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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Register, Regester, n.¹ Also: re-, rygyst- and -re, -ir, -yr(e, -ar; -ert-; redgastair; (regrester). [ME and e.m.E. registre (Piers Plowman), -estre (a 1400), istir (c 1460), -er (1535), F. registre, regestre (1265 in Larousse), OF regeste (1155), med. L. registrum, -gestrum, for regestum, f. late L. pl. regesta matters recorded, a record, f. regerere to set down. ‘The intrusive r of the F. and med. L. forms is due to the analogy of other substantives in F. -istre (for iste), L. -istrum’ (OED).]

1. The written record or records of significant events, transactions, information, etc.; chiefly, the official governmental record of legal, parliamentary or public business compiled under the direction of the Clerk Register (see b below), the national archive; also, more generally, the records of various institutions; a volume or volumes containing such records; a list or catalogue. Also fig.Orig., according to Athol L. Murray (see the note to b below) ‘specifically applied to enrolments of grants under the great seal’, whereas rolls (s.v. Roll n.¹) ‘could still embrace all kinds of records’ for which the Clerk Register was responsible. ‘By the sixteenth century, however, … ‘register’ could describe the archives in general.’(1) def. art. c1420 Wynt. vii 2064.
Mony fredwmys … In to that lettyr war put … quha that likys off it to wyt, To the regystyr [C. regester] thame I remyt. Thar-in … ar wryttyn welle All thir poyntys ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 102.
And gif ȝe trow this nocht south be Reid the registar and ȝe may see And the cronicles of braid Bartane 1566 in Acts I Pref. 23 n.
And exhibitioun of the originallis out of the register(b) c1420 Wynt. vii 2066 (C) (see above). 1533 Inchcolm Chart. 19.
And grantit the sam just and trew of the forme of the originall remanand in the said regestir 1540–1 Prestwick B. Rec. 55.
[He] desyris … the copy of George Symsonis infeftment furth of the regester 1555 Reg. Cupar A. II 225.
To pay and do thairfor conforme to the rentell maid in the ald regestir(c) 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 113.
The said regrester … specefeis na thyng concerneyng the wmquhill James Giffertindef. art. 1584 St. A. Kirk S. 531.
All thir foirsaidis names … to be inrollit in ane registerpl. 1571 Bann. Memor. 210.
And finallie all sic comone thingis as past registeris ar in my handis and salbe at commandement how sone I … mon haue thame copeit out of the buikis or whair thei ar in scrollis sall send the scrollis 1598 Acts IV 184/1.
That … all instrumentis of seasingis … be insert and registrat in the registeris presentlie apointit to that effect … and the saidis registeris … to be establist in the particuler places following [etc.] 1651 Johnston in Laing MSS I 264.
For obteining from your lordship [sc. Cromwell] the saife redelyvery and transportation of the registers 1680 Acts Sederunt ii 145.
If the user of an inhibitione, upon search of the registers or otherways, shall find infeftments of annualrent or [etc.] 1704 Ib. 223.
Mr. George Douglas advocate to receive the keys of the registers from these in possession of them(2) 1425 Acts II 11/2.
That all statutis … of this parliament … be registrat in the kingis registir 1469 Ib. 95/1.
Oure soverane lord sall mak the said reuersionis tobe regesterit in his registir … the quhilk registir sall haue the samyn force as the principale reuersione wer schawing Ib. 97/1.
That the kingis rollis and his registir be put in bukis and haue sic strinth as the rollis had of befor 1498–9 Acta Conc. II 305.
[The king's advocate … produced] ane writing extract … furth of the kingis register 1582 Conv. Burghs I 137.
Cawse luke furth [marg. luke out] oure souerane lordis register quhairby knawlege may be had [etc.](3) 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 113.
Master Francis Bothwell … producit ane attentik copy of the register of the abba of Dunfermlyng 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 90.
The trewe exemplar of the foyrnamed articlis and sentence … drawyn furth of the actentik extract of the same, extract furth of the registre of the said umquhill Dauid, Cardinal 1565 Peebles B. Rec. I 299.
That na preway infefment be gif be na notar … bot that the tounes clerk be present with the regester of the toun to reid the saissing 1576 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 379.
The money collected … to be inregistrat and booked in the register of the kirk 1578 Reg. Privy S. VII 253/1.
