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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
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Sesin(e, Seisin(e, Sasine, n. Also: sesyn(e, -en, -einge, -yng, sessyn, -ing, -yng, seisyne, seissin(e, seizin, seising, seissing, -yng, seysing, -yng, -ain, seyssing, seasin(e, -ing(e, seaseing, seassing, seazing, seessyn, seesing, sising, sysyn, sasine, -ing, -yne, saseing, sasone, sazion, saisin(e, -yne, -en, -ing, saissing, saiseing, saisyng, saysine, -ing, -yng, saesing. [ME and e.m.E. seisine (1297), sesin (Cursor M.), sesyne (Manning), saysyne (Ayenbite), cesoun (c1400), sesun, seysyne (1425), cesone (c1440), season (1525), OF saisine (c1138 in Larousse) f. saisir to seize, med. L. (Sc.) sasina (1366 in Latham).] Sasine.Also appar. pl. without inflectionFor many further examples, see Acts XII General Index, s.v. Sasine; Balfour Pract. Index, s.v. Sasine; Hope Major Pract. General Index, s.v. Sasine; Stair Inst. (1832) Index of Matters dxlix, s.v. Seisins.

1. Possession, chiefly of lands or property, esp. as held of a feudal superior; an instance of this. See also 3 below. 1213–22 Reg. Episc. Morav. 62.
[Ecclesie Sancte Trinitatis et capitulo eiusdem plenam seysinam fecimus de eadem ecclesia cum omnibus ad eandem pertinentibus 12… Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 270.]
Et liceat ipsis fratribus sine disturbatione … ponere se in saysinam de predictis cattallis 14.. Acts I 356/2.
A man may profe sesing of lande boucht wyth in the burche … be the wytnesing of xij men … and be a balȝe 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 6.
Sal sessyng of that ilk lande or tennement be adiugit till his aduersar 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 48.
The quhilk pertinene he had nocht in the tym of spusagis in his lordschip na ȝit was nocht tharof in sessyng that tym 1432 Highland P. II 174.
Anent the changing of my lands of Menstry to him and his lands of Glasry to me … I … giffis up purly and symply all rycht and clame of rycht sesing and possession that I have tane of the saide lands of Glastry 1455 Soc. Ant. Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 7.
The said Thomas Grahame askit sesine of the forsaid … landis … to be jugit to the said Mergarete be dome of court 1459 Peebles B. Rec. I 131.
Gorg Wilȝamson has brokyn sessyng with thwa dissis and fyr onder the dissis sayand sai that sessyng was is fals and … thair auch nan to haf sessyng of that land bot hym self 1464–5 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 60.
The said William … acht til haue sic sesine of the landis & mylne … as … his grantsire had 1570 Boyd Fam. P. No. 58 (22 Feb.).
Ane contrack maid betuix the said Adam Boyid and me for seissing of lands worith the said sowum 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Saisina.
Saisina, ane French word, saising or possession, vid. Dissasina

2. The legal procedure whereby a person received formal possession of lands or property; an instance of this. See also 3 below.(1) 14.. Acts I 31/2.
[The seller] sall geyff to the aldyrman a penny for the ische and the tothir sall geyff a penny for the entre and his sesyng 1478 Rep. Milne-Home MSS 24.
Thir witnes at the sessing beand present 1519 Edinb. Hammermen (ed.) 69.
To the bailȝe [pr. bailȝo] that gaif the twa sesings vj s. To the notar at the taking of the sesings viij d. To David Purwes servand beand at the said sesings xij d. 1524 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXVIII 61.
The malis … of the saidis landis that scho mycht haif had betuix the dait of hir sesing and tyme of the said refuse or disassent 1550–1 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 153.
The dewteis concerning the officeris and seriandis, sic as apprysing of guidis, sesings, brevis [etc.] c1575 Balfour Pract. 175.
Ane miln is not comprehendit … under the generall word … of pertinentis, because ane miln requires ane speciall and severall sasine 1578 Acts III 97/1.
Giftis of nonentres in preiudice of the said subwassall and of naturall sazionis and of tailleis 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. (SRS) 2.
Ane seising in secunda cauda grantit … to James Scrymgeour … as sone and air to … his father 1605–19 Paisley B. Rec. 130.
All thir wes mortefeit be vmquhill Wm. Pirie … & seasing past thairon 1681 Stair Inst. ii iii § 16 (1832) 207.
King James I … did … bring in the solemnity of seisins by the instrument of a notary about the year 1430 1686 Fountainhall Decis. I 432.
