Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Semistar, -er, Semstar, n. Also: semestare, -air, -er, seamster, sempster. [ME and e.m.E. semstere (1379), semster (c1400), shempster (1550), sempster (1559), seamster (1601), OE séamestre (orig.) fem., a seamstress.] A seamstress, also, maistres semister. 1527 Treas. Acc. V 314.
To Jonet Dowglas, semestair of the kingis lynnyng claithis 1531 Treas. Acc. VI 47.
Semestare 1534 Treas. Acc. VI 212.
Semistar 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII 410.
To Besse Murray, semstar 1579 Treas. Acc. XIII 275.
To Grissell Gray, semister, to by hir claithis 1588 Exch. R. XXI 413.
To Girsell Hamiltoun, maistres semister, for hir meit and drink … £120 c1650 Spalding (1792) I 289.
The taylors and cordiners … were set to work to make up thir cloaths and shoes, and sempsters [1850 sewsteris] to sew thir shirts 1650 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VIII 234.
Katherine Angous … depones … that shoe never was a semester to hire tread and never sewed a mutch 1650 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VIII 235.
Semister Urquhart Rabelais i vii.
The seamsters (when the point of their needles was broken) began to work and occupie with the tail