The authority on old word usage is the Oxford English Dictionary, available
in most major libraries. My 1979 Compact Edition gives these examples for
the first meaning:
1535  Stewart, <ital>Cron Scot<unital> II 354 Calit Gillelmus alias Gilmour
1605 Camden, <ital>Rem<unital> (1614) 147 An <ital>Alias<unital> or double
name cannot prejudice the honest
1607 Shaks, <ital>Coriel<unital> II i 48 Violent teste Magistrates (alias
Fooles)  [Act II, scene 1 line 48?]

The second meaning may be of help:
<ital>Law.<unital> A second or further writ issued after a first had failed
of its effect, so called from the words [Latin] (as we on another occasion
command) which occurred in it. <ital>Obs.<unital>

The first following example is meaningless to me but the book is open and
the magnifying glass at hand, so here it is:
1672 Manley, <ital>Interpr., Alias<unital> Vide <ital>Capias alias.<unital>
1714 Sir W. Scroggs <ital>Pract. Courts<unital> (ed 3) 173 Then the
Plaintiff may have an alias.

Apologies for my inability to provide italicized text properly.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Honor Conklin" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 8:31 AM
Subject: Alias, meaning of


>    Please excuse the cross posting.
>
>     I would like to find out the various situations that the use of
"alias" might be applied in the 1600s.  Does anyone know of a good reference
source on this or perhaps be able to give examples?  I have seen it in
English parish registers and in the Lloyd papers.  I am wondering if the
example below meant that Leverett represented and or signed for Hudson, as I
believe they were two distinct people:
>
> ...Lloyd Papers... p. 15. of a document of 1665 is witnessed:
>
> "Jno: Hudson allias John Leverrett"
>
> Honor