Amusing use of English language (Lode Cambs Baptist congregation)

[Redroger]

These are my mother's relatives. Surname Ayres or Cornwell. One at least Stubben Ayres was "dismembered" (sic) by the congregation; as were many other for a variety of misdemeanours including "associating with people who are too wordly", the girl concerned was again dismembered Stubben at least survived the ordeal as he appeared in later census records.
More seriously:
Was this now archaic use of such terms common in the 19th century or simply a quirk of this congregation?

[GrahamSimons]

Where else to go to answer this than the OED? It lists this as the fourth meaning of dismember: to cut off from membership.
First citation from 1649: The House of Commons.. having no more Authority to dis-member their fellow-members, then any Judges..have to dis-judge..their fellow Judges.
Most recent citation, 1884: Becoming a defaulter..would have involved his being dismembered from the Exchange.

Isn't language entertaining!

[IMBER]

Something similar here?

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=211169.0

Imber

[Redroger]

Thanks for these. I find it both interesting and amusing the way that the use and language and spellings continue to evolve. Another difference in common usage is the term "son (daughter) in law", which now means the spouse of a child almost specifically, but in 19th century documents had meanings could well mean a child in a guardianship of the writer.

[Mike in Cumbria]

Thanks for these. I find it both interesting and amusing the way that the use and language and spellings continue to evolve.

It is constantly fascinating. One of my favourite changes is "hussy", which originally just meant housewife, and was a perfectly respectable thing to be called.

[kateblogs]

It is constantly fascinating. One of my favourite changes is "hussy", which originally just meant housewife, and was a perfectly respectable thing to be called.

I have an ancestor whose maiden name was Hussey. She seems to have left her husband to live with a local cooper who was godfather to the children born during her marriage.

I did wonder if maybe she was the one who gave hussies a bad name. (Probably shouldn't think that about my x time great grandmother  )

[bedfordshire boy]

There's nothing wrong with local Coopers!

[Redroger]

The Husseys were in the 15th century an aristocratic English family. They had a castle near to Boston Grammar school now known as Hussey Tower, which is preserved but ruined. The Coopers were originally barrel makers I believe. Two that I like are "gleg" which means look or peep, and "mardy" a term which only seems to be used in the vicinity of Boston, and seems to mean someone who is unpleasant to their peers as in "mardy cow" etc. etc. Usually used as a term of abuse along with another similar term.

[kateblogs]

Bedfordshireboy and Redroger -  he wasn't a Cooper, he was a cooper. Off the top of my head, his surname was Appleby.

Mardy is used in this part of Yorkshire, but we are quite close to the Lincolnshire border.

ETA; Thank you for the info about the Hussey family!