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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wadmell, Wedmel(l, n. Also: wadmale, -maill, -meal, -mole, -moll, -miln(e, vadmel(l, waldmaill, wedmaill, -meill, -mill, vedmel(l, wodmell. [ME and e.m.E. wadmoll (1392), wadmale (1404), wedmole (1485), ON vað mál.] In Orkney and Shetland: A kind of coarse woollen cloth, used, along with butter, as payment in kind of taxes on land. Also attrib. 1567 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 82.]
[Skyldendis aarligen j lispundtt smør xvi marck smør och x alne watmaal(a) c1500 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 173.
Vadmell c1500 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 175.
Vadmel 1539 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 144.
Payment of fyve paks of waldmaill and twa barrellis of butter yerele on Alhallowevin to be deliverit to us 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 85.
My landis of Scheitland and the proffeit yeirlie therof extending xxvi lib. butter fyfty twa pak of wadmell, ylk pak the price ane ros noble 1572 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 182.
Viz., binam partem earundem in panno lanio, Norice vocato wadmell 1572 (1575) Reg. Great S. 642/2.
24 cuttellarum panni lanei, vulgo wadmell 1576 Orkney Oppress. 16.
For ilk thrie scoir cuttell quhilk we aught to have payit, he hes compellit ws to pay four scoir cuttell wadmell 1576 Orkney Oppress. 16.
Vptaking our landmale and dewitie, callit wadmaill, with ane wrang mesour 1576 Orkney Oppress. 16.
The lawrichtman, … mesurit oure dewtie, callit wadmell 1576 Orkney Oppress. 18.
Thair clayth, callit wadmell, quhilk is ane dewtie thai pay to the Kingis Majestie for thair scat and landmales yeirlie 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 332.
Wadmole, the eln 1627 Rep. Parishes 227.
The grassoums are payit vsually in money and the landmaills in butter and course cloth called wadmell 1627 Rep. Parishes 230.
Skelberry … Of wadmell 18 s. 2 cuttell and a half 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 18.
The sea by its motion … walkes the cloth very thick; which cloth they call yelt or wadmeal 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 46.
Wadmiln 1661 Acts VII 254/1.
Wadmoll c1650-1700 Descr. Zetland 40.
Wadmilne(b) c1500 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 173.
[Scat] Item Exnabo … iiij s. vedmel 1506 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 200.
Vedmell 1525 Misc. Bann. C. III 109.
I leife to Segreit … twa pak of vedmell and twa kye 1576 Orkney Oppress. 16.
Wedmaill 1588 Exch. R. XXI 326.
For the dewetie of the lordschip of Zetland … first for the dewetie callit wedmell, 167 packis 1595 Skene in Misc. Stair Soc. I 142.
Yeitland payis ane certane dewtie of claith callit wedmell, quhilk is commounlie sauld to Duchemen 1600 Reg. Great S. 339/2.
Wed-meill 1615 Orkney Bp. Ct. (ed.) 72.
Tua shilling wedmell, price of the shilling xxiii s. money c1650-1700 Descr. Zetland 19.
It [sc. land] pays to the master 8 s. of grassums, 8 s. for wedmill, and 8 marks of butter … for each penny(c) 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 19.
Twentie schillingis wodmell 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 150.
That the wodmell of the contrie be maid yeirlie of the awin growth of the wole of that yeir and nocht of the yeir following, and that na wole be bocht or careit out of the contrie ay and quhill the wodmell be first payit 1627 Rep. Parishes 227.
Ilk shilling wodmell is 6 cuttell or 24 s. thairfoirattrib. 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I 206.
This is the gudis … cum in ane schip, the maryneris of Stokholum tane as ane prise … Item, in the first, ane schip of fyr … with hir hale salis of wadmale claith [etc.] 1598 (1600) Reg. Great S. 367/2.
Malcolm … to have the wedmell dett thairof becaus he wantit the samin at his entrie