Forms: 5 Englisherie, 7 englechery, -esherie, Englichiré, -ishiré, -ishrye, 8 Englecerie, -eschiré, -escyre, -icherie, 7– Englishry. [ad. Afr. englecherie, f. englesche, ad. ME. englisch, ENGLISH; see -RY.]
1. The fact of being an Englishman. Chiefly in legal phrase Presentment of Englishry: the offering of proof that a slain person was an Englishman, in order to escape the fine levied (under the Norman kings) upon the hundred or township for the murder of a ‘Frenchman’ or Norman.
Bracton, followed by the legal antiquaries of the 17th c., represents this as the continuation of a similar practice under the Danish kings; but no evidence to that effect seems to be known.
[c. 1292. Britton, I. vii. (1865), 38. Et volums qe nul murdre soit ajugie par la ou acun parent al mort peuse estre trové, qi peuse monstrer qe il fust Engleys, et issi presenter de ly Englescherie.]
1620. J. Wilkinson, Treat. Coroners & Sherifes, 8 b. By a stat. made 14 E. 3. c. 4. the presentment of Englechery was wholly abrogated and adnulled.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. xl. (1739), 62. This custom lasted long after the Normans time, the Dane being only changed into the Norman, and was called Englishire.
1741. T. Robinson, Gavelkind, II. ix. 275. Before the Presentment of Engleschire was taken.
1861. Pearson, Early & Mid. Ages Eng., 280. Unless proof of ‘Englishry’ were made by the four nearest relatives of the deceased.
1883. Freeman, Impress. U. S., iv. 16. All accepted the statement of what I may call their Englishry.
2. That part of the population, esp. in Ireland, that is of English descent. Obs. exc. Hist.
c. 1470. Harding, Chron., ccxxxi. iv. Loue of all the land He [the duke of York] had amonge the Englisherie alwaye.
1600. Dymmok, Ireland (1843), 6. Such good lawes as tende to the preservation of the Englishrye.
1792. Burke, Lett. Sir H. Langrishe, Wks. 1842, I. 552. The popery laws … as applied between Englishry and Irishry.
1876. Green, Short Hist., vii. § 8 (1882), 434. The … English law … made treasonable any marriage of the Englishry with persons of Irish blood.
b. An English population; English people generally. In a town: An English quarter. rare.
1867. Howells, Ital. Journ., 165. There was, beside numerous Englishry in detached bodies, a troop of Germans.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (ed. 3), I. v. 310. There was an English and a Welsh town, an Englishry and a Welshry.
