Kelly's Handbook Glossary
Kelly’s Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes 1901 includes key events in the lives of the featured individuals, as well as basic genealogical details. The entries are arranged alphabetically by surname and then by forename, and give a fascinating snapshot of each person’s life as at 1901; notably a census year.
For reasons of space, the entries use many abbreviations. Some (such as b for born) are self-explanatory but others are less obvious for the modern reader. Here are the abbreviations used in the 1901 Directory, taken from the opening pages of the book:
| Abbreviation | Explanation | Abbreviation | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.A.G. | Assistant Adjutant General | hon. | Honourable |
| A.A. and Q.M.G. | Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-Master-General | h.p. | half pay |
| A.B.A.A. | Associate of the British Archaeological Association | (H.R.) | Home Ruler |
| abp | Archbishop | H.R.H. | His or Her Royal Highness |
| A.B. or B.A. | Bachelor of Arts | I.C.S. | Indian Civil Service |
| adj | Adjutant | I.S.C. | Indian Staff Corps |
| adj.-gen | Adjutant-General | I.S.O. | Imperial Service Order |
| adv.-gen | Advocate-General | inc. | Incumbent |
| A.D.C. | Aide-de-Camp | insp. | Inspector |
| A.F. | Admiral of the Fleet | insp.-gen.of hosp. | Inspector-general of the hospitals |
| A.G. | Attorney General | Ir. | Irish |
| A.INST.C.E. | Associate of the Institution of Civil Engineers | Irel. | Ireland |
| aldmn. | Alderman | J.P. | Justice of the Peace for the county of. |
| A.M. or M.A. | Master of Arts | K.C. | King’s Counsel |
| A.Q.M.G. | Assistant-Quarter-Master-General | K.C.B. | Knight Commander of the Bath |
| A.R.A. | Associate of the Royal Academy of the Arts | K.C.H. | Knight Commander of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order |
| A.R.A.M. | Associate of Royal Academy of Music | K.C.M.G. | Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George |
| A.S.CORPS | Army Service Corps | K.C.S.I. | Knight Commander of the Star of India |
| asst.-com-miss.-gen. | Assistant-Commissary-General | K.C.T.S. | Knight Commander of the Toweer and Sword |
| B.A. | Bachelor of Arts | K.C.V.O. | Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |
| B.C.L. or L.L.B. | Bachelor of Civil Law | K.G. | Knight of the Order of the Garter |
| B.C.S. | Bengal Civil Service | K.H. | Knight of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order |
| Bo.C.S. | Bombay Civil Service | K.P. | Knight of the Order of St. Patrick |
| B.D. | Bachelor of Divinity | knt.leg.hon. | Knight of the Legion of Honor |
| B.M. or M.B. | Bachelor of Medicine | K.T. | Knight of the Order of the Thistle |
| B.S. | Bachelor of Surgery | K.T.S. | Knight of the Tower and Sword |
| B.S.C. | Bengal Staff Corps | lieut. Or lt. | Lieutenant |
| Bo.S.C. | Bombay Staff Corps | lt.-col. | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| B.SC | Bachelor of Science | (L.) | Liberal |
| b. | Born | L.C.J. | Lord Chief Justice |
| barr. | Baronet | L.F.I.Inst. | life Fellow Imperial Institute |
| bp | Bishop | L.L.D. | Doctor of the Laws |
| (c.) | Consesrvative | L.L.M. | Master of Laws |
| C.A. | County Alderman | L.R.C.P.Lon. | Licentiate of Royal College of Physicians, London |
| Cath. | Catholic | (L.U.) | Liberal Unionist |
| chm. | Chairman | M.A. | Master of Arts |
| comm. | Commander | M.B. | Bachelor of Medicine |
| C.B. | Companion of the Bath | M.C.S. | Madras Civil Service |
| C.C. | County Councillor | M.D. | Doctor of Medicine |
| C.C.S. | Ceylon Civil Service | M.Inst.C.E. | Member of Institute of Civil Engineers |
| C.I. | Order of the Crown of India | M.P. | Member of Parliament |
| C.I.E. | Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire | M.R.A.S. | Member of Royal Asiatic Society |
| C.J. | Chief Justice | M.R.C.P. | Member of Royal College of Physicians |
| C.M.G. | Companion of St. Michael and St. George | M.R.C.S. | Member of Royal College of Surgeons |
| C.S.I. | Companion of the Order of the Star of India | M.R.S.P.W.C. | Member of Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours |
