arch. Also 6 aunchent-, 7–8 antient- [f. ANCIENT + -RY. Cf. pageantry.]
1. The quality or estate of being ancient or very old; ancientness, antiquity; old-fashioned style; seniority, priority.
1580. North, Plutarch (1676), 92. The Nobility and ancientry of their Houses.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, II. i. 80. The wedding manerly modest, as a measure full of state and aunchentry.
1661. S. Morgan, Sph. Gentry, IV. iii. 52. A Baron must go after the ancientry of his Creation.
1742. West, Lett., in Gray’s Poems (1775), 144. They contain not one word of antientry.
1789. H. Walpole, in Miss Berry’s Corr., I. 175. I allow my ancientry and that I am an old fond, jealous and peevish husband.
1866. J. Ingelow, Poems, 26. It could not fail to find Much proof of ancientry.
1877. Dixon, Diana, I. IV. i. 257. An air of stateliness, reserve, and ancientry.
† 2. Ancient lineage or descent; ancestry, origin.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., 32. The Irish thinke to enoble themselves by wresting their Auncientry from the Spaniard.
† 3. collect. Ancients, elder people, elders. Obs. rare.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Paraphr. Rev. xvii. 4. The florishing and bewtiful rayment wherwith they and theyr auncientries haue garnished and annowrned this whore.
1589. R. Harvey, Plaine Perc., 7. To be infourmed … by the Auncientry of the Parish.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., III. iii. 63. Wronging the Auncientry, stealing, fighting.
4. The ancient or olden time; antiquity.
1755. Croker, Ariosto’s Orl. Fur., XIV. lxxxi. Once they were there; but ’twas in antientry.
1839. Blackw. Mag., XLV. 271.
| I love those tales of ancientry, | |
| Those tales to fancy true, | |
| That bring things back from fairy-land, | |
| In all their glittering hue. |
1855. Bailey, Mystic, 63. Ere all, in ancientry æterne, was God.
5. pl. or collect. Ancient things or relics, antiquities. rare.
1866. E. Waugh, Eawr Folk, in Lanc. Lyrics, 201. There connot be Another pate like his, It ’s o crom-full o’ ancientry, An’ Roman haw-pennies!
