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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Janitor, n. Also : -etour. [e.m.E. janitor (c 1630), L. jānitor.]

A janitor; a door-keeper or porter. Also spec., the caretaker of a school or college, ? who assisted in keeping discipline and perh. also in elementary teaching. 1567 Treas. Acc. MS. 251.
Janetour and keipar of the Tolbuith 1633 E. Bain Merchant Guilds (1887) 168.
One of the foresaid poor men [to] be janitor of the said hospital weekly, having the keys of the doors and gates thereof c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 12.
Richard Marchinston (one of the supreme classe) was elected janitor 1647 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII. 138.
In the studie dayis the scholleris [of the College] … ar to exercise themselffis in the privat schollis … and that the janitor keip clos the utter gates 1666 Perth B. Rec. in Dunkeld Presb. II. 98.]
[George Ballentyne, schoolmaster at Kinclevin, appointed by the Town Council of Perth at the request of Mr Andrew Anderson the schoolmaster janitor of the Grammar School at a salary of £40 p.a. 1689 Foulis Acc. Bk. 116.
To Mr Laurence Dundas to give the janitor when Sandie entered to the humanitie class 40 sh., and to his man 14 sh. 1700 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 331.
That the master [of the school] pitch upon some fitt persone to be janitor who is to officiat instead of the publict censor and doe all other duetie incumbent on a janitor and have … from each scholar twelve pennies Scots money quarterly