Glossary & Terms

ACCESS
The legal right of citizens to use archival records in publically-supported archives. However, some archival records may be restricted. See also: Restrictions on access

ACCESS POINT(S)
Access points direct users to individuals, families and corporate bodies that created records. Access points are recorded according to international standards. Access points do not include subject headings. Access points may be browsed online. See also: Author access point(s); provenance access point(s); and non-subject access point(s).

ACCESSION
An item, fonds or collection acquired at one time from a single source. A fonds or collection may be acquired in several accessions from an individual, or from different individuals. 

ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS NOTE
Complementary records which frequently accompany specialized media. Example: textual script for audiovisual presentation

ACCRUAL(S) NOTE
An acquisition of archival materials which belongs to a collection/fonds already in the custody of the repository. The note indicates whether PANL expects additional records in the near future.

ACT(S)
An Act is legislation which has usually been approved by parliament and by the representative of the crown. Prior to the establishment of representative government (1832), legislation approved by the Governor and his appointed Executive Council were called Ordinances. Between 1832 and 1934, a proposed Act (or Bill) required the approval of the House of Assembly, the Legislative Council, and the Governor. During Commission of Government, an Act was approved by the majority of Commissioners and the Governor. Following 1949, Acts were approved by the House of Assembly, with formal assent by the Lieutenant-Governor. 

Acts are also called Statutes. Acts and Statutes are published annually. Each act and subsequent amendment is assigned a chapter number. Appendices in the volumes provide useful schedules to track amendments.

Newfoundland and Labrador legislation is referenced in PANL descriptions in the following manner: 
Example: Title, year, chapter: Acts, 1888, c.10
Statutes, 1949, c. 84

Published Acts and Statutes may be requested from PANL Client Services. See also: Consolidated statutes 

ACQUISITION
An addition to the holdings of an archives by transfer under an established and legally based procedure, by purchase or gift.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 
The administrative history of a corporate body details its activities, including date of establishment, mandate, functions, administrative structure, predecessor and successor bodies, and changes in corporate name.

The biographical history of an individual includes genealogical information, education, professional activities, accomplishments and honours

The family history identifies key ancestors, places of residence, business and property transactions. It usually focuses on individuals in the family who are identified in the fonds/collection

Please contact us if you notice errors, or have additional information

ADMINISTRATOR
An administrator is the individual who administers a colony in the absence of the Governor. See the Office of the Governor fonds

An administrator is also the individual appointed by the court to manage the estate of a person who has died without a will (or intestate). An administrator performs the same functions as an executor, the person usually named in the will to manage the estate. An administrator may also be appointed when a will exists, but an executor has not been named or when the executor named is unable or unwilling to assume his/her responsibilities

AFFIDAVIT(S)
A written statement, recorded under oath and accepted as legal evidence. An affidavit differs from a submission, which presents requests, findings, opinions and/or recommendations See: Submissions

ALBUM
Unpublished sets of pages, bound or loose-leaf, with affixed images, writing, and other material. This term is used in PANL database for presentation album* (album designed to be presented to a person or an organization), autograph albums*, stamp albums*, etc. See also: Photograph album; Scrapbook 

ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING(S) 
Drawings of architecture and drawings for architectural projects. This includes proposed projects and completed projects.

ARRANGEMENT
The organization of archival materials according to accepted archival principles. Physical arrangement includes numbering, foldering, labelling and shelving. 

The intellectual arrangement involves the organization of a fonds and collection which reflects the use of the records by an individual, family, or corporate body. Usually a fonds/collection is arranged hierarchically: Series; sub-series; files; items. See the Whiteway example

See also: Arrangement Note

ARRANGEMENT NOTE
Details any rearrangement by archivist, or any alterations in book-keeping practices 

ARTIFACT(S)
Term used in the PANL database for any object made, modified or used by people, which record information. Example: Used for items of material culture, such as badges, insignia, pennants, ribbons, pins medals, plaques, etc. 

ASSOCIATED MATERIAL NOTE
Records created by the same creator at another public institution.

AUTHOR ACCESS POINT(S)
Author access points indicate individuals, families or corporate entities that created records within fonds/collections. An author may be a photographer, an architectural designer, or an artist, as well as a writer. Author access points are included in the browse index. See: In the Whiteway example, Lady Catherine Whiteway is indicated as an author because she used the guest book, while William Vallance Whiteway is the provenance access point.

