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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.

Serch(e)ing, Sersing, vbl. n. Also: seirche-, sairch-, search-, seirs-, sears-, searsch-, searc-, shairch-, schers-, sce(a)rch- and -ynge, Cersing. [Late ME and e.m.E. serchyng (c1400); Serch(e v.]

1. The action of searching in senses 1, 3 b, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of Serch(e v. b. An instance of seeking to discover (a person) (sense (6) above).(1) 1592 Mining Rec. 76.
Debaring … all maner personis from sersing seiking takinge in few or in tak ony of the said mynis 1645 Old Kirk Chron. 76.
[One of the chief duties of the elders was the Sunday] sairching of the toune(2) 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 137.
To John Carss for searching the horse cap^ns foot and puting in saw quhen he was pricked 7 s.(3) 1500–1 Reg. Privy S. I 88/1.
A letter … of serching and sichtyng of skinnys … with[in] the burgh of Hadingtoun 1517 Edinb. B. Rec. I 167. 1533 Edinb. B. Rec. II 66.
For sersing of the gudnes fynes and warkmanschip of the said stuf 1560–1 Inverness Rec. I 50.
And the balyes hes accepit the office of sersing on tham 1579 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 218.
To trawell and mac his laboris and dilligens in sersing … the said Jame Skynner gudistransf. 1491–2 Acta Conc. I 224/1.
Lettrez … of the serching of the merchandis within the toun of Dunde(4) 1600-1610 Melvill 78.
And efter beging light of God, and sersing the Scripture by conference and reasoning discussit [etc.](5) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. xi 33 marg.
In scearching of sick thingis as ar nocht expressit in the scripturis of God 1559–60 St. A. Kirk S. 22.
For sercheing furth of the veritie a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 132/1.
In seirsynge out of Goddes vord 1566 Reg. Privy S. V ii 157/1.
Inglismen … frequentis marcattis … spering and sercheing out of secreitis c1586 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXIX 52.
[The religious allegory] Ane Schersing Out of Trew Felicitie c1590 Fowler II 152/1.
In seiking there consell, and in the serching of the same to here theme patientlye and to find fault with such as [etc.](6) a1450 Fifteen Ois 162.
Of thin inwart hertfull lufe … Behald, I pray thé, my ȝarnyng Off gude werkis in sersing 1526–7 Treas. Acc. V 318.
Henry Richertson … to pas in Flandris for serching of fals pennyis 1527 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 573.
In sercheing taking and bringynd of oure rebellis theiffis revaris sornaris and murtheraris … to oure lawis 1543 St. A. Formulare II 274.
Quha … socht and scersit the movable gudis pertenyng to the said A. to have poyndit and apprisit the sammyn to the said T. … the said officiar maid deu intimatioun of the sersing denunciatioun and executioun foiresaidis 1543 Treas. Acc. VIII 237.
To Bute and Carrik pursivantis for thair laubourris tane in seirsing and seiking of the mennis gudis of Dunde being at the horne 1559–60 Soc. Ant. XI 522.
Efter lang sersing and seking thai apprehendit the said chenye 1567–8 Thirds of Benefices 191.
For sercheing of the erle Bothwell and his colligis 1582 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 170.
For searcing and apprehending of the same thay appoint … Robert McClellane 1593 Crim. Trials I ii 288.
For seircheing and reprehending of the avowit and knawin offendaris 1637 Banff Ann. I 78.
Geir all fund with eftir dackering and searsching 1702 Cramond Ch. Bellie 5.
Applications … for searching out … mass priests(7) 1552–3 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 177.
That ilk baillie mak scerching anis in the moneth throwch all his quarter, and quhair he fyndis ony personis dissobayand this statute [etc.] 1639–40 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 245.
John Monro for … searsing throw the countrie for skaith don to her 1682 in Turner Mem. 290.
If under the pretext of shairching for the other, they can fall upon him, I shall think it is a good chainge(8) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 190 (Harl.).
And in sic sercheing [Arund. sersing] be he fund negligent … He may of God drede ferefull iugementb. 1603 Moysie 109.
Theare wes a great searsing maid of the erle Bothuell

2. To strive for or seek to obtain (something). 1533 Bell. Livy I 83/8.
The samyn ambicioun that he had in sercheing the crowne