1) A verb meaning to share out, to divide.
1485-6 theyr costys equally deelyd, Sheffield. It was in regular use in boundary descriptions to identify the watershed 1499 frome thense towards the southe unto the heght of Hameldon os by the myddes of that heven water deleth, Hetton
c.1562 from the heighte of the moore where the heven water delyth betwixte the manors of Marske and Skelton. This usage certainly has a much longer history for its Latin equivalent occurs in an undated Marske charter a.1171 usque ad congeriem lapidum super Cockhowe, et de inde sicut aqua cćlestis dividit inter dominium de Skelton et dominium de Merske.
2) ‘Deals’ were timber suitable for making boards, imported into east-coast ports from the Baltic, sometimes called Prussian deals.
1402 Mari Knyght de Dansk xvj deles, iijm waynscots, Hull
1453 Catyntroghe de Dansk 2˝ scok deles, Hull
1463 18 pruse delys, Hull. They were referred to frequently as firdeals: 1463 12 duss’ fyrdelys, Hull
1661 the carriage of firdeales, Elland
1743 boarded the great parlour with firdeal, Gargrave. The most explicit reference to ‘deals’ is in the Farm Book of Henry Best. His recommendation in 1642 was to purchase deals that were seasoned and not greene
he warned against new deales … bought and solde immediately … whiles the shippe … is yett in the haven. There were added advantages, for seasoned wood weighed less and the expense involved in its carriage was much lower. It is difficult to determine whether he was exaggerating but he claimed that 60 greene boardes which weare brought in each waine had allmost broken all the vehicles whilst covering a distance of just five miles. There is much more, about prices from Hull, journey details to and from Wansford, sizes, tolls, white deal and reade deale from Norway. The trade along inland navigation routes continued 1740 for freight of 500 of deals from Hull to Rawcliffe … from Rawclife to Wakefield, Whitley
1789 the deals you order shall be forwarded by the first vessel [that is Selby to Meltham].