AVAILABILITY OF OTHER FORMAT(S) NOTE
Indicates if records are available in other formats, including transcripts, photocopies, digital image, cassette, VHS, etc.

BEOTHUKS
Aboriginal people who resided on the island of Newfoundland. Various spellings included Beothic, Beothucks. PANL spelling based on Library of Congress

BILL-OF-LADING
Acknowledgement of shipped goods. Usually 3 copies, "original" (for purchaser), "shipping order"(for carrier), "memorandum" (shipper).

BLUE BOOKS
Statistical returns on all aspects of colonial government, entered on pre-printed blue forms and forwarded annually to the Colonial Office by the Colonial Secretary (or equivalent), commencing in 1822. See the Colonial Office fonds and the Office of the Colonial Secretary fonds

BLUEPRINT(S)
Reproductive prints of architectural and other technical drawings, having white images on blue backgrounds. "Blueline prints" are blue images on white backgrounds, "Cyanotypes" are blue-toned photographs produced by the blueprint process. 

CALENDAR(S)
A chronological, item-level list of documents, indicating author, date, and subject, frequently used to organize incoming and outgoing correspondence. Calendars were sometimes called schedules

CASH BOOK(S)
Records commercial transactions involving cash, including money, drafts, money orders, and checks. The standard cash book included date, memoranda, debit value and credit value

CHART(S)
Graphic representation of statistical data or hierarchical structures. Used at PANL for graphs, organizational charts.

CHARTER
A record, usually with an official seal, which specifies rights and /or exemptions. Charters, for example, defined land grants and the powers of colonizers, such as the Colony of Avalon charter.

COLONIAL SECRETARY
The official in the Newfoundland Executive Council responsible for the maintenance of records. See the Office of the Colonial Secretary fonds
The informal name for the British minister, the Secretary of War and the Colonies, who was delegated responsibility for colonies in the British Empire. Not used in PANL descriptions

COMMISSION
A corporate body officially established, with a specific mandate, to inquire into specified issues, to implement certain policies, or to direct a public institution. See: ENQUIRING MINDS

Official appointment of individual(s) to office, with specified powers and responsibilities. These may also be called warrants 

CONSOLIDATED STATUTES 
Statutes (or Acts) are frequently revised. These revisions may be minor amendments or major changes which eliminate entire sections. Periodically, the Newfoundland and Labrador Government consolidates the statutes and the relevant amendments. The intent is to facilitate access and eliminate confusion by printing the latest form of the legislation.

Consolidations of Newfoundland and Labrador statutes occurred in 1872, 1882 and 1916. These are referenced in PANL descriptions in the following manner:
Consolidated Statutes of Newfoundland (CSN), year, chapter
Example: CSN, 1916, c. 21
Following confederation, statute consolidations were termed revisions. Revised Statutes of Newfoundland and Labrador were published in 1952, 1970 and 1998. These are similarly referenced:
Revised Statutes of Newfoundland (RSN), year, chapter
Example: RSN, 1952, c.24

CONTEMPORARY COPY
Copy of a document made at the same time or shortly after the original, usually as a record of the transaction. Prior to the twentieth century, the contemporary copy was frequently done by a secretary as a safeguard against the loss of records in transit. A contemporary copy was not usually signed by its original creator. See also: Transcript

COLLECTION
Records collected from various sources to document a certain subject (ex. shipwrecks), genre (ex. women's diaries), place (ex. Ferryland). Collections are usually described in the same way as fonds, and the name of the collector is frequently used in the title.

CONSERVATION
Treatments (physical repair or chemical treatment) to improve the condition of damaged archival records, or to prevent further deterioration. Conservation treatment should be recommended by a conservator, a professional trained in the field.

COPY
Duplication, whole or in part, of an original document.

COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS 
The regulations defining the legal rights of the author of a document and his/her heirs or assignee to publish or reproduce the document or to authorize publication or reproduction of it.

CORPORATE BODY
Organization of association that is identified by a particular name and that acts as an entity, and creates records. A corporate body may also be a project, a conference, or a vessel.

CORRESPONDENCE
Written communication, consisting of letters, postcards, memoranda, notes, telegrams and cables

COUNTERPOINT. See Indenture

CREATOR
The person or family or corporate body which creates or receives, and uses records. The creator is also the provenance. See also: Provenance

CSN. See Consolidated Statutes

CUSTODIAL HISTORY
History of the location and/or ownership of the records before acquired by PANL. It includes custodians who have had physical possession and/or legal ownership of records.

