harness

1) Both verb and noun could be used with reference to armour or military equipment.

c.1490 with outyn that ... ony of theym wer arrayed in maner of werr ... but vj whiche were in single array and not harneyssed, Markington

1493 have theyr harnas redy as jake, salet, bowez, arowez and other weappyns, York

1539 To the said James my sone, all my harnis, Northowram

1558 to my brother Henrye Dyneley all myn aperell, harness, and weapnes, Swillington. It could also mean to decorate parts of a person’s apparel with precious metals or ornaments, girdles in particular: 1429 unum baslard harnizatum cum argento, Bramham

1449 a girdill of purpull silk harnest with golde, Southwell

1503 my best blake harnest gyrdell, Adel

1508 one small girdill hernest with sylver and gilt, Breckenbrough

1554 to Elizabeth my doughter ... a gyrdyll hernysyd wyth a pynder of siluer and a buckell, Pontefract.

dates 1429 1449 1490 1493 1503 1508 1539 1554 1558

Related Content Loading...

2) For securing the 'horsing' on the grindstone wheel.

When John Fyrth of Sheffield died in 1562 he bequeathed to his son his harness and smethie geare. Roger Barnsley, another Sheffield man, left his son a whele in Porters Field in 1566 and all his harness. It is likely in these cases that ‘harness’ referred to whatever secured the ‘horsing’ on a grindstone wheel.

places Sheffield
dates 1562 1566

Related Content Loading...

Photo by Kreuzschnabel CC BY-SA 3.0