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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Chantour, -or, n. Also: chauntour, chantoure, -eour, chaintour, chantore. [ME. chauntour, chantour (late 14th c.), AF. chauntour, OF. chanteor, -eur.] One who chants in the church service, esp. the leader of a choir or a chantry-priest.Common in the 16th cent. in designations of persons, freq. with addition of a place-name, as ‘Maister Adam Gordoun, chauntour of Murray’ (1497 Treas. Acc. I. 315).(a) 1411 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 32.
Schyr Gilbert Broky chantour 1450 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 201.
Ane collection with anthiphonis and responses … breuit and notit for the chantouris c1450-2 Howlat 203.
The cok in his cleir cape, … Was chosyn chantour full cheif of the channonry 1491 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 256.
Al chaplannis that kepis nocht the … twne gewin thame be the chantour … for the tyme 1510 Rentale Dunkeld. fol. 87.
Maister Iames Fentoun, chaintour and chalmerlane of Dounkeld 1522 Acta Conc. MS. XXXIII. 65 b.
Adame Cokburne and maister Patrik Hepburne pretendand … to haue richt to the frutis of the saidis kirkis as chantouris of Ros c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4297.
Thare chantouris, and thare sacristanis, Thair tresoureris, and thare subdenis [etc.] c 1555 Crail Ch. Reg. 64.
Twa caipis for chantouris of greyne byrge satyne 1567 G. Ball. 178.
Thocht thow be … chantour, chanslar, or chaplane, Resist thow God … thow sall cum downe 1600 Elgin Rec. II. 86.
Comperit Laurence Dundas and in the chantour his freindis name presentit ane excuse of ignorance of the actis ecclesiastik 1622-6 Bisset I. 100/30.
To ȝow … abbatis, priouris, provestis, deanis, archedenes, chantouris [etc.] 1633 Elgin Rec. I. 225.
Convenit the moderator and elderis. The chantour preiched(b) 1496 Acta Conc. II. 37.
Anent the accione … persewit be Maister James Auchinlec, chantore of Cathnes 1510 Lennox Mun. 190.
Schir Donald McFadene, chantor of Lysmor 1612 Brechin Test. II. 251.
To the chantor of Brechin for the teind siluer cropt forsaid 1629 Elgin Rec. II. 212.
Patrik Wysman set cautioun that he sall go to the chantor to the parosche of Alves and ther satisfie for his fault

b. Attrib. with gait (way). 1586 Liber Scon 232.
That tenement of land upon the south eist pairt of the chantourgait