Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Steding, n. Also: stedding, sted(d)yng, (steddyning), steid(d)ing, steidyng, steyding, steading, steeding, stiding, stadeyng, staiding. [e.m.E. (north.) steden (once, 1555); Sted(e n.¹ Also in the later dial.]

1. Land, landed property held under a lease, a farm, comprising land and buildings, = Sted(e n. 4, also, ? specif. farm buildings.Many instances of the type landis and steding(is probably = ‘lands and farms’, but may sometimes (esp. when steding, sing. is used) = ‘lands and buildings.’ In instances where the context clarifies the sense, steding appears to refer chiefly to a whole farm, buildings and land.Also scheip steidingis, = schepe stede (see S(c)hep(e n. 5 (2)), land grazed by sheep.(1) 1472 Liber Melros 591.
Thare kirkis takkis teyndis stedingis malingis manaris [etc.] 1487 Exch. R. IX 470 n. (see Sted(e n. 4). 1509 Reg. Privy S. I 285/1.
The forest stede of the Blakhous … to be haldin … to him … paying thairfor [etc.] … dischargeing his ballies [etc.] … and all utheris his officiaris of the takyn of ony entreis in the said steding 1516 Prot. Bk. Gavin Ros 27.
[[They] shall give to Laurence the half-merk land … with the lease of Dalhannay … Jonet and John shall also give 10 merks money to help him to a] stedyng [and lease as soon as needful] 1521 Liber Melros 631.
[I] sall supple … the forsaid … convent … in settin and rasin of the forsayd landis … and attour … that the said … convent … desyris me … To red or dewoid ony steding or stedingis of the said landis [etc.] 1531–2 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 100.
We haue takin … all … his landis heretages rentis kirkis … teyndis takkis stedingis graynges store places cornis catale possessionis and gudis movabill [etc.] … vnder our speceale protectioun 1536–7 Sc. Hist. Rev. VII 360.
The inhabitaris and tenentis of Galtovnsyd Dornyk and Newsteid quhilkis stedingis and tovnis … is extreme lauborit that thai ar nocht sa fertill … as thai war in auld tymes 1538 Prot. Bk. J. Chepman 23.
I have sett in assedationes to my weilbelovit brother … and … his spouse and to … thair aires and subtenentes … tha my landes and steding callit Dennerles wyt the pertinentis 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 31.
Item, gevin to Alexander Kempt to help him to plenys ane steding, x li. 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III 4/1.
The gudis … upon the steding [of] the xl s. land of Cummerheid 1546 Reg. Great S. 757/1.
To bruke … the proffit of the common takkis and stedingis of the said burgh 1559 Inchcolm Chart. 97.
The saidis Alexander Bell, [etc.] … renuncit … the malingis and ferme stedyngis that thai … hes in tak and lauboryng of the said abbay … And … desyrit the … chalmerlane … to sett the landis and thair steding to ane ressonable dewite … [The chamberlain replied] his lordschip … hes gevin me expres power … to … cheis … gud housband men that kennis … the availl and commoditeis of ȝour stedingis … and quhat mycht be ane ressonabill sett of the samyn stedingis to tenentis 1566 Rep. Menzies MSS 9.
We pray … ȝou to permitt thaim to occupie and manure the same landis and stedingis 1567 Prot. Bk. Gilbert Grote 72.
[The two merkland in Knokinhair and the one merkland in Coggisheid, which pertained to his father in] kyndlie stedingis 1569 Reg. Privy C. II 68.
Thair steding of the four merk land of Eistir Newtoun, houssis, biggingis and yairdis thairof a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 317/63.
That na man wald for steding tak nor teynd Displeis thair nychtbour 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xlii 719, 729.
Gif that ane man had stedingis ten … quhidder were it better … Till labour ane of thame onlie … Or in ilk steding teill ane rig 1584 Edinb. Test. XIII 195.
He leuis his wyf to be maister of the hous & steding(b) 1482 Reg. Morton II 245.
Skathles of all maner of intromittyngis, mone, steddingis, obligacionis or guddis quhatsumeuer 1497 Reg. Morton II 248.
The said Robert … to set ony steddingis or takis of the said landis bot at his avn fre wile 1537 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 186 (see Sted(e n.¹ 4 (b)). 1546 Montgomery Mem. 140.
Sall nocht … intromett vyth the roumes, steddynings, … takkis or landis at partenis to athir of thame 1549 Compl. 123/29.
I am exilit fra my takkis and fra my steddyngis 1596 Dalr. I 106/25.
To thame [sc. preists] for thair trauel publiklie is ordayned thair sustentatione, steddings directed, houses appoynted 1596 Dalr. I 107/32.
In thair houses the noble menis sones thay … brocht vpe, and now ȝoung men, mariet thame furth, and put thame in steddings(c) 1501 Red Bk. Menteith II 304.
Steiddingis 1522–3 Fife Sheriff Ct. 276.
Thai being pure bodys & hes na takkis nor steidingis of thar awine bot seruandis & lauboraris of the grond 1532–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 129.
