hine ?

[ElizabethHerts]

I have a copy of a document which mentions my 4x gt-grandfather Henry Quintrell. He was bailiff for Thomas Carlyon of the Tregrehan estate at St Blazey.

There is a word which looks like "Hine". Does anyone know if this is correct and what it means?

"Memorandum of An agreement made Between John Daniel of the Parish of St. Austle and Henry Quintrell Hine of Tregrehan, In Behalf of His Master Thomas Carlyon Esq., For letting at A Rack Rent For the term of three lives,..."

The writing is very clear and large and the word is definitely "-ine". The first letter looks very much like a capital H as it is very similar to the H of Henry.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Could it be "hind"? (Not sure if this is a word local to my part of Yorkshire.)
On some farms, there was a hind who lived in a sizable house and "met" the single men who lived in (provided them with with board and lodging.)

Jay

[ElizabethHerts]

It is very clearly "-ine", Janet. Mind you, the spelling leaves something to be desired as at the end of the document there is: "The sine of John Daniel".

Perhaps it is just a spelling mistake. The document it very clearly written and in large script and this word is the only problem word, purely because I don't know what it means! I'm sure it does say "Hine".

[Jackie H]

Does this make any sense with what you know?

From Websters 1913 Dictionary

Hine: "A servant; a farm laborer; a peasant; a hind. [Obs.]
Bailiff, herd, nor other hine. Chaucer"

I've also found an 1807 book on Google Books which says:

"Hine or hind - a husbandsman's servant. The person who oversees the rest is called the master's hine"

[ElizabethHerts]

Jackie, great, that looks like a good description. Henry kept Thomas Carlyon informed on matters concerning the estate and I have more documents relating to him.

I looked in our two dictionaries but couldn't find an entry for "Hine".