1) A foundation, a horizontal sill of wood or stone on which a timber-framed building was erected. As a verb to lay such a foundation.
1335 Grundes eciam erunt pilati cum pilis et lapide et erigent se super terram per unum pedem largum sub solo, York: 1420 how that the ta grunde sall sall be closed fra the tother, York
1446-7 grunsolantium circa dictam grangiam, Beverley
1500 we muste first set a ground sole of ston upon whiche our tymber muste stand for mostenes of the grounde ... the grounde soling ... muste be our first framying, York
1519 Our wher [choir] stallyng is defectif in gronsoll, Wistow
1538 a howse ... wallyd abowte with morter and growncellyd with stone, Esholt
1544 Pro petris ... to grounde sool of Vincent Roosse kitchinge, York
1620 for paling the swine sty with sawn ashepayle ... he is to saw them and ... the rails and posts and set them in a grundsell and rabbit them into the rail above, Elmswell.