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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WAPPENSHAW, v., n. Also wap(p)ens(c)haw, wap(p)inschaw, wapons(c)haw; waipon-shaw (Sc. 1911 (S.D.D.); weapon-s(c)haw, -shew. [′wɑpnʃɑ:]

I. v. Only in vbl.n. weapon-s(c)hawing, a periodical muster or review of the men under arms in a particular lordship or district (Sc. 1808 Jam.). Now only hist.Gsw. 1704 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (B.R.S.) 388:
They are ordinarily warned by the toun officers to weapon shawing.Sc. 1720 R. Wodrow Sufferings ii. iv. s.3:
By many former Laws Weapon-shewing, and the fencible Men in every Shire, their being armed for their own Defence, is declared to be the Privilege of Scotsmen.Sc. 1828 Scott F. M. Perth iii.:
The best wrestler, sword-and-buckler player — the king of the weapon-shawing.Sc. 1847 Tait's Mag. (July) 455:
The people were wont to be assembled down to a very late period, for the weapon-schawings annually, in the months of June and October.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Mad Sir Uchtred ii.:
At every weapon-shawing she bore the palm.Per. 1905 G. Wilson Glover Incorp. 13:
On one of these occasions of wappen schawing a serious riot took place.Sc. 1949 W. M. Mackenzie Sc. Burghs 136:
Burgesses had to take their part in “weapon-showing” as liable to a levy in time of war, but the custom was to do so of themselves, not as part of the shire display.

II. n. 1. (1) Now only hist.: = I. (Ayr. 1824 A. Crawford Tales Grandmother 4; Dmf. 1836 J. Mayne Siller Gun 151).Sc. 1722 W. Hamilton Wallace iii. iii.:
Disguis'd they went, and in the gate they saw, An English fencer at the weapon shaw.Sc. 1726 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) II. 198:
His boots they were made of the jag, When he went to the weapon-shaw.Sc. 1816 Scott O. Mortality ii.:
The sheriff of the county of Lanark was holding the wappenschaw of a wild district.Slk. 1835 Hogg Tales (1874) 681:
He was a principal man at weapon-shaws, excelling every competitor.Dmb. 1868 J. Salmon Gowodean ix.:
Of “wapen-schaw,” and rustic game, Which twined with art the patriot's flame.Abd. 1873 P. Buchan Inglismill 55:
Then cam' racin', playin' at the ba', An' arrow-shootin' at the waponschaw.Kcb. 1900 Crockett Black Douglas xiv.:
I also won the swording prize at the last wappenshaw.Sc. 1957 Early Rec. Abd. (S.H.S.) cxlvii.:
The military measures enacted by the parliaments of James I prescribed “wappinschaws” within the burghs four times a year and detailed the arms and armour to be worn by burghesses.Gsw. 1965 J. House Heart Gsw. 195:
“The Butts” was an open piece of ground where the wappenschaws were held.

(2) Fig. A rally or turnout of supporters of a cause.Sc. 1821 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) VI. 326:
We are to have a weapon-shaw upon the 12th to meet full butt a dinner which they have.

2. In mod. usage: a rifle-shooting competition organised by the Volunteer Corps and later by the Territorial Army or by private rifle clubs. In this sense wapinschaw is a favoured spelling.Abd. 1862 Donald Sinclair The History of the Aberdeen Volunteers (1907) 336:
Having got the support of the city and county authorities [of Aberdeen] to his proposal to form a local [rifle] association, Major Innes resolved to call the annual meeting by the almost-forgotten name of the Wapinschaw ... The first Wapinschaw was fixed for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the 7th, 8th, and 9th July, 1862.Edb. 1868 Morning Star (9 Jan.):
On New Year's Day, the Wappinschaw was celebrated. Years ago this, we believe, was a gathering at which the country side shot, with homely smooth-bore pieces, for hams and cheeses, but until revived in 1866 the custom had long fallen into disuse. In that year the Wappinschaw was rehabilitated by the local volunteers.Bwk. 1909 Folk-Lore XX. 482:
The territorials [at Earlston], following the example of their predecessors, had the annual wapinschaw on the range at the Black Hill.Sc. 1950 F. Gullen Trad. Rhymes 116:
Wha saw the Forty-Second Gaein' tae the Wapenshaw?Bnff. 1974 Banffshire Herald (6 April) 4:
The annual Small Bore Indoor Wapinschaw run by Banffshire Small Bore Rifle Association.Bwk. 1997:
wappenshaw - the term was still used by old men into the late 1950s to describe shooting competitions of the Volunteers.

¶3. Transf., a fight, a scrimmage.Slg. 1829 G. Wyse Poems 46:
The bluidy scalps and broken sticks Declare a weapon-shaw.