His sasine is null, bearing only the symbol of tradition of earth and stone, whereas a mill … requires delivery of the clap and happer 1681 Stair Inst. ii iii § 16 (1981) 341.
These charters … never become a real right till they be completed by seasin, which imports the taking of possession(2) 1416 Maxwell Mem. I 148.
The said Jamys sal infeft the saiddis childir … with fre charter and sesyng 1456 Wemyss Chart. 79.
Ilkan of the said partis till infeft vthir be charteris and sesingis mad of thar awyn in excambium till hald of the king 1489 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 546.
To resigne … al and syndry forsaidis landis … with charteir, sesyng, and euidencis maid to me 1493 Lennox Mun. 148.
Of the quhilk landis the said James … sall be heretablly infeft be chartour, saysing, and possessioun be the saidis erle 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 64.
[He] sal … gif him charter and saising of warandise of the halff of the landis of Schethum(3) attrib. 1556 Old Ross-shire I 14.
[The hereditary bailie of the immunity of Tain had right to] tollpenny and seisin silver 40 pennies ilk seisin

3. a. To tak (obtene, get, ressave, seke) sesine in senses 1 and 2 above. Also attrib. b. To gif sesine in senses 1 and 2 above. c. transf. With reference to seizure by force of arms. Only in Doug.For a detailed description of the process, see Bell Dict. Law Scotl. (1838) s.v. Sasine, and the following quots.a. 1439 Rep. Menzies MSS 7.
That the said landis … be nocht comprehendit in owr said dowery, na that the stat no sesine that we sall tak tharof turn the said David … to ony hurt 1462 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 368.
Nochtwythstanding that I haff … optenet sesing & heretabil state of a rent annuale of foure schillingis ȝerely 1504 Bk. Mackay 381.
Sesen 1519 Edinb. Hammermen 99b.
Becaus it was sa neir Mertimes or we gat the sesing 1541 Frasers of Philorth 241.
And that ane anerlie sesing, now to be takin be the said Alexander(b) 1460 Peebles B. Rec. I 137.
At that sessyn … was na sessyn lachful bot intrwssioun and was lachfully brokyn(c) 1442 Stirlings of Keir 216.
That the said Gilbert sulde pay the male of the said landis ȝerly … fra the tyme that the said Wilȝame tuke state and seysyng of the said landis 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 416.
To Williame Hardy to pas to the Ilis and tak seysing of M^cKanis landis, v li. 1566 Perth Guildryp. 335 (28 Sept.).
Quhilke day Wilȝeam Ros tailȝowur is maid burges & gildbroder off the brough off Perth & awchtmitett to the liberte off the samyn … & tueke seysain be Walter Pyper bailȝe 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 84.
The principallis of … Edinburgh aggreit … to lend thair majesties ten thowsand merkis vpoun the superiouritie of Leith … and thai to have the infeftment thairof … Vpoun the tent day of … October the provest [etc.] … past doun to Leith, and thair … ressauit stait and seising of the said superiouritie(d) a1578 Pitsc. II 34/2, 16.
That thir tua nobill men be maid lordis of … Merse and Tiwiedaill and tak thame haldin of ȝour grace [sc. Henry VIII] as ȝour subiectis haldis in Ingland of ȝow … the king … causet thame to mak thair chairtouris and evedentis conforme to the same … and thairwpoun gaif thame his greit seill of Ingland to the conformatioun of the samin and bad thame pase in Scotland and tak ceassing … thairfoir they caist thame … to Scottland … and brocht witht them … v^m men … to tak thair seassing of Merse and Tivedaill 1603 Moysie 83.
The admirall … past to Falkland, Dumfermling and Linlithgow, to tak seasing of the thrie lordschipis for the queins dourie 1622-6 Bisset II 134/16.
The … kirkman gatt seasing instantlie than in iudgement … without passing to the ground of the landis a1633 Hope Major Pract I 303.
Quhen any man dies seased in free tennement … his air may seek seaseing therof(e) 1460 Hay Alex. 2003.
The king … Bad him pas and tak sasing of the place 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 199.
Efter the pament of the thre lib. Villiem, his ayris, executouris or assignais sall jois peciabylly the saidis thre rigis four ȝeiris immediatlie thairefter for vis. of meill and beir, and vpone thir vordis Villiem hes tane sasing vpone your rigis be our bailȝe, James Scot, in that tyme, befor thir vytnes c1630 Hope Minor Practicks 91.
