reset, resett
receipt of stolen goods, knowing them to be stolen.
Your Scottish Archives Glossary
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”
resignation
the action by which a feuar restored his lands to his feudal superior. Resignation into the hands of the superior was either for the purpose of a re-grant to a third party (resignation in favorem) or, less commonly, to remain in the superior’s own hands (resignation ad remanentiam); see novodamus, procuratory of resignation.
respect des fonds
the principle of maintaining records according to how they were originally created and accumulated (see also provenance).
respite, letters of
letters granted by the Crown which put a delay or stay on something usually granted for the purpose of delaying any court sentence against the person to whom they were granted, but they could be to stop him being pursued for debt; such letters were usually granted to people abroad on the king’s service.
responde book
a record kept by the Exchequer recording all duties arising out of non-entries and reliefs which were payable by heirs to lands of which the Crown was the superior.
restriction
limits on access to or use of archives, typically to ensure compliance with legislation (such as data protection or copyright) or to prevent damage. An archive service may offer alternatives, such as redacted copies to protect personal information or digital copies to protect heavily used records from handling damage.
rests
a Scots term for arrears