a magistrate in a burgh; but ‘baillies in that pairt’ (part) are representatives appointed to carry out a specific function, usually the giving of sasine. People appointed thus by the Crown are ‘sheriffs in that pairt’. The term can also be used to indicate a farm servant, for example a ‘cow bailie’ was a stockman looking after cattle.

children’s legal share of their parent’s moveable property on death; also called the legitim. It is one-third of the moveable property when the other parent survives, and one-half when both are deceased.

strictly speaking, someone who holds his lands (‘barony’) direct from the Crown, which used to be accompanied by certain privileges, particularly as regards the administration of justice and the right to sit in Parliament (this last limited to the greater barons in the 15th century).

the right of someone holding lands from a former feuar who had granted (usually sold) the lands to him, rather than holding them from the superior of the lands.  It can also be called ‘base fee’.  What would normally happen in such a case, would be that the seller would undertake in the grant to get the buyer infeft by the superior of the land also, so that he would have two titles to it.

Scots term for barley

Scots term meaning on behalf of.

a church living, or revenue received by a person through a role associated with the church, which was based on income from land such as rents, or on teinds.

Scots term meaning beaker; wooden drinking vessel; bowl

document detailing the quantity and type of goods loaded aboard a ship.

Scots term meaning bench; wall rack or shelf for dishes; kitchen dresser; hob on a fireplace; ledge at side of fireplace.

a narrative of the history of an individual or family that provides context to personal or family papers. Often found within an archival catalogue.

or ‘blench holding’.  One of the four conditions, or tenures, in Scots law on which lands could be granted; in this case, the lands were held for nominal payment, usually a ‘penny money’ or a peppercorn or a rose, which was only to be paid if it was asked for (“si tamen petatur” in Latin). This type of holdings was most common when lands had been bought by someone; the seller would be (in theory) the granter of the lands, but in practice would have not further rights in them. If the buyer held the lands from the seller alone, and not from the superior also, he would have a base right.

Scots term meaning cask; butt; barrel; tub

dry measure of weight or capacity which varied according to the commodity and locality, e.g. a boll of meal weighed 140lbs, approximately 63.5kg; valuation of land according to the quantity of bolls it produced; payment in food to a farm labourer.

in general, a written obligation to pay or perform something; a bond of corroboration is an additional confirmation by a debtor of his original debt (for example to the ancestor of the obligor); a bond of caution is an obligation by one person to act as security or surety for another; a bond of relief is an undertaking to relieve such a cautioner from his obligation; a bond of disposition in security was the commonest form of heritable security in the 19th century, combining a personal bond by the borrower with a disposition of the lands on which the sum was secured.  Most unusual was the bond of manrent, an obligation by a free person to become the follower of someone who could protect him, who would in turn, undertake to support and maintain him.

records of the High Court of Justiciary.

alternative name for the Register of Deeds and Probative Writs.

books recording the acts of the Court of Session.

gratuity or gift stipulated in a contract of employment in addition to wages.

Scots term meaning bolster; cushion, used as a form of bedding.