DAGUERREOTYPE
Early photographic process which used iodine-sensitized silver plate and mercury vapour.

DATES OF CREATION
The inclusive dates of the archival records indicating earliest and latest dates. These are called inclusive dates. Note the following ways in which dates of creation are entered.

Aberrant dates: 
A fonds may include items for a single year; the remainder of the fonds covers a consistent time period. Example: 1934, 1945-1949

Estimated dates
Estimated dates are indicated by [ ]. The following indicate ways to indicate estimated dates:
[194?] probable date
[ca. 1949] approximate date
[before 1949] terminal date
[after 1 Apr. 1949] terminal date
[1939 or 1940] one year or the other
[between 1945 and 1949] usually used for dates fewer than 20 years apart
[194-] decade certain
[194-?] probable decade
[19-] certain century
[19-] probable century

Dates of reproduction
A fonds/collection may be a reproduction of archival records. The dates are recorded with the date of the reproduction, followed by the dates of the creation of the original: Example: Microfilmed 1956 (originally created 1892-1940) 

Predominant dates:
The predominate dates indicate if the records are concentrated within a certain period
See also: Dates of creation note

DATES OF CREATION NOTE
Provides any clarification concerning dates of creation, indicating significant gaps, conflicting dates, etc. 

DAY BOOK(S)
Book which recorded daily purchases on credit, noting date, customer's name, nature of transaction, and monetary value

DEPOSITION
A deposition is the process of acquiring sworn evidence.
A deposition is evidence given under oath. See also: Submission(s)

DESCRIPTION
The recording of information in a standardized form about the structure, function and content of archival materials. In Canada the CCA has endorsed Rules for Archival Description (RAD).

DESPATCH
Official correspondence, usually between the Colonial Office and vice-regal officials, such as governors, military and naval commanders. Despatches were usually numbered chronologically, allowing researchers to link records in the Office of the Governor to the Colonial Office. This number is called the despatch number

DOCUMENT(S)
Recorded information regardless of medium or characteristics. Documents may be textual, photographic, cartographic, audiovisual or electronic.

DONOR
A person, family or corporate body that has given materials to an archives.. See also 
Immediate Source of Acquisition

ELECTRONIC RECORDS
Records on electronic media, such as computer disks, CD-ROMs, emails, etc.

EPHEMERA
Items created for specific and limited use. A very useful term for miscellanea. Used for business & advertising cards, tickets, menus, display cards, forms, invitations, bookmarks, ballots, etc.

FAIR DEALING
Concept in copyright law which provides exceptions to exclusive rights of copyright owners. These exceptions are limited use for research or educational purposes.

FAIR COPY
An exact copy of the final document, which included corrections and revisions

FILE
A level of description, usually linked to a series. Includes materials are related to the same subject, activity, time frame or transaction.

FINDING AIDS
A finding aid provides a context for the records, explains their arrangement and facilitates their retrieval. It may be published or unpublished, printed or online.

Note the PANL finding aid number to facilitate retrieval.

FOLDER
A folded sheet of cardboard or heavy paper serving as a cover for a set of related documents. A case file may be arranged in several file folders.

FONDS 
The term "fonds" has been borrowed from French archival practice for records created, described and used by an individual, family, or corporate body. The fonds is the highest level of description in a multilevel description.. A fonds may contain two or more accessions; similarly, an accession may contain more than one fonds.

FORMAL TITLE
The title on an item, similar to a title on a book. This is recorded in the RAD description. 

GENERAL NOTE
Includes any information relevant to the fonds/collection which has not been included in other descriptive fields. Example: Notes related artifacts at the Provincial Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador.

GUIDE TO HOLDINGS 
A finding aid arranged by fonds, which describes the archival materials in an archives. A RAD-compliant Guide is in accordance with Canadian Council of Archives rules for description. A guide to holdings may also focus on a specific topic: Example: A guide to the military records at PANL

GREAT SEAL
See: Seal

IN CAMERA
Private hearings, which are closed to the public and to the press. 

INDENTURE
Legal agreement between two or more parties. Each party receives a signed copy, called a counterpoint

INSTITUTIONAL NUMBER
Please note the institutional number, as it is necessary for retrieval. GN designates government records; MG indicates manuscripts, and MF indicates a small fonds (smaller than 2 cm.)