Daylie writter … of the register and utheris effairis of the said bischoprik and abbacie 1591 Aberd. B. Rec. I viii.
[There was] na register nor court buik of Abirdene extant 1592 Acts III 554/2.
Lyoun King of armes and his brether herauldis … to matriculat thame in thair buikis and registeris 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 133.
I desire not that any register should be absent, but above all the kirkes registers 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 95.
Ane comodious chamber … for keiping of the registeris of the said judicatorie 1684 Mackenzie Institutions of the Law of Scotland i iii (1688) 21.
I find by the registers of the conventions … that [etc.] 1691 Falkirk Par. Rec. II 13.
Anent the registers and utensalls of Falkirk 1695 Cullen Kirk S. II 13 Jan.
To cause search the registers of Aberdeen, either shiriff or commissars registers, or the towns register, or if thair be any old bishops register(4) 1617 Acts IV 546/1.
Thair salbe ane publick register in the whiche all reuersiounes … grantis off redemptioun and siclyik all instrumentis of seasing salbe registrat within thriescore dayes efter the date of the same 1622-6 Bisset I 8/34.
For inlaik of the Scottis registeris a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 172.
All instruments of seaseing should be registratt within sextie dayes … and the generall register in Edinburgh to serue for the haill kingdome 1642 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VII 183.
The keyes of the roumes in the Castle and Exchecker House quhair the publict registers are keept a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) App. 36.
A sasine … must be registred within 60 days, otherwise it is of no force: … if these be not put in the publick registers, (which every one may search,) the conveyance is of no force(5) 1666 S. Ronaldshay 53 (see Kirk n. 10 b).
Kirk register 1677 Irvine Deeds 13 Nov.
Conforme to the act of parliament upon the 159 and 160 leiffes of the court book of the burgh registertis 1687 Dunferm. Kirk S. 79 (see Kirk n. 10 b). 1695 Cullen Kirk S. II 13 Jan.
As our session register beares(6) 1560–1 Reg. Privy S. V i 190/1.
To mak gude and lele register and coimptrole of the gold and silverindef. art. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 16.
[To] mak ane registre of al that entres in the nombre of the vniuersite c1575 Balfour Pract. 651.
Of all thir letteris na register is maid, bot the warrandis are kept 1673 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 212.
To keep an register of those who … have the use of the sessional mortcloath 1699 Musselburgh 56.
Andrew Ker to be bellman … upon this condition that he keep ane exact register of the dead 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 179.
Ane register of sex moneths baptisms or therbydef. art. 1577 in Acts I Pref. 25 n.
Mr. Johne Skene to serve … in the revewing of the auld municipall lawes of this realme and of the registeris of the decreittis gevin be the Lordis of Counsale 1585 Misc. Spald. C. I 3.
To caus extract the register of the haill personis denuncit for quhatsumeuir caus within our shirefdome of Abirdene and send the samen extract … to ws 1589–90 Waus Corr. 451.
Your l. man caus seik out the registar of the confermatiouns and … get the confermatioun of me lordis few chartor quhilk was confermit and registrat the lxxv yeir 1592 in Acts I Pref. 26.
To visite the lawis and actis … quhairof thair is registaris or autentik monumentis extant 1600 St. A. Kirk S. 937.
Mr. Robert Ȝule … hes the register of the baptizme 1648 Acts VI ii 123/1.
The register of excyse 1693 Irvine Deeds (Dispn. Francis & Baillie to Gray).
His instrument of seasin … in the register of seasines within the shyre of Air(7) 1633 Stirling's Royal Lett. II 687.
That yow caus the havears and keipers of these registers delyver the same to the clerk of register 1672 Acts VIII 86/1.
The keipers of the generall registers of horneings and inhibitions, and of seasings and reversiouns Ib. 88/2.
To the keiper of the thesaurers register … for registration of signatures 1681 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. VII 227 (see b (7) below). 1685 Acts VIII 525/1.
Æneas M^cLeod, keeper of the registers in Edinburgh 1702 Acts Sederunt ii 222.
Alexander Baillie, writer in Edinburgh, keeper of the registers under him(8) fig. c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxii 8.
Quhois name … Is eternissid be ȝow, and mede devyne In register that never sal decay 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 78.
And as there are … two registers, so there are two notars, that … are continually writing the whole register of thy life

