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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

VICE, n., pref. Also †veece (Sc. 1827–9 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 291, II. 254). Sc. usages:

I. n. 1. The stead, place or position (of a person as being vacated in favour of or usurped by another). Specif. in Sc. Law phr. †succeeding (successor) in the vice, ‘an intrusion (intruder) on property whereby one enters into possession in the place of a tenant who is bound to remove' (Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 93).Sc. 1703 M.C. Misc. III. 130:
The Earl of Forfar to carry the Crown in the Petitioner's vice and place.Sc. 1722 W. Forbes Institutes I. ii. 157:
If, after warning, any person come in Possession, by Consent of the Party warned, or thro' his Default, in not offering the void Possession to the Warner, such an Invader is called Successor in the Vice, and is liable to a summary Process of Removing.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 1027:
The person succeeding in the vice will be subjected as an intruder unless he have a colourable title of possession to protect him.Sc. 1931 Encycl. Laws Scot. XI. 532:
Where a person entered into possession in the place of a tenant warned to remove, such entry being made in collusion with the out going tenant and without the landlord's consent, a special form of possessory action known as the action of succeeding in the vice was at one time in use. It has long been obsolete.

2. Turn, succession, position or period (in a sequence or rota), freq. with reference to the right to present a minister to a parish where the patronage was shared between two or more heritors who exercised the right in turn at each succeeding vacancy. Hence comb. vice-patron, vice-right (Mry. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XX. 211).Abd. 1711 Burgh Rec. Abd. (B.R.S.) 344:
That the saids elementarians be taught for this vice be Mr. William Mestone.Ayr. 1761 Ayr Presb. Reg. MS. (13 May):
The Patrons right to present for that Vice was gone.Inv. 1775 L. Shaw Hist. Moray 357:
Fraser of Strichen, as Vice-patron, presented Mr John Anand in 1640, and the Synod of Moray found that the other vice belonged to the Crown.Sc. 1789 Dmf. Weekly Jnl. (6 Oct.):
The Rev. Dr Henry Grieve is to preach . . . in room of the Rev. Mr Walter Buchanan, one of the ministers of Canongate, whose vice it was.Ayr. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XXI. 32:
The town of Ayr enjoys, with the town of Irvine, every sixth vice of the meeting of the synod of Glasgow and Ayr.Sc. 1821 Faculty Decisions (1819–22) 436:
He had the right to the patronage of the parish of Cluny for two vices out of three.

II. pref. As in Eng. In combs. Vice-Chancellor, see quot., Vice-Preses, a vice-chairman, (see Preses), Vice-Rector, see Pro-Rector.Sc. 1928 D. Robertson and M. Wood Castle and Town 66:
[The Incorporated Trades] combine to elect the Convener of Trades, who represents them in the Town Council and is traditionally assigned a seat opposite to the Lord Provost as being Vice-Preses in the Council meetings. This arrangement is mentioned in a Town Council Minute of date 6th December 1780.Sc. 1949 Scotsman (3 Jan.):
The growing tendency to describe the resident head of a Scottish university as Vice-Chancellor rather than Principal is unfortunate and misleading. In England a Vice-Chancellor has important administrative powers, but in Scotland he is merely the standing deputy of the Chancellor for the conferment of degrees.