DSL - DOST   Macer, Masar, n. Also: mass-, mais(s)-, mayss-, meas(s)-, maes-, mes(s)- and -ar(e, -air(e, -er, -eir(e, -ir, -yr, -or, -our; and maccer, meacer, meassr, mec(c)er, messear, -ier, misser.  [ME. macer (14th c.), OF. maissier, massier f. masse MACE n.1]
    A mace-bearer, an officer who carried a ceremonial mace or ornamental wand as a symbol of authority or badge of office.
    a. An officer of arms of the Crown, under the Lord Lyon's authority, who delivered royal commands and summonses and uttered public proclamations. b. An officer seconded or specially appointed to serve as usher to a court of law or other public authority, who kept order, summoned persons to appear and acted as messenger, and made certain announcements. c. Applied to officials with similar duties in ancient Rome. (a)  Qwhen he [sc. the king] Suld wend till his cownsall prewe, The folk ... Pressyt rycht rudly in ... Bot he ... can arrace Owt off a maceris hand a mace And sayd [etc.]; Wynt. viii. 6932.  1500 Acta Conc. II. 451.  Maceir; 1529 Red Bk. Grandtully I. 67.  1622 Soc. Ant. XIII. 163.  1642 Misc. Bann. C. II. 257.  1663-9 Sel. Biog. I. 152.  Mackenzie Laws & C. ii. xv. 1. (1678) 424.  1679 Lauder Notices Affairs I. 227.  Being called by a maccer; 1689 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 441.  Maceris; 1691 Glasg. B. Rec. IV. 27. (b)  Thay personis to be arestyt furthwithe with a masare, and justice to be done therapone; 1457-8 Acts II. 48/1.  Quhen ony makis rebellioune, ... Deforsand serrefis, masaris or sergeand; Liber Plusc. 399.  James ... tyl our masar Hector of Meldrum owr scyref in that part gretyng; 1464 Liber Aberbr. 138.  Maser; Wall. vii. 304.  1474 Treas. Acc. I. 53.  To Bwte purcyfant and Nesbet masar to pas with letteris [etc.]; 1489 Ib. 107.  1491 Ib. 185 [see MACE n.1 2 (b)]. 1498 Acta Conc. II. 283.  Masaire; 1501 Acta Conc. III. 105.  1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 268/1.  1511 Hannay College of Justice 21.  Ordinance ... be lyoun king of armys ... anent the massouris; 1526 Acts II. 317/2.  Bell. Boece II. 399.  Before him that had the administratioun ... went xij seriandis ... & afore ilkane of the remanent ix [judges] went ane maser; Id. Livy I. 291/5.  Silence was commandit be ane masare [L. per praeconem]; Ib. II. 9/11.  Ib. 96/10.  That all massaris ... sall reveil na thing that thai heir comonit; 1532 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. I. 3.  To Edinburgh masar to pas with ane lettre to ... Pettinweme; 1534 Treas. Acc. VI. 125.  1535 Ib. 263.  The herauldis ... With maseris vpon ather of thare haindis, To rewle the preis with burneist siluer wandis; Lynd. Depl. Magd. 138.  Massir; 1539 Misc. Spald. C. II. 194.  To the seriandis massers that past thairto; 1552-3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 72.  For the dissobaying of Richard Trowop Edinburgh masour and vtheris seriandis of this burgh in the refusing to tak doun James Culanis turnpik vpoun the schore of Leyth; 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 168.  1554 Reg. Privy S. IV. 409/2.  1563-4 Ib. V. i. 439/1.  1567 Coll. Rebus Alban. 5.  1575 Reg. Privy C. II. 476.  Robert Stewart, towne maser; 1582 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 253.  Ane cataloge of ... heraldis, extraordinar maseris, maseris, pursevantis and messingeris; 1584-5 Reg. Privy C. III. 720.  1587 Acts III. 449/2.  1592 Ib. 555/1.  1625 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 318.  First their massers [in France] have not silver masses as ours have, only litle battons, yea the massers to the parliament at Paris have no more; 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 100. (c)  To Nesbet mayssar; 1489 Treas. Acc. I. 112.  Maiser; 1514 [see MACE n.1 (b)].  The lordis ordanis ane maissour to pas to the tolboith dur ... to call all pairteis [etc.]; 1540 Ayr Charters 17.  [Lennox's restitution proclaimed at the mercat cross by 5 heralds in coat armour &] tua maisseris; 1563 Cal. Sc. P. II. 83.  Maissars; Hume 72/147.  Bisset I. 153/27 [see MACE n.1 2 (a)].  1628 Edinb. B. Rec. VII. 48.  My gude friend Mr Wm. Dowglas ane of the maisseris of Counsell and Exchekquer; 1634 Wemyss of Bogie MSS.  If they would send in their supplications by a maisser or clerk, and not come themselves? 1637 Baillie I. 26.  The maisseires of counsell and sessione; 1641 Acts V. 349/1.  Jhon Douglas maisser ... commanded ... to put on ane of the heraulds coats and to goe [etc.]; 1649 Ib. VI. ii. 158/2.  For the maisseris dinner efter their proclaiming the acts of parliament; 1651 Stirling B. Rec. II. 308.  Maisseris dewis; 1658 Conv. Burghs III. 473. (d)  Ane herald, measer, or vther officiar of armes, to pas to the mercate crose; Bann. Memor. 31.  Sone efter that, for sowmes of debt, A measour vpon the gait him mett, Gewing him charges [etc.]; 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 1065.  Maeser; 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 282.  Meassar; Melvill 144.  Meassris; 1631-2 Misc. Spald. C. V. 149.  To a messenger of armes or meassir; 1641 Ib. II. 238.  The Earle of Laderdaile was served aire to his father, att the session house of Edenbroughe, before the meassers; 1649 Lamont Diary ii.  1668 Aberd. Council Lett. IV. 335.  1669 [see MACE n.1 (c)].  Forbes Rec. 404.  James Irving meacer; 1685 Bk. O. Edinb. C. IX. 124. (e)  The lordis ordanis ane messer or uthir officiar of armes to pas to the mercat cros of Edinburch, peier and schoir of Leith [etc.]; 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 105.  Richard Dowglas mesar; 1569 Fam. Rose 252.  Thomas Crechtoun, messar in Edr.; 1569 Events Q. Mary & Jas. VI 36.  Four dollouris gevin to William Stirling messour, for summounding ane assys vpoun thes twa men; 1634 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 22.  1638 Thanes of Cawdor 295.  Spalding II. 296.  The messier of the parliament; 1643 Baillie II. 114.  Gevin to the misser [sic] halfe of on dallor; 1653-7 Irvine Mun. II. 255.  Recave heir ane act at the instance of the messears; 1661 Aberd. Council Lett. IV. 112.  William Tennant, messour, ... to be there comon poist; 1665 Conv. Burghs III. 578.  Law Memor. (1818) 185.  A mecer of counsell; 1684 Bk. O. Edinb. C. IX. 124.  That the boy ... be brought by a meccer to be examined before the councill; 1689 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 420.  To Walter Richardson messer for publishing a proclamation att the crosse; 1692 Stirling B. Rec. II. 339.
    d. Maissar-wand, a macer's mace or baton.  Syne King [Malcolm] ... Arreistit thame [the ravaging and plundering English army] syne with ane maissar wand [slaying many thousands of them]; Stewart 41053.  Gif ony maisser that daylie servis in the tolbuith wantis his maisser wand in the said tolbuith or in the executioun of his office [etc.]; 1559 Balfour Pract. 271.