a dictionary of medieval terms and phrases as being independent. If she carried on her husband’s business she was accepted as a femme sole = a woman alone. – Cf. Huckster Fenestra parvula. A small window through which nuns and canons of a *Gilbertine double house communicated and made confession etc. Another similarly small window enabled nuns to speak to their family when permitted. [< L fenestra = window + parvula = small, very small] – Cf. Anchorite; Domus fenestrae; Magna fenestra versatilis Feodary. See Feudary Feoffment. The process of assigning property to a person under feudal law, for which military service was due. – Cf. Enfeoffment to use; Fee 1; Livery in seisin Feorm. The AS version of a *farm was in effect a food-rent, latterly commuted for money. As with other kings, the AS kings had several manors, which the surrounding area was required to supply with food in specified quantities. Thus a group of hides would have to send certain amounts of bread, ale, cattle, cheese, honey etc. These are sometimes known as ‘food renders’ or ‘renders in kind’. – Cf. Gwestfa; Hide Ferding. Unit of land, being a quarter of a *virgate; also, one of four parts of a *shire. [< OE feorðing = fourth part] – Cf. Farthing Feretory. A small shrine, often portable, in which were kept the relics of a saint; a small chapel set aside to contain such shrines and relics. Often the chapel was set close to the main altar. [< OFr. fiertre < L feretum = a bier] Feria una. Lit. ‘weekday one’. In this period, days of the work were referred to in Latin, and were named, as today, after pagan gods or the moon and sun. Church writers, sensitive to these pagan references, sometimes preferred to use a neutral nomenclature, which was to number the days of the week. Thus there was feria una for day one, i.e. Sunday, feria secunda for day two, i.e. Monday, and so through the week. – Cf. Noon Fermerer. The fermerer’s duty was to tend the sick in a monastery and prepare those who had died for burial. The elderly and infirm were also housed in the *fermery, where those who had been bled recuperated for three days. – Cf. Blood-letting Fermery. The infirmary of a monastery; its *obedientiary was the *fermerer. [< L infirmaria] Ferratus. Term used of an iron-clad soldier, i.e. one in some form of armour. [< L ferrum = iron] Fertinus. See Farthingland
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