glossary of archaic Scots terms B

BAILIE (baillie, bailzie), magistrate in a burgh or in a barony, officer employed to give seisin or formal possession of land. Bail(i)ery, the bailie's area of jurisdiction

BAIRN, barne, 1. young person, youth (as opposed to contemporary use, child or infant) 2. Schoolboy or chorister

BALLANDIS (for maddir), balances or scales for madder, a kind of dye stuff or (believed to be) a measure.

BARON COURT, within a barony, a tribunal presided over by the baron or his deputy (baillie)

BARONY free, an estate holding of the crown, and erected by crown charter into a barony, with power to hold courts, inflict penalties, etc.; see s. Regality, Sheriffdom.

BEAR, bere, barley. Bear-sawing, bear-seed; 1. Seed barley 2. Barley sowing season

BEARER, coal carrier, often a girl or woman, who carried the coal in baskets from the face to the shaft

BENT SILVER, financial contribution from children at school to pay for 'bent grass' to cover the floor

BEST AUCHT, the most valuable possession (animal, article) that may be claimed by a superior on the death of his tenant

BIRLAW COURT, local court for lesser disputes. Birlaw man, person elected to the function of judge in such a court

BLACK HOUS, thatched Highland hut of stone and turf, central fireplace on earthen floor

BLACK WARD, holding in ward by a subvassal of a different vassal who himself is held in ward of his superior

BLENCH FERME (also blench-duty), mode of land-tenure, a nominal or peppercorn rent ; cp. Blanch rent, or Free blench. Blench holding, the holding of land under this system of tenure

BLOKIT, sex ellis of lange, bargained for ; cp. Blok, a bargain.

BLUDE ROLL, list of those accused of bloodshed. Bludewite, bludeweck; guilty of or liable to such a charge

BODDOCH, (contemp. mutchkin); liquid measure equivalent to three-quarters of a pint

BODILY, personal (e.g., bodily oath, great bodily oath), solemn oath personally given.

BOLL, the heaped measure of that name, most commonly equivalent to six bushels, e.g., boll's oatmeal (measures of oatmeal), bear meal (barley meal), victual (grain generally). Also a valuation of land according to the quantity of bolls it produced

BONDAGE, binage, bonnage, service owed and performed by a farmworker for the farmer

BONE WARK, bonday wark, service, unremunerated work as part of tenant service, bone/bonday plewis, unpaid ploughing as part of tenant service, bone/bonday silver money paid in lieu of service

BOOKING, tenure of, system of land tenure in Paisley burgh necessitating an entry on the burgh register

BOOKS OF DISCIPLINE, Two volumes containing the laws of the Reformed Church, adopted 1560 and 1581. Also referred to education.

BORDER WARRANT, a warrant for the seizure of the effects and person of a man in England for debts owed in Scotland.

BORDEL, brothe. Bordeler; brothel-keeper (occasionally, a frequenter of brothels)

BOROW, borrow, stand surety on behalf of (bail). borch, broch, borowis; bail, surety

BOUNTY, extra sum paid to fishermen at end of season's fishing, over and above that received for fish caught

BOW, 1. herd of cattle, cattle-stock, (usually cows) 2. Sealed church missive

BRANKS, iron bridle/gag, for the public punishment of the likes of abusive language

BREVE (brief), a writ from chancery authorizing an inquest or service. Breve, brief of inquest: writ directing the sheriff (or bailies in a burgh) to try the validity of a claimant's title. Breve, brief of mortancestry: writ directing an inquest into a claim that the plaintiff is entitled to property/land formerly possessed by an ancestor and now wrongfully held by another

BRODER (brodir, broder, broyr, brudir, brethyr, bredther, brither), brother. ep. Fayr, Moyr, Modir.

BRODER BARN, brother's offspring Broderdochter, brother's daughter; broderson, brother's son

BURGAGE, burgh law. 2. form of tenure under which land in a royal burgh is held by the king (or the land itself)

BY, apart from, e.g., "be and by the law," according to and apart from the law.

One of the earliest myths of British history, there were two distinct versions of the legend of Brutus, the older one being found in Nennius, received at an early period by the Scottish and Irish Celts. It is recounted in the opening stanzas of the 'Duan Albanach', which was sung or recited at the coronation of Scottish kings through to Alexander II. It tells of how Brutus and Albanus, the two sons of Isacon (Ascanius), first conquered the island dividing it up between them, naming their respective lands 'Briutain' and 'Alban'. The following version is dated ca. 1070....

A eolchan uile,

A shluagh feuta foltbhuidhe,

Cia ceud ghabhail, an eol diubh,

Ro ghabhasdair Albanbruigh.

Albanus ro ghabh, lia a shlogh

Mac sen oirderc Isicon,

Bathair is Briutus gan brath,

O raitear Alba eathrach.

Ro connarb a brathair bras,

Briotus tar muir n-Icht n-amhnas,

Ro Gabh Briutus Albain Ain,

Go rinn fhiadhnach Fotudain.

O all ye learned of Alban (Scotia)

Ye well-skilled host of yellow hair,

What was the first invasion - is it known to you?

Which took the land of Alban?

Albanus possessed it, numerous his hosts,

He was the illustriuous son of Isacon,

He and Briutus were brothers without deceit,

From him Alban of ships has its name.

Briutus banished his active brother

Across the stormy sea of Icht,

Briutus possessed the noble Alban,

As far as the conspicuous promontory of Fotudain