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”
rights which arose out of the occupiers of land being bound (astricted or thirled) to use a particular mill only. Sequels were the little payments made to the miller and servants of a mill in meal, grain, or a money equivalent by those having their corn ground there; they depended on the particular custom of the mill land were variously called ‘bannock, knaveship and lock and gowpin‘. See also multures.
confiscation of a bankrupt’s assets by a court for the use of his creditors.