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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

(Nichbourhede,) Nychbourheid, Nichtbourhed(e, Nighbour-, Nightbourheid, n. Also: nycht-, nyght-, (nytch-), -boure-, -bowr-, -bur(e)-, -bwr-, -bor-, and -head(e, -haid, -het; and Nichbo(u)red. [Sc. var. of Nechbourhede n. Cf. also Neborhed.]

1. Friendly relations between neighbours (in senses 1 and 3 of Nichbour n.); neighbourly conduct, friendly co-operation between neighbours.Also gude nichbourhede, id. Evill nichbourhede, unfriendly dealings or refusal of co-operation, with a neighbour.(1) 1545 Thanes of Cawdor 167.
Forsamekill as the sadis personis haifand in rememberans the bluid, allya, frenschipe and nychbourheid 1547 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 8.
For the cowmonweill of nychtburheid betweyn ws … we haiff excambiyng [etc.] 1566 Reg. Privy C. I. 471.
That gude nychtbourheid and abstinence fra all displesour and invasioun be observit amangis the haill liegis 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott. 37 b.
For quiettles and guid nychtbourheid to be had … thay ar contentit … that [etc.] 1582 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 770. 1604 Ellon Par. 49.(2) 1570–2 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxii.
That … this realme shall continew in gude nychtbourheade … with England 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 216. 1579 Ib. III. 255. 1596 Dalr. II. 90/20.
The Inglismen turneng this schipwrak to thair proper vse forȝhet al nychtbourheid, humanitie and kyndnes Ib. 345/25.
The tranquillitie, mutual peice and true nychtbourheid … betueine the Inglis and Scotis bordiris(3) 1626 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 248.
I sal be very lothe to be hard for evill nychtborhead with any, in speciall with the toune of Aberdene 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 247.
[Because the said Michael Anderson threatens the said James] with ewill nichbourheid

2. Passing into: Friendly relations or good conduct within a community of ‘neighbours’ (Nichbour n. 2); observance of the rules and principles governing good relations within such a burghal or other community; mutual obligations of the members of a community.e.g. as to non-infringement of one another's rights and co-operation in communal and mutual tasks and duties.Also gude nichbourheid, to kepe or hald (gude) nichbourheid, and aith (= oath) of (lawfull) nichbourheid.(1) 1460 Peebles B. Rec. I. 136.
Borgh for James the Wach nychbwrhed and bowromall Jhon the Wach, and Jhon Dykeson borch for the sayd Thom Jhonsoun of hys nychburhed and of hys bowromall 1514 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 151.
To … big vp the said heid dykes … becaus thai wer wairnit of before … to mak thame sufficiently conformand to nychtbourheid 1527 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 91.
Swyne unabyll to be haldin in nychtbourheid within the burgh without ȝoikis 1533 Dumfries B. Ct. 136 b.
I se I can get na nychtborhede bot we sall deyll it with our neiffs. Cum doun off jugement owt of the bar 1540 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 11 Sept.
Ordanis him be ressoun of nychbourheid big up the waist 1574 Reg. Privy C. II. 417.
Putting of the saidis gudis in ane unlauchfull punfauld and withhalding of thame by ordour of nychtbourheid 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 12.
That the disqueyttaris of the common fellowship of nichtbourheid within burgh … be punisched 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 110.(2) 1424 Dumbarton B. Rec. App. ii. 2.
To by and sel as gude nytchburhede walde, frely and passabilly 1582–3 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 263.
Jhonne Richertsoun … to remove … his treyne chop laitlie biggett … because the sam is contrair to guid nychtbourheid 1593 Perth Hammermen 103.
And to be dischairgit of gude nychtbowrhaid, borrowing or lenning, eitting or drinking 1618 Conv. Burghs III. 64.(3) 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 177.
The ourman quhilk the abbot assignis for kepyn of gud and suet nichtburhed Ib. 197. 1521 Misc. Spald. C. V. 293.
Thai sal keip gud nighburhed and the lands fra guld 1550 Elgin Rec. I. 107. 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 220. 1587 Waus Corr. II. 415. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Bvrlaw.
Byrlaw: … lawes maid be husbandmen concerning nichtbour-heid to be keiped amangis themselues 1646 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 132. 1661 Rothesay B. Rec. 292. 1665 Forbes Baron Ct. 265.
They sall keip guid nightbourheid and … sall not neither flytt … nor [etc.] 1674 Ib. 297.(4) 1588 Burntisland B. Ct. 4 Oct.
Williame Cokburne was creat and maid fremane and burges off the said burght and deponit his aith off lawfull nychtbourhaid 1592 Ib. 17 Nov. 1609 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 68.
Alexander Lockard … was … entered burges … and gave his aith of nyghtborhead