| comm.-gen | Commissary-General | M.S.C. | Madras Staff Coprs. |
| C.V.O. | Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order | m | married |
| d. | deceased | marq. | Marquess |
| dau | Daughter | mil. | militia |
| dep.-adv.-gen. | Deputy-Advocate-General | mil.sec. | Military secretary |
| D.A.A.G. | Deputy-assistant-Commissary-General | M.R. | Master of the Rolls |
| D.A.Q.M.G. | Deputy-Assistant-Quarter-Master-General | M.R.C.P.Lon. | Member of the Royal College of Physicians, London |
| D.L. | Deputy-Lieutenant for the County of. | M.R.I. | Member of Royal Institute |
| dow. | Dowager | M.R.I.A. | Member of Royal Irish Academy |
| D.C.L. | Doctor of Civil Law | M.R.I.P.W.C. | Member of Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours |
| D.D. | Doctor of Divinity | M.S. | Master of Surgery |
| D.Sc | Doctor of Science | Mus.B. | Bachelor of Music |
| D.C.O. | Companion of the Distinguished Service Order | Mus.D. | Doctor of Music |
| Eng. | Englist | M.V.O. | Member Royal Victorian Order |
| ext. | Extinct | (N.) | Nationalist |
| F.C.S. | Fellow of the Chemical Society | N.I. | Native Infantry |
| F.G.H.S. | Fellow of the Genealogical and Historical Society | O.M. | Order of Merit |
| F.G.S. | Fellow of the Geological Society | preb. | prebendary |
| F.I.Inst. | Fellow of the Imperial Institute | pres. | president |
| F.L.S. | Fellow of the Linnean Society | P.C. | Privy Councillor |
| F.M. | Field Marshall | P.R.S. | President of Royal Society |
| F.P.S. | Fellow of Philosophical Society of Great Britain | Q.C. | Queen’s Councsel |
| F.R.A.S. | Fellow of Royal Astronomical Society | Q.M.G. | Quartermaster-General |
| F.R.B.S. | Fellow of the Royal Botanic Society | Q.V. | Quod vide (which see) |
| F.R.C.I. | Fellow of the Royal College of Organists | (R.) | Radical |
| F.R.C.P. | Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians | R.A. | Royal Artillery |
| F.R,C,S, | Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons | R.A. | Royal Academician |
| F.R.G.S. | Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society | R.A.M.C. | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| F.R.Hist.S. | Fellow of Royal Historical Society | R.C. | Roman Catholic |
| F.R.Hort.S. | Fellow of the Royal Horticultural Society | R.D. | Rural Dean |
| F.R.Inst.B.A. | Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects | R.E. | Royal Engineers |
| F.R.Met.S. | Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society | R.F.A. | Royal Field Artillery |
| F.R.M.S. | Fellow of Royal Microscopical Soceity | rec. | Recorder |
| F.R.S. | Fellow of the Royal Society | rect. | Rector |
| F.R.S.A.Irel | Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland | R.G.A. | Royal Garrison Artillery |
| F.R.S.E. | Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh | R.H.A. | Royal Horse Artillery |
| F.R.S.L. | Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature | R.I.M. | Royal Indian Marine |
| F.S.A. | Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries | R.M. | Royal Marines |
| F.S.S. | Fellow of the Statistical Society | R.M.A. | Royal Marine Artillery |
| F.S.SC.A. | Fellow of the Society of Science and Art, of London | R.M.S. | Royal Meteorological Society |
| F.Z.S. | Fellow of Zoological Society | R.N. | Royal Navy |
| G.C.B. | Knight Grand Cross of the Bath | R.N.R. | Royal Naval Reserve |
| G.C.H. | Knight Grand Cross of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order | r.f.p. | retired on full pay |
| G.C.I.E. | Knight Grand Commander of the Indian Empire | S. | Socialist |
| G.C.S.I. | Grand Master of the Star of India | SCO. | Scotch |
| grdau. | Granddaughter | S.G. | Solitor-General |
| grs. | Grandson | supt. | superintendent |
| Gt.B. | Great Britain | U.K. | United Kingdom |
| H.A.C. | Honourable Artillery Company | U.S. list | on the unemployed supernumerary list |
| H.E. | His Excellency | visc. | Viscount |
| H.E.I.C.S. | Honourable East India company’s Service | vol. | volunteers |
| H.M.I.N. | His Majesty’s Indian Navy | V.C. | Victoria Cross |
| heripres. | Heir presumptive | V.D. | Volunteer Officers’ Decoration |
| (hon.) | Honourable by the right of office | V.P. | Vice-President |