish |
| man, mankjön | man, male, husband | Swedish |
| månad | month | Swedish |
| Manchester Warehouseman | Cotton warehouseman - Manchester being the centre of the cotton industry at the time, cotton cloth was called 'Manchester' cloth | UK Occupation |
| Manciple | Steward | UK Occupation |
| måndag | Monday | Swedish |
| Manf. | Manufacturer | Scot.Occup |
| Mangle Keeper / Mangle Woman | Woman who hired out her mangle. The possession of a mangle, for the use of which a small sum was charged, was, among the poorer class of English cottagers, a common means of earning money. | UK Occupation |
| Mangler | Worked a mangle for wringing out water from washing Pictures | UK Occupation |
| Mango | Slave dealer | UK Occupation |
| Mania | Insanity | Medical |
| mantal | assessed unit of land | Swedish |
| mantalskriven | registered for tax/census purposes | Swedish |
| mantalslängd | tax/census record | Swedish |
| Mantle Cutter Dress/Tailor | Cut ladies' Mantles - a cape-like apparel - Picture | UK Occupation |
| Mantle Cutter | Cut out the mantles for gas lamps | UK Occupation |
| Mantle Maker | 1. Cut and prepared the mantles for incandescent gas lamps 2. Maker of ladies cloaks worn over a dress | Scot.Occup |
| Mantua Maker | A specific type of Dressmaker. Ladies dressmaker or bonnet maker. ( Mantua was a woman's loose gown in 17th-18th century). | UK Occupation |
| Manuscript | A composition written with the hand as an ancient book or a non-printed modern book or music. | General |
| Marasmus | Progressive wasting away of body, like malnutrition | Medical |
| Marbler | Stained paper or other surfaces to look like marble | UK Occupation |
| Mariken | Dressed goatskin from Morocco, often used for shoes | Scot.Occup |
| Marine Store Dealer | Proprietor of a store selling equipment to Mariners. There were also those who aspired to that but who were nothing but junk dealers | UK Occupation |
| Mariner | Seaman, usually in merchant navy | Scot.Occup |
| Mark Maker | Marked steel, silver or gold with the purity/quality of silver - where made etc | UK Occupation |
| marknad | market, fair | Swedish |
| Marksman | 1) Sharpshooter 2) Marked out land 3) One who makes a mark in place of a signature 4) A grade or degree of the Orange Order 5) One who ranges competitors in a race 6) One who superintended marking New Forest ponies More Info. | UK Occupation |
| marriage banns | A religious tradition by which engaged couples had to announce their intention to marry. This announcement allowed anyone in the congregation to voice their protest. The marriage banns normally took place a few weeks before the actual marriage date. In many churches, they banns were read aloud on three successive Sundays. | Colonial Diseases |
| Marriage bond | A financial guarantee that no impediment to the marriage existed, furnished by the intended bridegroom or by his friends. | General |
| marriage record | A formal document normally kept by a church of marriages conducted within their congregation. Besides the names of the individuals being married, it may also contain their ages, occupation and residence, the clergyman's name, and possibly the names of sponsors. | Colonial Diseases |
| Marriage | The legal union of two people who have chosen to spend their lives together. | Genealogy |
| mars | March | French/Swedish |
| Marshall | Horse doctor or shoe smith | UK Occupation |
| Marshman | Employed by landowners to tend marshland and the animals grazing there | UK Occupation |
| März | March | Germany |
| marzo | March | Italian/Spanish |
| Mashmaker | Made the mash-vats or 'mashels' used in brewing | UK Occupation |
| maskinist | machinist, engineer | Swedish |
| maskslag | fainting | Swedish |
| Mason | Stone cutter or dresser. Bricklayer | UK Occupation |
| mässling | measles | Swedish |
| mästare | master | Swedish |
| Master .... | Skilled and self-employed craftsman or tradesman | Scot.Occup |
| Master Lumper | Contractor employing cheap labour (working on the lump) | UK Occupation |
| Master Mariner | Ship's officer qualified to take command of a ship - not necessarily a Captain. (current term) | UK Occupation |
| Master Writer | Scribe or writer. (In Scotland, a Writer would be a Lawyer) | UK Occupation |
| Master | One of the three grades of skill recognised by a Crafts Guild. Skilled tradesman, often with his own business. Head school teacher | UK Occupation |
| Matchet Forger | Forged knife blades | UK Occupation |
| Matchet Mounter | Worked in the cutlery industry mounting knife blades to the handles - commonly made of bone then | UK Occupation |
| mater | mother | Latin |