INSTRUCTIONS
Document which outlined the authority, rights and responsibilities of an officer of the Crown. Royal Instructions were issued to a governor, usually in conjunction with his commission. These were clarified and/or supplemented by Additional Instructions to the governor. Interpretation of the Instructions is frequently found in the despatches

IMMEDIATE SOURCE OF ACQUISITION NOTE
The individual, family or corporate body who donates or sells records to the archives. The note details the date of the donation/purchase and the relationship of the donor /seller to the records

INNU-AIMUN
The language of the Innu

INNUKTITUT
The language of the Inuit

INTELLECTUAL CONTROL 
Documentation which enhances access to archival materials by describing the context of the archival materials, their arrangement and their informational content.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS
Details languages in the archival records, and notes if translations are available

LANTERN SLIDE 
Transparent positive image made or mounted on glass for projection, usually photographic, sometimes hand-tinted. Use for magic lantern slides Use for lantern slide transparencies

LOCATION OF ORIGINALS NOTE
In the case of reproduced archival records, the note indicates the location of the originals

LETTER BOOK(S)
Book with copies of letters sent. Initially hand-written; later, blotter copies, and carbon copies

LETTERS PATENT
Official, public documents created by the Crown which record land grants, appointments (commissions), pardons, as well as the revocations of rights

MHA
The elected representative from an electoral district to the House of Assembly is called the Member of the House of Assembly. Representative government was established in 1832; however, responsible government (including elections and the sittings of the House, were suspended during Commission of Government (1934-49).

MINUTE-IN-COUNCIL
The official, succinct account of the proceedings of the Executive Council, particularly decisions, are called the Minutes of the Executive Council. An individual item is called a Minute-in-Council.

MEDIUM
The physical material on which information is recorded (example: paper, film, magnetic tape).

MEMORIAL
See: Petition

NON-SUBJECT ACCESS POINT(S)
Indicates offices held by individual(s); custodians; and titles. Used infrequently

ORDER BOOK(S)
Recorded orders for goods to be delivered. Noted type & quantity of goods, name & address of purchaser, price

ORDER-IN-COUNCIL
The official authorization of the Governor (later the Lieutenant-Governor), based on the Minute-in-Council, for the implementation of decisions of the Executive Council, usually through the appointment of officials and/or the delegation of powers for specific tasks. An Order-in-Council is always based on the Minutes of the Executive Council.

An Order-in-Council usually includes the signature (or initials) of the author (the Governor) and the date of the approval.

ORDINANCES
See: Act(s)

ORIGINAL
Usually defined as the first copy of a document from which other instruments may be transcribed, copied, or imitated. In archival science, the original is the final, complete record upon which all copies are based. However, in legal terms, there may be several originals. In the case of indentures and contracts among parties, all documents bearing the original signatures are considered originals. A contemporary copy does not bear the original signature.

ORIGINAL ORDER
The principle that an archivist retains the arrangement within a fonds as established by its creator.

PETITION
A written appeal, usually in a formal format, signed by individual(s), and presented to officers of the Crown, especially the Governor, the Executive Council, or a member of the House of Assembly. The petition may request a specific favour ( a pardon), improved services (local hospital), rights (land grant or license), or protest a perceived injustice (interference on the French Shore).

PARCHMENT
Thin material made from calf, sheep or goat skin. Used for parchment roll parchment, sheet, vellum etc.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Indicates the physical extent and the type of records. Example: 22 photographs

Textual records are measured by the shelf space occupied by the archival storage boxes. A standard box is 18 cm. In the Whiteway example, his textual records fill 2 boxes.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION NOTE
Clarifying information, usually indicating dimensions of items, processes, colour, etc. Example

PRINT(S)
Pictorial work produced by transferring images by means of a plate, block or screen, using a variety of printing methods. Use for engraving*, lithograph*, etc..

PROCESSING
The accessioning, arrangement, description and proper storage of archival materials. During processing, preservation concerns are identified.

PROVENANCE 
The individual, family or corporate body that created, accumulated and/or maintained and used records prior to their transfer to an archives. Provenance is the creator

PROVENANCE ACCESS POINTS
The provenance access point allows users to search for creators of fonds. The provenance access point is recorded in a standard fashion. A see reference directs clients from various forms (non-preferred or variant names) to the standard name.. 

