forehouse

plural forehouses

1. The front or forward part or room of a house; a foyer.

   Had she been in the fore-house, and no passage to go through to get at the street door, she had certainly been gone.

   1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter CCLXIV”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by John Osborn, […], →OCLC

   4 more examples

   It consisted of a forehouse where he had a table, four chairs, a longsettle, a dresser, his pewter and 'other necessarys' which probably included the hearth furniture and cooking utensils; a parlour with chairs, a coffer and a spinning wheel; [...]

   1978, Raymond Fieldhouse, Bernard Jennings, A history of Richmond and Swaledale - Page 247

   Central-lobby-entry houses overcame this hardship with a front door from which kitchen and forehouse could be entered independently, and by providing the kitchen with its own external rear door.

   1987, Houses of the North York Moors - Page 80

   Richard Eltringham of Auckland St Andrew, farmer, had a forehouse or hall with only one chair, one table, two cupboards, along with brass and [...]

   1990, Joan Thirsk, M. W. Barley, Maurice Willmore Barley, Chapters of The Agrarian History of England and Wales - Page 70

   “[...] When you get up this way, pick it up, will you?” “Sure thing,” he replied. He looked at his watch, 1140 hours. He turned and started toward the forehouse, smiling to himself, rather surprised at the ease with which he had adapted to the maritime twenty-four-hour clock.

   2009, Roger A. Naylor, The Cobra Conspiracy - Page 285