Sasines must be taken … upon the ground of the lands 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 155.
Loret's chappell, … Transported hither, for a time took sasing [: leasing](f) 1469 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 64.
Efter saysine and possessioun be charter and sele takin be the sade Johne of the sammyn landis 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 60.
Efter that the sade Robert gat state, saising and possessione of the saidis landis 1618–19 Misc. Spald. C. V 142.
For a poynt of wyne, and the pertinentis spent at the tacking saising be the toune of Johnne Fraseris housattrib. 1427 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 40.
Al thing that the said John … did … in charteris makyn & sesyn takyn I hafe amittit & confermit 14.. Burgh Laws c. 92 (A).
& the tother sal gif for his entra in the hous i d. at the sesing takyn 1561 Dumfries B. Ct. 22a.
His promis & obligation maid to Schir Jhone Lawdir at the tyme of his sesing takingb. 1392 Lennox Mun. 45.
The sayde Erill haffis gyffyn fre and heritable sesyng and possessioune to the saydis William and Issabel of thair landes of the Tarbart and Glendouglas 1432 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 285.
At the giffyng of the said sesyngis 1432 Soc. Ant. II 388.
I … gafe heritabil state possessione and sesying to the said William be erde and stane 1465 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 60.
We commandit the schiref or his mare of fe to … gif corporale sesine, state, & possessione of the said landis(b) ?1442 Yester Wr. 52.
Scessyn 1456 Peebles B. Rec. I 113.
The said balȝe gayf sessyng with a penne of a pond of connryng of Wil Bully land awest half the Cors 1456–7 Peebles B. Rec. I 117.
[He] gayf grund sessyng … of that sartan land and junt fefment … to Sym Conno and Besse hys wif(c) 14.. Acts I 390/2.
Geyff ony seyssing be geyffin in the burgh before the nyȝtburis … that seyssing is suffyciand 1460 Lindores A. 159.
The quhylk day … balyeis of the said burth … wytht the officiaris and nyburs, and gaf seissyng … of ii rudes of land 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 15 Nov.
Willem Stensone … gaif heretable stait & seising … to Margeret Ogiluie as lyifrenter & to James Lawty … as heretour(d) 1581 Acts III 235/1.
Ane seasing to be gevin be the said Lord of Doun 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 87.
To give seasing to his wyff Elizabeth in the whole earldome of Southerland 1663 Decis. Lords G. 49.
The seasine was given by father to the son only propriis manibus, without an adminicle though confirmed by the marques 1667 Butler Leighton 581.
[The] moderator, gave him also infeftment and seazing in the gleib and pertinents 1684 Laing MSS 426.
Louthianburn 26 Dec. 1684 the first seasins I ever gave(e) 1473 Lindores A. 168.
Sysyn(f) c1575 Balfour Pract. 178.
Sasines within burgh sould be gevin be ane baillie and the clerkis 1647 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 74.
Saseings 1674 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 30 July.
For being clerk to the sasing to be givin this day 1682 Craven Ch. in Orkney 134.
The said Mr James, with his awin handes … gave and delivered state and sasineactuall, real and corporal possession of all and haill that tenement of land or lodging(g) 1446–7 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. viii 57.
The quhilk landis geuyn be state and saysing of fe to the said Johne 1460 Hay Alex. 2035.
And of the citie thair he gaue him sasing And bad the pepill obey him as thair king 1529 Red Bk. Grandtully I 67.
And gif thai be nocht syndrie haldyngis nor syndrie saisyngis vsit to be gyffin thairapone 1530 Glasgow Prot. IV 27.
Jhon Wan … gaif stait and saesing, be hesp and stapyll, of x schilling of anwell 1545 Chart. Coupar A. II 197.
[We] ordanis … our … bailȝe … to give saysing and possessioune to the said Henrie … be traditioune of thak and duffat as use is in sic latis 1552 Reg. Cupar A. II 108.
To gif entres, saising and possessioun off the saidis landis to the saidis Dauid … and to introduce thame in actuall and reall possessioun thairoff be traditioun of erd, tre and stane 1639 Yell Charter in Sc. Hist. Rev. XXI 131.
Saisenc. 1513 Doug. x xi 116.
‘Of Lavynya the spousyng chalmyr … And all this ilk regioun and this land … My rycht hand sal the saysyng geif,' quod he [sc. Turnus] 1513 Doug. xiii vi 164.