For individuals, PANL has added the dates of birth and death. If this information is currently unknown, the term fl.with dates is used, indicating the period for which PANL has information. Example: Crout, Henry, fl. 1612-1617

RAD
Rules for Archival Description endorsed by the Canadian Council of Archives. These are standard rules for Canadian archives

RECORD
A document created to convey information and preserved by an individual, family or corporate body. A record may be a letter, memorandum, plan, map, photograph, videotape or any other documentary material, regardless of form.

RELATED GROUPS OF RECORDS IN DIFFERENT FONDS/SERIES
Suggests other fonds at PANL generated by the same creator. Also interlinks series which have a direct relationship. Example: For William Vallance Whiteway, the Office of the Prime Minister is a related fonds

RESPECT DES FONDS
The principle that the records of a person, family or corporate body must be kept together in their original order, if it exists or has been maintained, and not be mixed or combined with the records of another individual or corporate body.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS
A limitation on the use of archival materials or of single items. Restrictions may be imposed by law (example: privacy legislation), by the archives having custody of the materials (example: for unprocessed or fragile materials), or by the donor (example: access closed during life of creator). Restrictions may also limit reproduction.

RETRIEVAL
Locating and withdrawing archival materials from storage.

RETURN
A report, usually addressing specific questions, sometimes narrative, but usually statistical. Shipping returns, for example, detailed vessels entering and leaving port, tonnage, crew, port of origin, etc.

ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS. See: INSTRUCTIONS

RSN: See Consolidated statutes

SEAL
A seal was initially a wax, paper or metal disk, with a stamped impression, attached to records, intended to identify the authority of the author and to ensure the authenticity of the documents.
The Great Seal for Newfoundland and Labrador represents the authority and jurisdiction of the Government. The Privy Seal of the Governor (and later the Lieutenant-Governor) represents the authority of that office.

STATE PAPERS
Antiquated term for government (or public) records. The Calendars of State Papers, for example, are published, item-level summaries from the records of the British Public Record Office for America and the West Indies.

SUBMISSION(S)
A broad term which encompasses information presented to government, including its officers, committees, agencies and enquiries. Submissions may include reports, background research, petitions, memoranda. 

See also: Affidavit(s)

SOURCE OF TITLE
The title of a fonds/collection is usually assigned by the PANL archivist, consisting of the creator's name. An individual's name is entered in full, without occupational or honourary titles. The name of a family is entered, with chief place of residence. The name of a corporate body is usually the last name for which PANL holds records.

The source of title may include the specific source, such as Order-in-Council, for entities with legal and popular names.

SCOPE AND CONTENT
Provides an overview of types of records, their content, arrangement, and relevant dates

TECHNICAL DRAWING(S)
Drawings intended for construction, mechanical or mapping purposes. Follows precise conventions of scale and projection

TEXTUAL RECORD(S)
Written records. Can be handwritten, typed, or printed. Non-textual records include photographic, cartographic, architectural & technical drawings, electronic records

TINTYPE(S)
Photographic process which produces a direct positive image on a thin sheet of lacquered metal, usually iron (never tin).

TITLE
At the fonds or collection level, the title is the full name of the creator, followed by the term fonds or collection.

At the series level, the title will indicate the creator of the series, if different from the creator of the fonds, Otherwise, the title reflects the function or activities, or the particular form. Example: Briefs, reports and submissions
See also: Formal title
See also: Source of title

TRANSCRIPT(S)
A transcript is usually a copy of oral evidence or of documents filed with a government agency. The accuracy of a transcript should be evaluated. Was it prepared by the author (or his/her staff) of the records? What were the qualifications and skills of the transcriber? When was the transcript prepared? For what purpose were the transcripts prepared? 

See MG 8, Patrick Thomas McGrath fonds which includes transcripts prepared for the Labrador Boundary Case.

VARIATIONS IN TITLE
Indicates any previous title used at PANL Also notes any abbreviated or common name for fonds. Example: Commonly called the Hughes Commission

WARRANT(S) 
The official document which authorizes an act. A Warrant can authorize a transaction (land survey), the detention, arrest and release of individual(s), or an appointment, although Warrants of appointments are usually termed Commissions.

WRIT(S)
A document issued under seal by an officer of the Crown (a governor, chief justice), addressed to an individual or party, authorizing or restricting actions.