| materfamilias | (female) head of household | Latin |
| Maternal ancestor | An ancestor on the mother's side of the family. | Genealogy |
| Maternal | Related through one's mother, such as a Maternal grandmother being the mother's mother. | General |
| Matrimonio | Marriage | Italian/Spanish |
| matros | sailor, seaman | Swedish |
| Mawer / Mather | Mower | UK Occupation |
| mayo | May | Spanish |
| Mealler | A mealler, or mailler, paid farm rent in money or kind, not in labour provided. | Scot.Occup |
| Mealman | Dealer in meal or flour | UK Occupation |
| Measurements, acre | 43,560 square ft or 160 square rods | General |
| Measurements, chain | 100 Links or 66 feet | General |
| Measurements, furlong | 1000 Links or 660 feet | General |
| Measurements, link | 7.92 inches | General |
| Measurements, rod | 5 1/2 yds or 16 1/2 ft (also called a perch or pole) | General |
| Measurements, rood | From 5 1/2 yards to 8 yards, depending on locality | General |
| Measurer | A surveyor | Scot.Occup |
| Mechanic | 1) Machine operator, less skilled than an engineer 2) A journeyman engaged in one of the lower forms of handicraft | UK Occupation |
| med | with | Swedish |
| medborgare | citizen | Swedish |
| Medicus | From the Latin; doctor, physician, also can refer to a homeopath | UK Occupation |
| medlem | member | Swedish |
| Medullary... | Inner core of an organ | Scot.Dise 1855 |
| Melder | Corn miller | UK Occupation |
| mellan | between | Swedish |
| Membranous Croup | Diphtheria | Medical |
| men | but | Swedish |
| Mendicant | One who made a living by begging, or living on alms. eg mendicant friars | Scot.Occup |
| Meningitis | Inflammations of brain or spinal cord | Medical |
| mensis (menses) | month(s) | Latin |
| Mercator | Merchant | UK Occupation |
| Mercer | Cloth seller | UK Occupation |
| Messenger-at-arms | A law-enforcement officer of the Scottish Court of Session, responsible for serving documents and enforcing court orders. | Scot.Occup |
| Messuage | A dwelling house. | General |
| Meterer | Poet | UK Occupation |
| Metes & bounds | Property described by natural boundaries, such as 3 notches in a white oak tree, etc. | General |
| Metritis | Inflammation of uterus or purulent vaginal discharge | Medical |
| Mewer | Made cages for hawks | UK Occupation |
| Miasma | Poisonous vapors thought to infect the air | Medical |
| Microfiche | Sheet of microfilm with greatly reduced images of pages of documents. | General |
| Microfilm | Reproduction of documents on film at reduced size. | General |
| middag | noon | Swedish |
| midnatt | midnight | Swedish |
| Migrant | Person who moves from place to place, usually in search of work | General |
| Migrate | To move from one country or state or region to another. (Noun : migration) | General |
| Migration | Movement from one place to another. | Genealogy |
| Milestone Inspector | Vagrant - 'gentleman of the road' | UK Occupation |
| militär | military | Swedish |
| Militia | Citizens of a state who are not part of the national military forces but who can be called into military service in an emergency; acitizen army, apart from the regular military forces. | General |
| Milk fever | Disease from drinking contaminated milk, like undulant fever or brucellosis | Medical |
| Milk leg | Post partum thrombophlebitis | Medical |
| Milk sickness | Disease from milk of cattle which had eaten poisonous Weeds | Medical |
| Miller | Miller of corn, cloth miller, saw miller, oil miller (see) | UK Occupation |
| Miller's Carman | Drove cart delivering flour or seed | UK Occupation |
| Millies | Nick-name for textile mill workers | Scot.Occup |
| Milliner | Women's hat maker / seller | UK Occupation |
| Millwright | Designed, built and maintained mills or mill machinery, requiring a variety of skills, from reading plans to diagnosing and solving mechanical problems. | UK Occupation |
| Milner | Worker in a Miln (Mill). Old spelling of miller (qv) | UK Occupation |
| Min. | Minister (or miner) | Scot.Occup |
| minderårig | underage | Swedish |
| mindre | lesser, smaller | Swedish |
| Mine Captain | Senior supervisor or the equivalent of a superintendent in a mining operation. | UK Occupation |
| Miner | Worker at mineral mines, usually coal, ironstone or shale in central Scotland | Scot.Occup |
| ministerialbok | parish register | Swedish |
| Minor | One who is under legal age; not yet a legal adult. | General |
| Mintmaster / Maker | Issued local currency | UK Occupation |
| Mintmaster | Maker of coin money | Scot.Occup |
| minut | minute | Swedish |
| Misegatherer | Local tax collector | UK Occupation |
