A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1489-1527, 1597-1700+
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Birlawman, Birlayman, n. Also: birla-, berla-, birli-, byrlaw-, birlyman; bourlawman; burlayman, burleyman. Also occasional north-eastern variants: barlaman, barley man, barlaw man, barliman.[Northern ME. birlawman (1432), e.m.E. berlaw-, birla-, byrla- (a 1584), also bierlay (1521), byerley- (1588): see Birlaw n.] One of ‘a species of rustic judges for determining disputes in their neighbourhood’ (Bell).(a) 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. 16.
Curia … tenta in pretorio … per Willelmum Stewart prepositum, … ballivos, … [et] birlawmen 1527 Carnwath Baron Ct. 35 b.
The inqueist ordanis the birlawmen to deliuer hyr the ax 1527 Ib. 50.
The berlamen 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Burlaw.
The quhilk men sa chosen, as judges and arbitrators to the effect foresaid, are commonly called byrlaw men 1609 Stirling B. Rec. I. 122.
The heritouris and possessouris of the aikeris … to cast thair seuches & dykes … at the sicht of the birlamen 1656 Peebles B. Rec. II. 39.
The forsaids persones elected to be birlawmen, all present and acceptand thair office 1661 Forbes Baron Ct. 229.
These four men hes giwin thair oath of fidelitie that they shall be leill and trew birlimen 1664 Ib. 254.
The abow writtin birlamen 1666 Corshill Baron Ct. 72.
James Walker [etc.] … were constitute birlaymen in redding of martches, pryseing of any thing poyndit within the lairdschip, and decideing of any thing debaitable betwixt nychtbour and nychtbour 1685 Ib. 170.
The Judge ordaines two of the birlaymen to view the said land and to even and daill the same1696 Ib. 193.(b) 1655 Stitchill Baron C. 2.
Andro Giffen [etc.] … elected and chosen to be bourlawmen 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 316.
[They did] delate the persewar to the bourlawmen 1712 Stirling B. Rec. II. 127.
To … call the bourlawmen in order to the makeing a hyeway(c) 1664 Melrose R. Rec. II. 107.
The haill burlaymen of the towne 1688 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1868) 36/1.
John Hardie, maltman, and John Tudhope, wright, two ordinary sworne burleymen of the said town and brughe(d) 1614 Misc. Spald. C. V. 218.
It is appointed that the barlamen sall gang to Craigidarge, and ther sall sicht the persones that are infamous 1617 Urie Baron Ct. 24.
It is statut and ordaneit that … [four men] salbe barley men for comprysing and sichting of pryce corneis 1620 Ib. 33.
[Four men] electit, nominat and chossin barlaw men within the barrouny 1636 Misc. Spald. C. V. 226.
That the four tenents … sall labour and manur thair pairts of the towne and lands … laid by to them by the barlamen 1636 Ib.
As the samyne was mithed and merched be the barlimen
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"Birlawman n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/birlawman>
