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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

S(c)hiref-court, S(c)heref(f)-, Schirra-court, n. Also: schireff(e)-. -aff-, shireff-, -iff-, schirrawe-, shirreff-, schyref-; scherefe-, sherif-, scherref-; schreff-; s(c)hirray(e)-, shyrra-, scherai- and -cowrt, -curt. [S(c)hiref n. and Court n. 3.] A court of law in which justice is administered by the sheriff or his deputy.‘The sheriff court was the king's court or, more properly, the king's baron court, and within his sheriffdom the sheriff was the king's minister, competent to administer justice, both civil and criminal.’ Fife Sheriff Ct. xxvi; see further Ib. pp. xi-xxx.(a) 1428 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXI 143.
The schiraff curt 1447 (1449–50) Reg. Great S. 71/1.
Gevand … to the said Schyr Alex. [supra my scheriff-depute] my full and plaine powar, schyrefcourtis within the said schyrefdome to set, proclame and halde 1478–9 Acta Aud. 77/2.
Gudis takin … for certain vnlawis for falt of apperance to the schiref courtis haldin at Faukland 1495 Liber Aberbr. II 289.
The schireff court til be haldin at Dunde on Alhallowewyn next to cum 1497–8 Acta Conc. II 102.
That the schiref mak him to be arrestit to his next schiref court 1516 Reg. Privy S. I 422/2.
Thai … being apone the inqueist in serving of ane breif of inqueist impetrat … in the schiref court of Are 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 176 (see Fens v. 1). 1537 Reg. Privy S. II 354/1.
Ony personis duelland within the boundis of the lordschip and bailliery of Lauderdaile wer adjugit in the schireff-courtis of the schirefdome of Berwik 1539 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II 358.
Ane of the shiref deputis … compeirit upon the said debateable ground … and thair causit fence a shiref court 1570 Leslie 73.
Be the quhilk it wes certanely knowen quhair and in quhat place justice shuld be ministrated in the justice arys and shiriff courtis c1575 Balfour Pract. 18 marg.
Of schiref courtis. Item, it is statute and ordanit that at the beginning of ilk fourtie dayis, ilk schiref sall hald thair courtis 1584 Rec. Earld. Orkney 161.
Sanct Magnus kirk of Kirkwall quhair the justice courtis and schireff courtis usis to be haldin 1589 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 189.
Be vertew of the preceptis direct … to the haill schirefcourtis, justice aeris or iustice courtis be commissioun 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Schireff.
It is lesum and necessar to the schireffe and his deputes to halde schireffe courtes, for execution of his office 1684 Lauder Observes 134.
The said chancelor was admitted, sworne, and receaved, in a fenced shireff court 1696 Burnett Fam. P.
The laigh tolboth of Aberdeen at that part thairof wher the shirreff & toune courts are in use to be holdine(b) c1420 Wynt. viii 7201.
Scherreff [C. schirrawe] cowrtis throch al his land He [sc. David II] gert be cours hald 1429 Melville Chart. 22.
That ther comperit in the scherefe court … a worthy squiare [etc.] 1499–1500 Elphinstone Mun. 189/1.
Thar … in the sheref court of Striuelin haldin, begoune, and affermyt be me … sheref of Striuelingschir, I chosit ane assise 1518 Chart. Coupar A. II 119.
Schereff court 1528 Renfrew Arch. Coll. I 141.
In the scheref courtis of Linlithgw 1574 Rec. Earld. Orkney 291 (see Hermanstein n.). 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 102.
The scherefe and justice court of the parochin of Tingwall 1656 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 1019.
The shereff courtis within the Stewartrie of Kirkcudbricht(c) 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 30.
And with assent of bayth the partyeis assingnit thaim our schreff court to be haldine on Lammas ewyne nixt following(d) 1453 Melville Chart. 37.
In the tolbouthe of the burghe of Coupar, in the scherai court 1529 Wigtown B. Ct. fol. 221b.
The said Patriyk sall haf the overlavys of the schirraye covrt of blind spoilȝe done vithin the brocht & borrowland 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 98.
That day Thome of Murray, schirray deput, tuk up Jok Almus and Jok Hog and thair ple to the schirray court quhenever it is haldin 1551–2 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 129 (1 Feb.).
Be resson of the schirra court haldine in the tolbuthe bayth the saidis parties convenit in presens of James Forstar ane of the baillies of Dunde 1595 Edinb. B. Rec. V 138.
After halding and fenceing of thair shirray court and accusing of William Sincler, … the baillies [etc.] 1655 Lamont Diary 86.
This was done att Cuper, before Balfarge, shriffe of Fyfe … att the ordinary time of the sitting of the shyrra court

b. attrib. With buke.See also schiref(is buke, S(c)hiref n. 1 h (1). 1558 Treas. Acc. X 377.
To Patrik lord Ruthven for certane unlawis dischargit be hir grace to him in his shereff court buke 1564 Reg. Privy S. I 275.
To deliver to the said James Drummond the sherefcourt bukis 1571 Reg. Privy C. II 94.
Insert and registrat in the sherif-court buikis 1613 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. (ed.) 71.
And registrat in the schiref court buikis of Orknay 1655 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 158.
That thir presentis be insert … in the books of the court of justic, shirreff, commissar or baillie court books of Aberdene 1658 Boyd Fam. P. No. 239 (24 May).
Consenting thir presentis be insert and registrat in the heighe commissioun court buiks of justice or shereff court buiks of Aire