b. (The) clerk of (to) our souerane lordis, etc., also, the register(is, (the) clerk of register, the (Lord) Clerk Register, the (Lord) Register, etc., the officer of state responsible for compiling, and custodian of, the public and governmental registers, records and rolls of Scotland kept, latterly, in the Register-hous(e (s.v. Lord Clerk Register in Bell Dict. Law Scotl.).For many further references see the footnotes to Athol L. Murray The Lord Clerk Register in Sc. Hist. Rev. (1974) LIII 124ff.Cf. keiper of the, etc. register(s ((7) above). 1382 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 156.]
[Johanni Gray clerico nostro rotulorum et registri(1) 1457 Acts II 52/2.
The lordis thinkis speidfull that oure souerane lorde commande all his schirrefis ande commissaris of burowis to cum to the clerk of his regestre [etc.] 1550 Treas. Acc. IX 446.
Now clerk of oure soverane ladyes registar 1567 6th Rep. Hist. MSS 642/1.
Scher James Balfour of Pettindreich, knight, clark of our soueranes register 1661 Acts VII 21.
A patent … makeing Sir Archibald Primerose … clerk of his majesties councill registers & rolls 1690 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XV 39.
The place and office of clark of their majesties registers and rolls — 1501 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 12.
Clark to our sovereign lordis register 1672 Buccleuch Mun. 320.
Sir Archibald Primerose of Carinton, knight and barronet, clerk to his maiesties councill, register and rolls(2) 1457 Acts II 47/1.
The clerk of the regester 1492 Reg. Episc. Morav. 248.
And master Johne Fraser dene of Lastalrik and clerk of the registre 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II 390.
The clerc of the register til … deliver it [sc. the copy of the infeftment] til the saidis liper folkis 1535 Treas. Acc. VI 267.
To the clerk of the register, componitour siclike, to his expens 1548–9 Reg. Privy S. IV 14/2.
Makand him clerk of the registre rollis and counsale for all the dayis of his life 16.. R. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 400.
The marshall and constable at a small table, and hard by the clerk of the register with his under clerks at ane table on the other side(3) 1478 Acts II 117/1.
And the clerc of registre to haue voice as the remanent of the lordis 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxx.
The clerc of register to pas and seik the ald chekker rollis to se geif ony declaratioun can be had to schaw mare clerely how the sammyn landis ar haldin 1483 Acta Aud. *112/2. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 447.
To the clerkis of register, houshald, chancellary and thesaurary for thare laubouris 1535 Ib. VI 264. 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 11.
Ordanis the clerk of register to insert this deliverance and ordinance in the bukis of counsel 1555 Exch. R. XVIII 378.
My lord clerk of register. Pleis rasaif this rentaile subscrivit be my lord comptrollar, and caus the samyn be registratt vpoun the parteiis expensis a1578 Pitsc. II 188/19.
At this tyme Schir James Balfour was maid clerk of register and secreter to the quenis grace 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Recordum.
The kinges rolles are ȝit written in parchement in the checker … and the clearke of registar [is] clericus rotulorum 1601 Inv. Wardrobe 323.
Maister John Skene clerk of register 1633 Justiciary Cases I 213.
Clerk depute to his maiesteis clerk of registertransf. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1188.
‘My clerk,’ quod scho, ‘of register [etc.]’(b) 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 109.
The clarkkis of redgastair and jus[tice with] all the hayll rest suld hawe bene send forpl. 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. in Edinb. Univ. MS La. iii 388a fol. 1a.
Admissio clerici registri: Admittit Mr. James Fowlis to the office of the clerk of registeris, rollis and counsale a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) App. 34.
The fifth Officer [of State] is the Lord Clerk of Registers, who has the charge of all the publick records, rolls and registers, and names all the clerks of parliament and session, and the keepers of publick registers(4) 1619 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 197.
And licence to my Lord of Register to build ane tymber hous 1624 Linlithgow B. Rec. 15 Oct.
The … baillies … to gang to my Lord of Register and complein … of the … wrang done [etc.](5) 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. in Edinb. Univ. MS La. iii 388a fol. 4b.
And to this effect ordanis the Clerk Register to caus writ the names of the lordis daylie present a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 23. 1660 Laing MSS I 350.
Proposed to the king that our comer shuld be Clark Regester 1663 Acts VII 482/2.
Vnder the present Clerk Registers hand 1678 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. VI 72.
The Lord Register having represented to his majesteis Privy Councill that, it being the undowbted right and privilege of his office of Clerk Register to … appoynt clerkis to all commissions [etc.] Ib. marg.
The Lord Clerk-Register 1685 Acts Sederunt ii 163.
And … in the place appoynted for the Clark-Register and his deputs, clarks in the outter-house, there be none allowed to stay but the saids clarks … and such other as the Lord Register specially licences … and to recommend to the Lord Register to order the place of the house appertaining to himself and his deputs 1703 Acts XI 35/2.
Lord Clerk Register(6) 1638 Baillie I 130.
The commissioner then required instruments in my Lord Register's hands of his protestation 1650 Acts VI ii 573/2. 1698–9 Misc. Maitl. C. III 171. 1703 Balfour Her. Tracts xxiii.
The Lord Register is to make up the Rolls of Parliament(7) 1681 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. VI 227.
Sir George M^cKeinzie … to be Clerk of Register in place of Sir Thomas Murray … and … the records, warrants and papers belonging to the office of Register now in the custody of the said Sir Thomas Murray late Register [to] be given up … to the present Register, therefore … the lords thesaurer deput [etc.] … to see the saids registers [etc.] … delivered up to the said Sir George … by the said late Register and the keepers of the registers, warrants and papers under him