| Mister | In early times, a title of respect given only to those who held important civil officer or who were of gentle blood. | General |
| Mitral regurgitation | Heart's mitral valve fails to close properly, causing blood to leak into upper heart chamber | Scot.Dise 1855 |
| mjölnare | miller | Swedish |
| Mocado Weaver | 16-17th Century weaver of wool (mock velvet) for clothing | UK Occupation |
| moder, mor | mother | Swedish |
| moderpassion | hysteric fits | Swedish |
| Moiety | A half; an indefinite portion | General |
| Molecatcher | Trapped and killed moles on farms - the molehills thrown up from their underground tunnelling caused crop losses. | Scot.Occup |
| Molitor | Miller | UK Occupation |
| mon arrière-gra | Great-grandmother | French |
| mon cousin | Cousin (male) | French |
| mon frère | Brother | French |
| mon grand-père | Grandfather | French |
| mon oncle | Uncle | French |
| mon père | Father | French |
| Mondayman | Worked for the landowner in lieu of rent - usually a Monday | UK Occupation |
| Moneyer | Mintmaster, maker of coin money | Scot.Occup |
| Monger | Seller of goods (ale, fish etc.) i.e. fishmonger | UK Occupation |
| Monthly Nurse | An attending woman during the first month after childbirth. Also known as 'Confinement Nurse'. May also have the initials S.M.S. (Subsidiary Medical Services. i.e. not a doctor, but trained in some way) | UK Occupation |
| morbror | maternal uncle | Swedish |
| Morbus cordis | Heart disease (morbus-disease; cordis-heart) | Scot.Dise 1855 |
| mördad | murdered | Swedish |
| Mordant Maker | Made a chemical known as Mordant, used in fixing the dye in cloth. This was obtained, amongst other chemicals, from the vapours given off from 'stewing' charcoal | UK Occupation |
| morfar | maternal grandfather | Swedish |
| morgon | morning | Swedish |
| morgongåva | morning gift, dowry | Swedish |
| Mormal | Gangrene | Medical |
| mormor | maternal grandmother | Swedish |
| Morphew | Scurvy blisters on the body | Medical |
| Mortality schedules | Enumeration of persons who died during the year prior to June 1 of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 in each state of the United States, conducted by the bureau of census. | General |
| Mortality | Death; death rate. | General |
| Morte | Death | Italian |
| Mortgage | A conditional transfer of title to real property as security for payment of a debt. | General |
| Mortification | Gangrene of necrotic tissue | Medical |
| mosaisk | Jewish | Swedish |
| Moss Reeve | A bailiff who received and dealt with claims for land on swamps and mossy areas. | UK Occupation |
| moster | maternal aunt | Swedish |
| mot | against, toward | Swedish |
| Mother-in-law | Mother of one's spouse. | General |
| Moulder | Made moulds for castings, brick making etc | UK Occupation |
| Mountebank | Seller of fake patent medicines. An impostor | UK Occupation |
| Mouterer | Miller receiving a fee for grinding corn | Scot.Occup |
| Mudlark | Scratched a living by scavenging river banks at low tide | UK Occupation |
| Muffin Carrier | A street seller of muffins | UK Occupation |
| Mugger | 1) A hawker of earthenware. 2) A grimacing comedian. 3) Someone who sold chinaware and pottery ( mugs, cups, plates) around a district, often a gypsy. | UK Occupation |
| Muggler | Pigman | UK Occupation |
| Mugman | Possibly a variant of 'Potman' a term sometimes used for a barman or other helper in a inn or public house | UK Occupation |
| Mule Scavenger | Young children, sometimes bought from Workhouses, worked some twelve hours a day crouched under working spinning mules, clearing out the debris accumulated there. A very dangerous occupation. | UK Occupation |
| Mule Spinner | See Spinner | UK Occupation |
| Muleskinner | Teamster | UK Occupation |
| Muleteer | Mule driver | UK Occupation |
| Multicultural | A number of distinct cultural groups living within a country or region. | Genealogy |
| Multurer | Miller | UK Occupation |
| Mumper | Beggar | UK Occupation |
| murare | mason | Swedish |
| Musicker | Musician | UK Occupation |
| Muslin Flowerer | Sewed and embroidered muslin cloth for domestic use | Scot.Occup |
| Mustarder / Mustardman | Dealer in mustard | UK Occupation |
| Mutter | Mother | Germany |
| mycket | very, much | Swedish |
| Myelitis | Inflammation of the spine | Medical |
| myndig | of legal age | Swedish |
| myndling | pupil or ward | Swedish |
| Myocardial infarction | An area of the heart muscle dies as a result of a lack of sufficient oxygen, a heart attack | Scot.Dise 1855 |
| Myocarditis | Inflammation of heart muscles | Medical |
| Myopathy | A muscle-related disease | Scot.Dise 1855 |
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