Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PRIVY, adj. Also privie; preevy (Sc. 1834 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1864) IV. 211). Sc. forms and usages in n. combs.: †1. privy censures, in the Presbyterian Church: a meeting of a kirk session or presbytery at which each member was examined separately and questions put to his fellow-members as to his way of conducting himself both in his church duties and in his private life. Cf. parochial visitation, presbyterial visitation; 2. Privy Council, Privie-, see quots.; 3. privy seal, the seal formerly used to authenticate a royal grant of personal or assignable rights.1. Wgt. 1701 G. Fraser Wigtown (1877) 104:
They unanimously resolve, through the Lord's assistance, to have stated meetings for prayer and privie censures at least twice in the year for the time to come.n.Sc. 1840 D. Sage Mem. Domestica (1889) 387:
He, accordingly, made very dolorous statements to the Presbytery at their diets of “privy censure”, just to save his head.Sc. 1885 A. Edgar Old Church Life 229:
The Kirk Session of Mauchline were, if possible, more strict with their own members than with the rest of the community. Not only did they take up all famas and reports against elders, but every year, especially during Mr. Auld's ministry, they held two special meetings for prayers and privy censures, or, as it might be better expressed, for private censures of their own members . . . Such meetings for privy censures date almost from the Reformation. . . . There were also meetings of Presbytery for privy censures.2. Sc. 1753 W. Maitland Hist. Edb. 225:
The chief Magistrate of Edinburgh who is dignified with the Title of Lord Provost . . . before the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England, anno 1707, was usually a Member of the Privy Council.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 785:
The Privy Council of Scotland was so termed, in contradistinction to the Parliament, which was the King's Great Council. The Privy Council consisted of persons chosen by the King to advise with in matters of government and police. They had also a supreme jurisdiction in all questions of wrong which were found to be beyond the cognisance of the courts of common law, and in all cases where the public peace was concerned. These powers remained with the Scotch Privy Council until, by the Act 6 Anne, c. 6, that council was absorbed in the British Privy Council.Sc. 1905 M. Livingstone Guide Public Rec. 17:
As distinct from the General or National Council out of which Parliament was evolved the Privy Council appears to have been represented in the earlier centuries of authentic Scottish history by the body described as the King's Council, or, when exercising judicial functions, as the King's Court.Sc. 1909 N.E.D. s.v. Council:
The Scottish Privy Council, the members of which, called Lords of Council, sat for judicial business during the vacation of Parliament.Sc. 1927 Gloag & Henderson Intro. Law Scot. 12:
In the seventeenth century the Scots Privy Council exercised a supreme jurisdiction in all questions relating to the public peace. It was abolished by 6 Anne c. 6, and its functions transferred to the Privy Council of Great Britain, which has no jurisdiction of this character.3. Sc. 1709 W. Steuart Collections i. xvi. § 6:
In any thing wherein the moderator or clerk is particularly concerned, they ought in that case both to subscribe the minutes, as the privy seal used to be appended to charters.Sc. 1722 W. Forbes Institutes I. ii. 186, 188:
The publick Seals in Scotland are the Signet, the Great Seal, the Quarter Seal, and the Privy Seal . . . The Privy Seal is appended to all Precepts for charters to be expede under the Great Seal, and to Writs which pass no other seals. The Custody thereof belongs to the Lord Privy Seal, who has a Deputy, who always attends for setting this Seal to Writs passing under it. There is also a Writer or Clerk to the Privy Seal, deriving his Commission from the King, who writes and records all Writs passing the same, before they are given out to be sealed, and keeps a Minute-book.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles ii. v. § 39:
All rights which subjects may transmit by simple assignation, the King transmits by the privy seal; as gifts of moveables, or of casualties that require no seisin . . . All rights passing under the great or privy seal must be registered in the registers of the great or privy seal.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 785:
The writs which pass the Privy Seal are of two classes; such as pass by warrants superscribed by the Sovereign, and such as pass by warrants signed by the Baron of Exchequer. Of the first kind are all gifts of pensions, presentations to churches and professorships of which the Crown is patron, commissions to inferior officers, and the like. Of the second kind are precepts directed to the Keeper of the Great Seal for expeding tacks of teinds belonging to the Crown.Sc. 1905 M. Livingstone Guide Public Rec. 161:
The Privy Seal is one of the Scottish seals which the Act of Union provides to be continued, subject to such regulations as the Parliament of Great Britain should thereafter make. The register has now been discontinued in consequence of the condition inserted in the commission to the present Lord Privy Seal providing that “no warrant for appointing to any office in Scotland or other instrument shall henceforth pass or be required to pass the said Privy Seal.”Sc. 1928 Encycl. Laws Scot. X. 474:
The affixing of the Privy Seal to any deed became the preliminary to affixing the Great Seal, but in some cases it became itself sufficient sanction of the deed. The office was not abolished by the Treaty of Union, and to-day the Keeper of the Privy Seal in Scotland ranks in precedence immediately after the Secretary of State for Scotland, who is Keeper of the Great Seal.