Besides its ordinary meaning of a written recommendation to character, ''testimonial” has a speclal mean* lng, under SL 39 Eliz. c. 17, { 3, passed in 1597, under which it signified a certificate under the hand of a justice of the peace, testifying the place and time when and where a soldier or mariner landed, and the place of his dwelling or birth, unto which he was to pass, and a convenient time limited for hie passage. Every idle and wandering soldier or mariner not having such a testimonial, or willfully exceeding for above fourteen days the time limited thereby, or forging or coun-terfelting such testimonial, was to suffer death as a felon, wlthout benefit of clergy. This act was repealed, In 1812, by SL 52 Geo. III. c. 31. Mozley & whitley
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
