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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

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. See Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland I (1877) cxciv ff. and ccxciv ff. 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. Also fig. or in fig. context.(1) 1429 Exch. R. IV 507.
Dragance le pursevant 1449 Ib. V 344.
Albany le pursevaunte 1474 Treas. Acc. I 69.
To Deligence pursewant to his expensis passande with thaim to Londone for a saulf conduct to certane lordis 1488 Crim. Trials I i 7.
I Carrik pursewant personaly past to the cheif chemis of Bothuile [etc.] 1492 Acta Conc. I 254/1 (see *Halis). 1494 Loutfut MS 78a.
Translatit owt of Fraynche in Scottis … be … Kintyre purseuant 1494–5 Treas. Acc. I 236.
Gevin to Boneauentur pursevant … be ane precept of the kingis 1501 Ib. II 32.
To Irland pursewant for iiij Irland hors 1503–4 Ib. 422.
Gareoch pursewant 1537–8 Reg. Privy S. II 366/2.
Falkland pursevant, schiref in that part 1542–3 Treas. Acc. VIII 144.
Deliverit to be dule habittis to … Ormond, Kintyre and Unicorne pursewantis 1548 Reg. Privy S. III 432/1.
Ane lettir maid to Maister Jhone Forsyth, makand him Kyntyre pursevant 1552 Treas. Acc. X 147.
Bute pursevante 1561 Reg. Privy S. V i 203/2.
Be the promotioun of Adame M^cCulloch last Bute pursevant to Marchemont herald 1571 Acts III 60/1.
Thomas Barry Williame Barry pretendit Ettrik pursevantis or messingeris 1582–3 Exch. R. XXI 560.
I Robert Campbell, Carrik pursevant … chargit Maister Patrik Vaus … to content and pay [etc.](b) 1570 Treas. Acc. XII 203.
Johnne Calder, Bute pursephant(c) 1494 Treas. Acc. I 241.
Gevin to Ormond pursevand and ane other currour 1562 Grant Chart. 127.
Be the said Master Ihone Forsy, Falkland pursefand 1569 Reg. Privy S. VI 139/1.
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(d) 1554 Treas. Acc. X 266.
To David Lindesay alias Dingwale purschewant [pr. pursehewant] to pas … witht lettres to … Innernes(e) 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 66.
To Vnicorne pursyfant for his Witsonday fee 1488 Ib. 92.
To Carryk purcyfant, to pas in the Westlande with summondis of treson on [etc.] Ib. 101. 1489 Ib. 106.
To Bwte purcyfant to mak him ane armis 1501 Ib. II 116.
To Ternway pursewant passand [etc.] 1570 Leslie 86.
Unicorn and Ilay pursyphantis wer send … the ane in France, and Ilay to Ingland(f) 1548 Reg. Great S. 58/2.
M. Johannis Forsyth alias Falkland pursovant(g) 1598 Reg. Privy C. V 702.
Williame Rankelour, Kintyre pursuivant 1606 Acts IV 277/2.
Pursvivant, purswivant Ib. 278/1.
Purswyvant(h) 1450 Exch. R. V 382.
Per solucionem factam Albany le poursuivant(i) 1427 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 34.
Georgeo de Murray Alishay persewande 1483 Acta Aud. *111/1.
The accioun … again Armyltoun persewant and Patric Deware 1570 Bann. Memor. 49.
Johne Calder, Bute persevante(j) 1557 Aberd. Council Lett. I 2.
[William Henrysone] Dingwall persowand(2) 1490 Treas. Acc. I 132.
Thom Ȝong purcyfant to the King of Denmark 1503–4 Ib. II 337.
Maister Blewmantill, pursewant to the quene 1530 Edinb. B. Statutes 5 April.
Johne Adamsone persewant is becuming souerte [etc.] 1555 Treas. Acc. X 283.
Purschewant 1563 Reg. Cupar A. II 279.
Giffin to Vilȝeam Merschel, pursafant … for executionis of lettres and chargis 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 457.
To answer Martene Udartt, poursevantt 1570–1 Lanark B. Rec. 55.
