DSL - DOST   Pursevant, n. Also: per- and -sewant, -seva(u)nte, -sefant, -sephant, -sevand, -sewand(e, -sefand, -sephand; -schewant; -seivant; -sifant, -syfant, -siphant, -syphant, -cyfant, -sivant, -syvant, -siwant, -syvand; -syffane; -sovant, -sowant, -and; -safant; -suivant, -swivant, -swyvant; poursevantt, -suivant; powrsefand, powrsont. [ME and e.m.E. pursevant (Chaucer), purcyvawnte, -ciwant (Prompt. Parv.), -cevaunt (1503), OF por-, pur-, poursuivant, etc., pres. p. of poursuivre pursue; also as noun = follower, suitor, pursuivant-at-arms.]
    1. A pursuivant, the junior heraldic officer below the rank of herald. In Scotland (as in England), freq. known by an official title, as Unicorn, Marchmont, etc. For information on these titles, see: J. H. Stevenson Heraldry in Scotland (1914) I 47 ff.; Treas. Acc. I cxciv ff. and ccxciv ff.
    Also fig. or in fig. context. (1) Dragance le pursevant; 1429 Exch. R. IV 507. Albany le pursevaunte; 1449 Ib. V 344. To Deligence pursewant to his expensis passande with thaim to Londone for a saulf conduct to certane lordis; 1474 Treas. Acc. I 69. I Carrik pursewant personaly past to the cheif chemis of Bothuile [etc.]; 1488 Crim. Trials I i 7. 1492 Acta Conc. I 254/1 (see *HALIS). Translatit owt of Fraynche in Scottis ... be ... Kintyre purseuant; Loutfut MS 78a. Gevin to Boneauentur pursevant ... be ane precept of the kingis; 1494-5 Treas. Acc. I 236. To Irland pursewant for iiij Irland hors; 1501 Ib. II 32. Gareoch pursewant; 1503-4 Ib. 422. Falkland pursevant, schiref in that part; 1537-8 Reg. Privy S. II 366/2. Deliverit to be dule habittis to ... Ormond, Kintyre and Unicorne pursewantis; 1542-3 Treas. Acc. VIII 144. Ane lettir maid to Maister Jhone Forsyth, makand him Kyntyre pursevant; 1548 Reg. Privy S. III 432/1. Bute pursevante; 1552 Treas. Acc. X 147. Be the promotioun of Adame M^cCulloch last Bute pursevant to Marchemont herald; 1561 Reg. Privy S. V i 203/2. Thomas Barry Williame Barry pretendit Ettrik pursevantis or messingeris; 1571 Acts III 60/1. I Robert Campbell, Carrik pursevant ... chargit Maister Patrik Vaus ... to content and pay [etc.]; 1582-3 Exch. R. XXI 560. (b) Johnne Calder, Bute pursephant; 1570 Treas. Acc. XII 203. (c) Gevin to Ormond pursevand and ane other currour; 1494 Treas. Acc. I 241. Be the said Master Ihone Forsy, Falkland pursefand; 1562 Grant Chart. 127. His hienes umquhile derrest fader and moder ... providit ... Thomas Barry ... to the first ordinar place of pursevant that sal happin to vaik and in the mene tyme ordanit him to be callit Ettrik pursevand extraordinar; 1569 Reg. Privy S. VI 139/1. (d) To David Lindesay alias Dingwale purschewant [pr. pursehewant] to pas ... witht lettres to ... Innernes; 1554 Treas. Acc. X 266. (e) To Vnicorne pursyfant for his Witsonday fee; 1473-4 Treas. Acc. I 66. To Carryk purcyfant, to pas in the Westlande with summondis of treson on [etc.]; 1488 Ib. 92. Ib. 101. To Bwte purcyfant to mak him ane armis; 1489 Ib. 106. To Ternway pursewant passand [etc.]; 1501 Ib. II 116. Unicorn and Ilay pursyphantis wer send ... the ane in France, and Ilay to Ingland; Leslie 86. (f) M. Johannis Forsyth alias Falkland pursovant; 1548 Reg. Great S. 58/2. (g) Williame Rankelour, Kintyre pursuivant; 1598 Reg. Privy C. V 702. Pursvivant, purswivant; 1606 Acts IV 277/2. Purswyvant; Ib. 278/1. (h) Per solucionem factam Albany le poursuivant; 1450 Exch. R. V 382. (i) Georgeo de Murray Alishay persewande; 1427 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 34. The accioun ... again Armyltoun persewant and Patric Deware; 1483 Acta Aud. *111/1. Johne Calder, Bute persevante; 1570 Bann. Memor. 49. (j) [William Henrysone] Dingwall persowand; 1557 Aberd. Council Lett. I 2. (2) Thom