3. Friendship displayed, or (chiefly) assistance or co-operation rendered, by one neighbour, or member of a community of ‘neighbours’, to another.Chiefly to do, hald, kepe, schaw or use (gude) nichbourheid to (towardis) or with dative pron.(1) 1471 Peebles B. Rec. I. 167.
That ilk man kep nychburhed in ȝardyn 1501 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 118.
To kep him nychtburhede 1549 Elgin Rec. I. 99.
Fyve firlottis aittis for the schayth she sustenit throch non-keping of his nychborheid to her 1571 Bann. Memor. 114.
What gude nychtborheid and freindschip the captane of the castell hes vsed towardis them 1572 Prestwick B. Rec. 73.
That euire man sall byge his dyk sufficient … for … keiping gud nychtbureheid to thair cumrowis 1573–4 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 3. 1574 Reg. Privy C. II. 405. 1588 Ib. IV. 339.
Schoiring thame … with death giff thay shew ony kynd of nychtbourheid to him 1603 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 43.
That the said Robert suld find sufficient nichtbourheid in plewching to the said Gilbert 1603 Inverness Rec. II. 7. 1634 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 13 Feb.
Souertie and cautioner … for keiping the Kingis peace and gude nichtbourheid to the said Robert Harwie 1650 Misc. Spald. C. V. 230.(2) 1567 Glasgow Prot. V. 98.
He biggand his pairt of the merche dykis, and using wther nychtbourheid as nychtbouris suld do 1603 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. 43.
He fand na nichtbourheid quhairthrow the land lay waist 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 70.
[The said James Richardson … yet] … delays to doe aney dewtie ether in hirding, walking, keeping up of dyks or uther nighbourheid

4. (Disputes, inquiries, complaints, etc.) of (also in) nichbourhede, concerning mutual relations between neighbours, as of boundaries. 1499 Exch. R. XI. 395.
That the balye hald foure balye courtis … for the seing of the said thingis [regulations for forests] and reforming of plantis of nychtbourhed 1526 Carnwath Baron Ct. 54.
To the inqueist in nychtburhed betuix Mossat & Grenfeild & Volfroddis the inqueist ordanis dykis to be maid about corn & medo 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 12.
The thre baillies and ane parte of the counsale past to vise and decyde the questione of lyneyng and nychtbourheid betuix [etc.] 1584–5 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 396.
The said dene of gild … to beir the haill burding in decyding all questiouns of nichtbourheid, and na nichtbouris wark to be stayet bot be him 1596 Glasgow Chart. II. 567. 1605 Ib. I. i. dcx. 1605 Glasgow Merchants House 92.
Quhatsumevir personne … dois wrang to his nychtbor in biging, planting, teilling or lowsing of martch stainis or ony vther offence of nichtborheid 1631 Linlithgow B. Rec. 11 Mar.
The bailleis … to goe and sicht the wrong of nichtbourheid betuix William Bell and Johne Bell

b. Act of (also maid for) nichbourhede. 1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 363.
For breikin of the act maid for nychtborheid 1659 Melrose Reg. Rec. MS. 23 Apr.
And for preventing of further … destroying [of crops] … he desyres ane act of nichtbovrhead 1666 Ib. 14 Apr.
[The bailie] ordeans the samyne to stand as ane act of nighbourhead betuix the sades parties [to a dispute over boundaries] 1672 Ib. (ed.) II. 312.

c. A case of this sort, a dispute between neighbours concerning boundaries, property rights and the like. d. Appar. also, the site or sites concerned in such a dispute. 1553 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 182.
Anent nychtbourheidis … for stancheing of the grete wrangis … done … be the nychtbouris of the burgh and vtheris biggand or reperelland landis within the samyn [etc.] 1566 Ib. III. 224.
That thai sall convene ilk Fryday … and thair to ressawe awld billis of nychtbourheidis … and thairefter to pas and wesey the samyn 1600 Ib. V. 272.
That article concerning the visyeiting of nichtbourheidis … quhen the deyne of gild … passis to visie ony nichtbourheid 1667 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 172.
[The liners reported] that they part ther lie land … with consent of ther nightbours, bot for the Eister Langlie nightbourheid they know nothing of it

e. Nichtbourheid buke, in Edinburgh, a register in which were recorded the decisions of the Town Council or the Dean of Guild in cases of this sort.See further Marguerite Wood ‘The Neighbourhood Book’, Bk. O. Edinb. C. XXIII. 82 ff. 1579–80 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 144.
The provest, baillies and counsall ordanis George Mak to remove the watter spoutt biggit be him … and thair clark to forme ane decreit vpoun the supplication … and insert the samyn in thair nichtbourheid buke 1580 Ib. 181.
The denes of gild … to se that the saidis vnlawes be vpliftet, and thai to be chairget thairwith in thair comptis be the nychtbourheid buik

5. a. The community of people living in a certain town or place. 14.. Acts I. 702/2.
Gif ther be ony confederacioun … betwene ony of the toun thru the quhilk the nychtburhede is wrangwisly greffyt 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 160.
Gif ony man fyndis a thef … he aw to raise cry apon him … & that cry within the nychtburhed

b. (Acceptance into) fellow-citizenship; (admission to) membership of the burghal community. 1508–9 Perth Guildry 160 (19 Jan.).
That the dene of gild mak na freman nor gildbruther but the counsale & consent of the gret counsale of the toun & quhame thay ar content & pleysit of to haue in cumpany & nichtbourheid 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 92.
Ressavit be the compter fre Cowper … for ane nychburheid, xls. Item, fre William M^cMoran for his nychburheid, xx s.

6. Nonce use as a formal style of address. 1468 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 24.
[Provost and Council of Edinburgh to Provost and Council of Aberdeen:] Richt honorable … schiris and wele beluwyt nichtburis … and this we declair and certyfiis to your nichtbourhedis be thir presentis

7. The vicinity, the neighbouring district. 16.. Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 206.
The burieing place of that noble family with some of the gentry in the nighbourhead their relations