Synodales Testes

Synodsmen; thence corrupted into sidesmen. They were the urban and rural deans, whose office at first was to inform and attest the disorders of the clergy and people in tlieir respective synods. Afterwards they became a sort of grand jury, composed of a priest and two or three laymen of each parish, for informing of offenders. At length, two principal persons from each parish were annually chosen, till, by degrees, the office devolved upon the church-wardens. Tomlins. T. Tabula in nanfragio. A plank in a shipwreck. This phrase is sometimes used figuratively to denote something saved out of a general loss; as a small dividend out of a bankrupt's estate. But a more familiar application is to designate the preference obtained by a third ence of a second mortgage, may, if he acquires the first incumbrance by tacking his third mortgage thereto, receive satisfaction of it before the second. This operation of tacking {q. u.) is compared by Sir Matthew Hale in the case of Marsh;;. Lee, in which the doctrine was established, to the gaining by the third mortgagee of a plank in a shipwreck.