Daily AncestorRecognizance
A recognizance is a pledge recorded by a court or magistrate in which a person promises to do something, such as appear for trial or keep the peace, or forfeit a sum.
A recognizance works like a bond but is entered on the court's record rather than signed as a separate paper. People were bound in recognizances to appear at court, to keep the peace or to pay a debt.
In several states a recognizance was a kind of bail bond given by a prisoner bound over for trial or taking an appeal. Recognizances entered in court minutes can place a person in the county on a given date.
As seen in a recordCourt minutes, 1800s
Hiram Speck acknowledged himself indebted to the State in $200, with Wm. Bell his security, conditioned for his appearance at the next term
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Daily Ancestor. "Recognizance." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/recognizance. Last checked 2026-10-12.