Daily Ancestorquarter days
Quarter days were the four English dates when rents and debts fell due: Lady Day (March 25), Midsummer (June 24), Michaelmas (September 29) and Christmas.
The English quarter days were Lady Day on March 25, Midsummer Day on June 24, Michaelmas on September 29 and Christmas Day on December 25. Servants were hired, rents were paid and accounts were settled on these days.
Leases, apprenticeships and account books in colonial America often use them as deadlines. A clause like "payable at Michaelmas" gives you a real date. Scotland had its own term days, which were different.
As seen in a recordRent clause in a lease
to pay yearly at the four usual quarter days
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "quarter days." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/dates-calendar/quarter-days. Last checked 2026-10-01.