housestead

1) A piece of land on which a house stands or might be built.

The earliest examples noted refer to a property in Rowley, Lepton: 1350 jacet super hustede

1482 le Hustedelandes but the word occurred over a wide area from the sixteenth century: 1558 ‘a parcel of land called Housesteade’, Pudsey

1636 ‘one housestead adjoining the far house’, Slaidburn

1668 to William Anderson the garth, with one howstead and the stone for the building thereof within the said garth or garden, Hanlith. It was also used as an alternative of ‘house’ in the sense of the main living room: 1668 In the howstead: One great table, etc, Knaresborough.

dates 1350 1482 1558 1636 1668

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