ong purcyfant to the King of Denmark; 1490 Treas. Acc. I 132. Maister Blewmantill, pursewant to the quene; 1503-4 Ib. II 337. Johne Adamsone persewant is becuming souerte [etc.]; 1530 Edinb. B. Statutes 5 April. Purschewant; 1555 Treas. Acc. X 283. Giffin to Vil

eam Merschel, pursafant ... for executionis of lettres and chargis; 1563 Reg. Cupar A. II 279. To answer Martene Udartt, poursevantt; 1563-4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 457. To William Hendersoun, pursefant, for nocht putting the toun to the horn for non peyment of the chaker; 1570-1 Lanark B. Rec. 55. Robert Fraser pursephant; 1581 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming MS 269. Wm. Wrquhart pursifant; 1585 Forres B. Ct. 13 Dec. (3) The specht was a pursevant ... That raid befor the emprioure In a cot armour; Howlat 334 (A). Ib. 348, etc. Ane vnicorne ... With horne in hand and buste [v.r. bill] on brest he bure A pursevant [v.rr. pursephant] semelye; Henr. Fab. 844 (Bann.). Certane religius men put violent handis in his herrald and pursewand; 1484-5 Acta Conc. I *107/2. The pursewant ... suld haf thir four propirteis ... vertuous nobleborn & of full bed and that he can write & reid; Loutfut MS 135a.

it sal he continew pursewant vii

eris ... A pursewant standis bot as a novis ay quhill the

eris of his preving be past; Ib. 135b, etc. This ordour regall Quhiche ascendis create be greis thre First pursewant syn herald & than king; Ib. 154b. Makand him pursevant to the king, berand the name of Carrik; 1526 Reg. Privy S. I 507/1. 1528 Ib. 582/2. Instit. Ct. Sess. Payit to ane pursephant to put the baillies of Innerkething to the horne, viij s.; 1554-5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 27. Summond ... be your gracis pursewantis and messingers to pas upon assize; 1555 Fam. Innes 127. Pursephand [: fand]; Clar. iv 34. Thy pursevandis ar socht To pund pure communis corne; Scott i 150. Pursevauntes; Leslie 196. Ane cataloge of ... heraldis, extraordinar maseris, maseris, pursevantis and messingeris; 1584-5 Reg. Privy C. III 720. How of late

eiris thair is enterit in the office of armes sindry extraordiner maseris and pursevantis and a verie greit nowmer of messingeris; 1587 Acts III 449/2. One Andrew Young ... overheard ane pursevant calling to an stabler to prepare two horses against the morrow morning for him and ane other; 1663-9 J. Livingstone in Sel. Biog. I 157. (b) Pursiwant; Wall. vi 309. To the pursifant of the pressep of the chekar; 1507 Lanark B. Rec. 16. Pursyvant; 1537 Treas. Acc. VI 330. Pursyvand; 1540 Misc. Hist. Soc. X 48. Delyuerit to ane pursyffane vj d.; 1541 Lochleven Compt Bk. 20. Pursifantis; Pitsc. II 173/17 (I). That everie pursivant & messinger of armes be provydit of ane sufficient hors; T. Lamb Officers of Arms. (c) At the nwkis of the listis sall the purseivantis be; Loutfut MS 2a. (d) To ane pursowant for warnyng of the burgh to the chakker ij s.; 1554 Haddington Treas. Acc. (e) Sen this noble man has ... tane sik a beste ... in blasoun apon his heraulde or persevandis brest; Hay I 278/6. And viij s. gevin to ane persewant to mak his expens and iiij s. vj d. for the pursewantis disiwn; 1546-7 Perth Guildry 239 (8 March). (f) To ane powrsont that warnit yow to the perlament; 1554 Peebles B. Rec. I 410. Powrsefand; Ib. 411. (4) For the Inglis pursyfantis expensis ... quhen he come for the salue conduct; 1474 Treas. Acc. I 52. To the Erle of Northvmbirlandis pursewant; Ib. 69. Giffin to Garroch, the Erle of Marris pursewant; 1501 Ib. II 108. To the Quene of France pursewant; 1507 Ib. III 389. To the empriouris pursewand; 1526 Ib. V 276. (5) fig. His pursewantis [Arund. pursiphantis] prophettis & prechouris can compere As his forrydaris his banere blasynnyng; Contempl. Sinn. 707 (Asl.). A thousand thames Quhilks poets, as hir pursevants, proclames; Montg. Misc. P. iii 50.
2. With squyer, used to render L. armiger. Ane Butes ... That pursevant tofor and squyer had be To Troiane Anchys; Doug. ix x 133.