What does the phrase et ux after a name mean?

Answer 1

Et ux is the abbreviation for the latin et uxor. It means, "and wife". The term comes from the time when the husband and wife were considered to be one person and that person was the husband. The wife's name was not important.

Et ux was commonly used to abbreviate abutter's names in a deed description when those abutters were husband and wife. For example, the deed would state the parcel was bounded on the North by land now or formerly of David Smith; on the East by land now or formerly of James Smith et ux; and on the South and West by the highway.

It was also used in other sections of deeds that did not affect the title such as in the "being clause": Being the same property conveyed to Joseph Sullivan et ux by a deed dated May 31, 1867.It was used in older deed descriptions instead of reciting the wife's name. It was commonly used in abstracts of title and legal documents that involve a husband and wife jointly. It is obsolete.

If used to refer to the parties in the granting clause, et ux would create a title defect since the sellers and buyers would not be named in their entirety.