Legal Definitions - filiolus

Filiolus is a historical legal term derived from Latin, referring to a godson.

In historical legal and ecclesiastical documents, this term was used to identify a male child for whom an individual served as a godfather, establishing a relationship that often carried spiritual, and sometimes social or even legal, responsibilities.

• Example 1: Imagine a 17th-century will discovered in an old archive. The document states, "I, Thomas Miller, bequeath to my filiolus, John Smith, the sum of twenty pounds upon his reaching adulthood."

  Explanation: Here, "filiolus" clearly identifies John Smith as Thomas Miller's godson, indicating a recognized relationship that influenced the distribution of property in a legal document of that era.

• Example 2: A medieval parish baptismal register from a European village records an entry: "On the third day of May, in the year of our Lord 1450, was baptized Robert, son of William and Mary. His patrinus (godfather) was Sir Geoffrey, and the child is recorded as his filiolus."

  Explanation: This example illustrates the use of "filiolus" in official church records to formally acknowledge the spiritual kinship between a godfather and his godson, a relationship that was legally significant within the ecclesiastical framework of the time.

• Example 3: In a historical legal dispute concerning the guardianship of an orphaned child in the 15th century, court records might show a petition from a prominent citizen stating his claim to care for the boy, referencing his role as the child's godfather and the boy as his "filiolus."

  Explanation: This demonstrates that the status of "filiolus" could hold legal relevance beyond spiritual matters, potentially influencing decisions about a child's care, upbringing, or even inheritance rights in historical legal systems where the godparent-godchild relationship was formally recognized.