a measure of linear distance; the inch was a twelfth part of a foot (from the Latin word uncia, meaning ‘a twelfth’, which is also the root of the word ‘ounce’). For details on the difference between the Scottish inch, English inch and imperial inch, see Distance and Area.

Latin term meaning therefore, after.

an agreement in two identical halves written on one sheet which then usually has the word ‘chirograph’ written between the two parts and is cut with a jagged line through that word, each half then being given to a party to the agreement, the principle being that the two halves can authenticate each other when matched up.  But in practice in Scotland, the word is almost entirely applied to a contract in a normal form drawn up between a master and an apprentice.

an ordered list of words or phrases that indicate where information can be found, usually without context or additional information.

the act of giving symbolic possession of land or other heritable property; see sasine, symbols.

the temporary infeftment of a creditor in heritable property as security against a debt or loaned money.

field or land lying nearest to the farm, usually the most fertile ground which was kept continuously under cultivation. See also outfield.

a form of diligence against heritable property.  It is an order in the monarch’s name under the signet, prohibiting a debtor from running up any other debt which might put a burden on his/her heritable property to the disadvantage of his/her existing creditor(s)

an enquiry made by a sheriff of a county and a number of locals as jurymen into a point of fact; it is usually held to establish who is next heir to a piece of heritable property (what can be called an ‘inquisition post mortem’), but they could in theory be about virtually anything.

Scots term for furniture, or household goods.

Latin term meaning ‘this’: used in dates referring to this month, eg: ‘on the 5th inst.’ Meaning on the 5th of this month  

a formal document created by a notary-public and authenticated by him; after the Reformation they are generally instruments of sasine, which constituted the only legal evidence of the giving of possession of a piece of heritable property; before then, they could be about anything that the clients required.

the order made by a court for putting a stay on any unlawful proceeding.

this is a type of restraint imposed by a court, which usually takes the form of a bond; it is imposed by a court on (or assumed voluntarily by) a person who cannot handle his/her own affairs and therefore might be taken unfair advantage of, and its purpose is to prevent him/her from doing anything which might affect his/her estate, without the prior consent of those who are named in the bond.

judgements, orders or pronouncements of a court.

A standard for archival description published by the International Council on Archives to support consistency and facilitate exchange of information including upload to portals and hubs.

taking up the possession and management of property belonging to someone else; it can be legal, when someone is designated as an ‘intromettor with the goods and gear’ of another, or illegal, when it is called ‘vicious intromission’ in which case an heir intromits with the moveable property of his ancestors without right.

to deal with, usually used for dealing with money or property; includes doing this without agreement, by intrusion.

same idea as intromission, but has to do with heritable property not moveable property; it means taking up possession of heritables without any title to do so.

Scots term for inventory, usually of moveable goods.