That Robert Toddryk … suld nocht gef our his steiding quhyll Vytsonday and hes pait his mail deuly 1533 Prot. Bk. J. Brydin No. 199.
Steydingis c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 165.
Put na pure tyke frome his steiding 1537 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. I 70.
Archebald Dunbar is rentallit in the steidyng callit the Layncoyt, with the steylebole gudis tharwith 1549 Compl. 135/18. c1550 Corr. M. Lorraine 438.
Johne Otterburne of the Ryd Hall hes said that he hes the landis of Monynettis in herytege. … Trowth it is my lord my husband set that steiding to his father 1567–8 Reg. Privy S. VI 41/2.
The steiding of the twa merk land and ane half of Nethir Barbeth quhilk the said Petir had in mailling 1598 Brechin Test. I 174.
For the meall of his steidding … xxxiij lib. vj s. viij d. c1615 Breve Cron. Earlis Ross 21.
To give the … laird of Balnagown … certain steiding and fishings … the … laird of Balnagown … to receive such lands as after follows, in feu gratis, viz. Ardgay, ane davoch of lands of great bounds of gressings; the kirktown of Kincardine; Yaire, and salmond fishing of the same … ; the town of Eddertoun and pendicles thereof which will hold twenty-three ploughs [etc.](d) 1552 Douglas of Morton (App. C.) 792.
The said Jonet … shall leif all roumes and steadings which pertainit to her said umquhile spouse … to the said James 1685 Trial and Process of High Treason against Robert Baillie 61.
[He has] forfaulted … all and sundry his lands … tacks, steadings, rooms, possessions [etc.](e) a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 306.
That the lands called the debateable lands be visited that it may be known how much thereof is claimed by the brokin men of the countrey to be their steedings(f) 1533 Acts Sederunt i 13.
In brouking of thair landis, rentis, heretagis, takkis, stidingis, offices and rowmes(g) 1542 Prot. Bk. J. Crawford 15b.
Stadeyng 1572 Bk. Dunvegan I 35.
My haill heritages landis takis staidingis roumes [etc.](2) 1530 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 10.
The … erle of Eglyntoun sal gif our his entres … of the stedyng of the Law with the mylne and pertinentis of the sammyne to the said Robert … for the quhilkis … the said Robert … sall … remitt … the slauchter of the saidis Robertis cheif 1539–40 Prot. Bk. J. Chepman 15.
[The old queen leased] le steding [of North Bowhill to John Jhonson] 1542 James V in Liber Melros II 641.
We charge ȝou that ȝe … remoif … the gudis being vpoun the steding of Langley with the pertinentis pertening to our said abbay of the samin and entir James Hoppringle … and put his gudis vpoun the samin … for it is our will that he brouk the said steid 1549 Soc. Ant. XI 89.
The said Erle ressait him within his place and fortilice of Gernego, and thairefter mantenit him in his steding of Substerwyk 1550–1 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 106.
The mailis of our landis & foreststedis vnderwrittin that is to say the steding and landis of Fawsyid 1558 Reg. Privy S. V i 113/1.
Ane lettir of tak … of all and haill the steding and landis of Blindly, tour, maner place and woddis thairof and of the steding and landis of Caldenheid with the pasture and bone lesure thairof with thair pertenentis 1569 Reg. Privy C. I 676.
Peciabill possessioun of the landis and stedingis of Cullard and Conege, under crop as it is 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 12 June.
The tak rowme & steding of Overblarak 1589 Exch. R. XXII 67.
Johnne Stewart of Tracquair, rentalar of the steidingis of Gaithop [etc.] 1680 Retours II Inq. Spec. Roxburgh (273).
Terris et prædiis lie steedings de Westlies(3) 1566 Reg. Privy S. V ii 145/1.
The mailis … of the townis and landis of Clane with the place yairdis medois orcheardis [etc.] … adjacent to the towne … and als the tua scheip steidingis pertening and adjacent thairto callit [the] Manis Hill

b. In steding, by leasehold. 1589 Reg. Privy C. IV 387.
[The lands of Robertland and Aikatt belonging to them heritably, and the] rowme [of Bordland, held by the said Alexander] in steding [of the Earl of Cassillis] 1565–6 Reg. Privy S. V ii 65/2.
Ane lettir of tak maid … to James Chalmer of Gaitgirth … of … oure soveranis landis of Newpark … presentlie occupiit be the said James … and that … he hes had and broukit in kindlie steiding of befoir 1611 Douglas of Morton (App. A) 698.
[He was to give them a sufficient tack of the … lands for nineteen years … and thereafter they and their heirs were to have the said lands] in stedding and takkis perpetually

2. The site of a building, etc. = Sted(e n.¹ 5. 1689 Rothesay B. Rec. 1013.
The stading of the new hous payes three shillings four penyes 1692 Conv. Burghs IV 640.
The best house that is fermed, with malt steeding, brewhouse, corne, bairne yaird and croft, is not aboue twenty pownd Scots