c. To put in register, to record. Also, fig., to bear in mind. 1494 Loutfut MS 3a.
The counstable clerk sall writ and put in registre the … hour of the entre off the provourfig. 1622-6 Bisset I 279/10.
Thir auld formes ar richt necesser to be put in register in memorie

d. To kepe in register, to retain as a record; also, fig., to be left in register, to be retained (as a record). 1584 Acts III 295/2.
That nane of his hienes subiectis … tak vpoun hand be word or writt to justefie … the said … attemptat … or to keip in register or stoir ony bukis ryme act band or writt quhatsumeuir tending to … approbatioun of the same … bot that the havaris of the saidis bandis bukis actis and registeris in thair handis bring in … the same to his hienes and preuie counsell 1585 Inv. Wardrobe 319.
Ane authentik copy … of the … tikkettis and warrandis quhilkis his hienes commandis to be kepit in registre ad futuram rei memoriamfig. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 73.
Leave thou a jote of that undone quhilk he commanded thee to doe, thou perverts the institution; for there is nathing left in register of that institution but it is essentiall

e. attrib. and comb.See also Register-buke, Register-hous(e. 1687 Dallas Stiles 109.
Compter and register-keeper of all wares and merchandise imported into the kingdom  1702 Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the reign of Anne I 465.
Nominating James Baird, W.S., to be, during pleasure] searcher, tryer, compter, comptroller and register keeper [of all wares and merchandise imported into Scotland liable in payment of bullion]

2. transf. a. An entry in a register. b. A written text. c. A blank book set aside for use as a register. Cf. Register-buke n.a. 1504–5 Liber Melros 601.
And the said abbot producit his register that the said landis ar gevin to thame without secular seruice 1617 Acts IV 546/1.
Oure said souerane lord … ordanis the same registeris and registratiounes foirsaidis to be insert thairinb. 1549 Compl. 17/15.
Quhou beit that he fynd sum purposis translatit in Scottis that accords not vitht the Lateen regester Ib. 46/33.
Ande thai tua tablis hes bene regester and fundatione til al them that hes studeit in … topographie 1583 Mill Mediæv. Plays 290.
The brethrein … appointit to vesie the register of the clark play playit be the bairnis … at Stragaythc. 1551 Treas. Acc. X 22.
For ane paper buke to be ane register for my lord governouris evidentes

3. a. ? The department of government dealing with records. Cf. Registri(e n. (of which this may be an example). b. = Register-hous(e. Also attrib.a. 1542 Reg. Privy S. II 727/2.
The said Schir Alexander hes bene oure soverane lordis … servitour … in all sessionis, chekkeris, and registreb. 1587 Acts III 449/1.
Thair prothocoll buikis … salbe … deliuerit to the clerk of registrj or ane of his deputtis … and … the … buikis to be … kepit in our souerane lordis register 1618 Ib. IV 588/1.
Two of euerie ane of them [sc. standard measures] to remaine in the register within the Castell of Edinburgh and within the Castell of Dunbritane for a warrandattrib. 1612 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 326.
Ane parpanvall to be maid befoir the regester dore

4. specif. The ‘Register’ or Epistles of Gregory the Great; cf. ME, in this sense (Wyclif). c1420 Wynt. v 5455.
Saynct Gregore … made mony omelys [etc.] … Dyalog and rygystyre, And othir mony ma to thire