The Your Scottish Archives Glossary defines archaic words and phrases, mostly Scots law terminology, commonly found in documents and records in Scotland’s archives. If you think a word or phrase should be added to the glossary, or an existing entry could be defined better, please contact us at your@scottisharchives.org.uk.
You can also use the Dictionary of the Scots Language as a further resource at https://dsl.ac.uk/ for Scots words and phrases (including legal terminology).
To find a term within the glossary, click on the initial letter of the word you are looking for, then select the relevant syllable segment displayed below.
Example: to find the term “roup” select section “R” then sub-section “Ro”
a certificate by a law officer that he had served a summons, letter of diligence or some other writ as he had been ordered to do. It was important to get this right, for if the execution wasn’t carried out in exactly the right way, the person summoned, etc. could plead an exception.
the legal administrator of the moveable property of a dead person, either nominated in the deceased’s testament (executor-nominate) or appointed by the Commissary Court or Sheriff Court (executor-dative). Can also be an executor-creditor where a creditor is confirmed as executor for recovery of debt.
female executor.
the whole moveable property of a deceased person; executry papers are those related to the administration of a deceased person’s estate.