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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rut(e)ma(i)ster, Rout(e)ma(i)ster, Ritma(i)ster, n. Also: ruit-, root(e)-, roet-; reut-; reet-; Raitmaister. [MDu. rotmeester captain of an army division, MDu., Du. ritmeester a captain of a troop of horse. Cf. e.m.E. rote-master (once, 1523) one in command of a company of gunners (OED), 17th c. Eng. rittmaster (1665 S. Clarke Descr. Germany).The source of the word as between Du. rot (Rout n.¹⁾ a file of troops and rid- ride is not clear. Cf. rot-master (Rot(t n.²⁾.Spelling varr. rait- and reet- may be due to editorial misreadings.] An officer in a cavalry regiment in command of a troop of horse, equivalent to a captain of foot. b. Once, appar., ? in erron. use, a trooper.(a) 1636 Melville Corr. 86.
Certane rutmaisteris and vnder officiars and souldiours 1641 Acts V 400/2.
Rutmaister Johne Broun of Fordell 1643 Ib. VI i 45/1.
Broun [of Fordell] to be maior of thre troupes of horse … and to be rutemaister of on of the saidis troupes and the saidis Thomas Craig of Riccartoun and Williame Stewart to be rootemaisteris of the wther tuo troupes 1644 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIV 77.
Lord Balcarras his regiment of horsse … 8 trouppis consisting of ane leiutennent collonell … ane major … 6 ruitmasteris ilkane … per diem 3 lib. 6 s. 8 d. … 8 cornittis 1646 Peebles Gleanings 253.
Ruitmaisteris [Peebles B. Rec. I 421 Rait mastteris] Killoche and Connighame 1649 Acts VI ii 702/1. 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 484.
Three other collonels slayn, besyds rutmasters, captains & other officers 1657 Balfour Ann. IV 32.
Acte ordaining eurey rutemaster to be comptable for the haill horses and armies wnder his command 1681 Strathallan Geneal. Drummond 123.
John was a rutemaster under Major-General Hurrie when his army was beat at … Oldearn(b) 1641 Elgin Rec. II 240.
Johne Meldrum, routmaister 1643 Acts VI i 45/2 (see (a) above). 1645 Ib. 353/2.
And the rootmaister captane or any other officer of horse foot or dragouneres 1645 Army of the Covenant I 162.
Routmaster Thomas Hamilton of the Lord Dalhoussies regiment 1650 Acts VI ii 589/2.
Rootmasters 1650 Johnston Diary II 8.
Our troupers being dismounted in the party, for their remounting a route master was maid, who drave in about 100 horse 16.. Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 197.
The Duke of Queensberry is collonell to the foot and his grace's son, the Earl of Drumlanrig, is rootmaster to the horse a1676 Guthry Mem. (1747) 283.
Such was the loyalty of the gentry, whom they made rout-masters(c) 1650 Cupar Presb. 152.
Peter Hay … acknowledges his sorrow for being a roetmaster in the late sinfull engadgement(d) 1644 Spalding II 315.
Ilk capitane to be provided with cullouris, drumis; ritmaisteris [1644 Act of Estates for Putting Kingdome into a Posture of Defence root-master] with trvmpettis and coronetis c1650 Spalding I 298.
Monro heiring of this sendis out Ritmaister Forbes with good horssmen and 24 mvskiteiris Ib. II 396.
Sir Williame Forbes … , ritmaister a1686 Turner Mem. 76.
Then came a ritmaster (who had beene a glover, and still keepd both the mine and manners of a mechanick)(e) 1635 Sutherland Bk. II 160.
Ther felt-marschall, Bauttisch, … haweing killit the reut-maisteris horse, … escappet(f) 1648 Lesmahagow Ann. 155.
Thomas Weise, cornet to James Conynghame, reet masterb. c1650 Spalding I 294.
To furneish … a number of regimentis of ritmaisteris, consisting of 100 horss to ilk regiment; … [each to be furnished] with suord pistoll carrabin or lance and ane horss worth 80 lib. And siclike that thair sould be furneshit out footmen [etc.]