Ressaue this worthy notabill fair proffyr And saisyn tak [L. cape] of honouris quhilkis we offir

4. Passing into: The notarial instrument by which the possession of feudal property is proved. b. Breif, charter, instrument, letter, precept, testimonial, warrant of sesing, and register of sesingis. 1481 Instr. H. Scheves MS.
To gydder with charteris, sesinge, and all othir letteris and ewydentis quhilkes he has maid to him of the said landis 1501–2 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 642.
Becaus that we have nocht hard nor sen na charter of talȝe nor sasing vpon na talȝe 1508 Reg. Privy S. I 245/2.
Contenyt in the charteris and sesingis maid and gevin to the saidis Alexander and Alexander 1521 Stirling B. Rec. I 13.
Sir James Akman, cheplane, … produsit and shew ane attentic chartour and seissin of twa markis of obit silver to be upliftit [etc.] 1545 Orkney Rentals iii 5.
Ane seasing following thairupon, daitit the 21 of March 1545, under the notte and subscription of Jon. Lauder, notter-publict 1552 Rankin St. A. Ch. 111.
The said Wyliam has a saysing of me Jhon Motto hand wryt 1579–80 Reg. Privy C. III 257.
Ane seising of the landis of Garrochin 1586–7 Ayr B. Acc. 156.
[To Jhon McKnedar] for the townis sasing, [£10] 1604–5 Aberd. Acc. in Misc. Spald. C. V 78.
Ane skyn of parchement to wreit the sesing of the said chartour of mortificatioun, 1 lib. 1604–5 Aberd. Acc. in Misc. Spald. C. V 78.
For registring of the said saseing in the secretaris register 1619 Thanes of Cawdor 247.
The puir man who broght home the cups and seasing of Illa causit opin the packet to know what wes within the samyn 1622-6 Bisset II 141/23.
The forme of the seasing upon the mortificatioun foirsaid 1627 Aberd. Council Lett. I 260.
For discharging the sealing of sasines be hesp and steppill a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) App. 36.
No man can have a right to any estate but by his being seised of it, which is done by the delivery of earth and stone upon which an instrument is formed called a sasine and this must be registered within 60 days … for if no sasine be passed upon them, or if these be not put in the publick registers, … the conveyance is of no force c1641 Soc. Ant. XXV 54.
Niniane Neving nottar … drawis up to the said Mr. Gilbert ane falss seassing of ane antidait writtene efter the deceiss of the said umquhill Jhone Mowat 1653 Sc. N. & Q. 1 Ser. I 174.
Payet to the town's clerk for four seissings … £20b. (1) 1473 Misc. Spald. C. IV 8.
Forsamekille as our soueran lord has direkit his breif of sesing to me 1476 Lennox Mun. 108.
Yhour brevis of seissing war direct fra the kingis henes to the schiref 1500 Stewart Mem. 82.
Thar is present to me ane brefe of seissing of oure souerane lordis chapele … to gif seissing to the said Neile as aire to his said fader of [etc.](2) 1569 Inverness Rec. I 179.
Johne Roy Grant in Vrquhart producit in jugement ane chartyr of sasing on ane pece land lyand on the west syde of the Watter of Ness(3) 1478–9 Acta Aud. 84/2.
And that the notar of the said sesing … put in the uther landis in the said instrument of sesing without his consent 1489–90 Acta Aud. 144/1.
The quhilk charter and instrument of sesing the said Margrete haid in keping 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 53.
As was sufficiently previt be the sade Robert instrument of saising schawin and producit before the Lordis 1518 Boyd Fam. P. No. 2 (7 July).
Efter the tenor of the said … charter undir his sele and subscriptioun manuale maid to tham with ane instrument of seising therupoun 1526 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 227.
[He] producit ane chartour and instrument of sesing vnder the commoun seill of Edinburgh 1552–3 Lanark B. Rec. 23.
Seissin c1555 Lynd. (STS) IV 276.
The charter precept and instrument of saising of the landis of Myd Garmiltoun c1562 Edinb. Hammermen 251.
Seseinge 1566–7 St. A. Kirk S. 291.
The sammyn mencionat in the instrumentis of saisingis c1575 Balfour Pract. 366.
Ane instrument of sasine grantit to ony man … is not sufficient probatioun that his wife was saisit in the samin landis [etc.] a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 155.
Quher ther is no charter, instruments of seaseing ane or mae continued and standing togidder 1693 Acts IX 332/1.