To William Hendersoun, pursefant, for nocht putting the toun to the horn for non peyment of the chaker 1581 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming MS 269.
Robert Fraser pursephant 1585 Forres B. Ct. 13 Dec.
Wm. Wrquhart pursifant(3) c1450-2 Howlat 334 (A).
The specht was a pursevant … That raid befor the emprioure In a cot armour Ib. 348, etc. a1500 Henr. Fab. 844 (Bann.).
Ane vnicorne … With horne in hand and buste [v.r. bill] on brest he bure A pursevant [v.rr. pursephant] semelye 1484–5 Acta Conc. I *107/2.
Certane religius men put violent handis in his herrald and pursewand 1494 Loutfut MS 135a.
The pursewant … suld haf thir four propirteis … vertuous nobleborn & of full bed and that he can write & reid Ib. 135b, etc.
Ȝit sal he continew pursewant vii ȝeris … A pursewant standis bot as a novis ay quhill the ȝeris of his preving be past Ib. 154b.
This ordour regall Quhiche ascendis create be greis thre First pursewant syn herald & than king 1526 Reg. Privy S. I 507/1.
Makand him pursevant to the king, berand the name of Carrik 1528 Ib. 582/2. 1532 Instit. Ct. Sess. in Acts Sederunt i 4.
Pursewantis 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 27.
Payit to ane pursephant to put the baillies of Innerkething to the horne, viij s. 1555 Fam. Innes 127.
Summond … be your gracis pursewantis and messingers to pas upon assize 15.. Clar. iv 34.
Pursephand [: fand] a1568 Scott i 150.
Thy pursevandis ar socht To pund pure communis corne 1570 Leslie 196.
Pursevauntes 1584–5 Reg. Privy C. III 720.
Ane cataloge of … heraldis, extraordinar maseris, maseris, pursevantis and messingeris 1587 Acts III 449/2.
How of late ȝeiris thair is enterit in the office of armes sindry extraordiner maseris and pursevantis and a verie greit nowmer of messingeris 1663–9 J. Livingstone in Sel. Biog. I 157.
One Andrew Young … overheard ane pursevant calling to an stabler to prepare two horses against the morrow morning for him and ane other(b) c1475 Wall. vi 309.
Pursiwant 1507 Lanark B. Rec. 16.
To the pursifant of the pressep of the chekar 1537 Treas. Acc. VI 330.
Pursyvant 1540 Misc. Hist. Soc. X 48.
Pursyvand 1541 Lochleven Compt Bk. 20.
Delyuerit to ane pursyffane vj d. a1578 Pitsc. II 173/17 (I).
Pursifantis 1579 T. Lamb Officers of Arms.
That everie pursivant & messinger of armes be provydit of ane sufficient hors(c) 1494 Loutfut MS 2a.
At the nwkis of the listis sall the purseivantis be(d) 1554 Haddington Treas. Acc.
To ane pursowant for warnyng of the burgh to the chakker ij s.(e) 1456 Hay I 278/6.
Sen this noble man has … tane sik a beste … in blasoun apon his heraulde or persevandis brest 1546–7 Perth Guildry 239 (8 March).
And viij s. gevin to ane persewant to mak his expens and iiij s. vj d. for the pursewantis disiwn(f) 1554 Peebles B. Rec. I 410.
To ane powrsont that warnit yow to the perlament Ib. 411.
Powrsefand(4) 1474 Treas. Acc. I 52.
For the Inglis pursyfantis expensis … quhen he come for the salue conduct Ib. 69.
To the Erle of Northvmbirlandis pursewant 1501 Ib. II 108.
Giffin to Garroch, the Erle of Marris pursewant 1507 Ib. III 389.
To the Quene of France pursewant 1526 Ib. V 276.
To the empriouris pursewand(5) fig. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 707 (Asl.).
His pursewantis [Arund. pursiphantis] prophettis & prechouris can compere As his forrydaris his banere blasynnyng a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii 50.
A thousand thames Quhilks poets, as hir pursevants, proclames

2. With squyer, used to render L. armiger. 1513 Doug. ix x 133.
Ane Butes ... That pursevant tofor and squyer had be To Troiane Anchys