Provideing always that the instruments of resignation, and sasines taken after the death of either party, express the titles of those, in whose favours the resignation is made, and to whom the sasine is granted(4) 14.. Acts I 345/2.
For the letter of sesing to the Chancellare for his fee a merk and to the clerk for the writting ij s. 1455 Fraser P. 98.
I haf ourgiffine … all charteris letres of seising & confirmation tharupone 1496 Acta Conc. II 6.
Efter the tenor … of the charteris, letters of saising and instrumentis producit and schawin 1499 Reg. Privy S. I 60/2.
Confirmand a letter of sessing mad and gevin thairuppon to the said Wilȝame(5) 1485-1515 Prot. Bk. J. Young I 27.
At this land of the quhilk ye haf gevin sessing … aucht nocht to haf gevin na precept of sessing 1501–2 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 642.
& thus the ratour & precept of sasyn discordis in thaimself & na sasing schawin vpon the said precept 1515 Sutherland Bk. III 59.
A precept of seisyne of al and haill the erldome of Sutherland … is direct to ws in dew form be our soverane lordis chapell c1525 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 389.
Ane precept of seysing without charter … suld do nane steide nor be of effect 1529 Aberd. B. Rec. I 128.
Togidder with the attentik chartour and precept of seising of the said landis 1535 Selkirk B. Ct (ed.) 151.
Thomas Prechour hes producit ane precept of seissine … quhilk contenit that he grantit pouer to Robert Chepman and James Keyne … to geif herretabyll sessing to Jennot Lermont and Thomas Prechour and to thair ayris 1539 Chart. Coupar A. II 162.
Seissynge c1575 Balfour Pract. 175.
Declarand him to be narrest and lauchfull air … with ane precept of sasine direct furth of the chancellarie 1578 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 85.
With ane precept of sesing vnder the quarter sele of the said dait and place quhilk letters the said prowest and baillies grantit the resate of be deliuerance thairof to thame 1621 Acts IV 618/2.
The wreating and registring of ane infeftment of a baronie with the precept of seasing past the quarter seale 1654 Glasgow B. Rec. II 284.
Seesing(6) 1467 Acta Aud. 7/2.
Eufame sall brouke & joyse hir juntfeftment … efter tennoure of the testimoniale of sesing 1479 Acta Aud. 92/2.
Alexander Sydserf … to … bring with him the testimoniale of his sesing of the said landis of Chapelsyd 1491 Acta Aud. 155/2.
To gif ane testimoniale vnder his sele of the said sesing(7) 1681 Stair Inst. ii iii § 19 (1832) 209.
Albeit the most ordinary warrant of seisins be the superior's precept engrossed, or related to, in the seisin(8) 1672 Acts VIII 86/1.
The keipers of the generall registers of horneings [etc.] … and of seasings and reversiouns 1679 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 3 Feb.
Also appoynts the register of seasings to be reveised

c. comb. Sesin(e, sasine ox (once, seasing-kow), an ox or cow due as a perquisite to the person conferring sasine. 1594 Morison Dict. Decis. 14337.
It was found, by a majority of the Lords, that the by-past custom had been … to take for every sasine a sasine-ox, if the land had been a husband-land, or more, which they thought extended to 27 acres of land(1) 1459 Exch. R. VI 516.
Pro uno bove dicto sesing ox, dato vicecomiti de Aberden pro saysina data domino Johanni 1479 Acta Conc. I 33/2.
Takin vp … the tyme he vsit the said office of balȝery … xiiij sesing oxine [etc.] 1479 Hist. Carnegies 20.
I ressauit a sesing ox, gra hornyt and quhit chekit, and takin of sesing gevin to the said Jhone 1494 Acta Conc. I 348/1.
That the said schiref tak his sesing oxin of the grond quhare he gaf his sesing 1556 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 166.
To pay at the entre of thair air … ane sesing ox to us c1575 Balfour Pract. 177.
Sasine beand gevin be ane over-lord to his tenent, of ony landis … the tenent aucht and sould deliver to his over-lord ane sasine ox 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 118.
That the haile inhabitantis within the parochine of Quhytnes … pay ane schewnd ox quhilk is callit the sesing ox 1639 Acts V (1817) 276/2.
The vassallis of small portiounes of land, only to pay to the shirref … for their seasing ox, fyve lib. 1662 Retours I Inq. Spec. Fife (914).
Cum bobus sasinarum lie sasine oxen(2) 1630 Douglas of Morton (App. B) 740.
[To the executors of the deceased Thomes Greirsone … ] for his part of ane seasing kow