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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Soum, Sowm, n.2 Also: soume, sowme, sowmme, sowmn, som, sum(e, swim, swyme. Pl. also sowmoys, summes. [Appar. Soum n.1]

1. A unit corresponding to the number of grazing animals, usually cows or sheep, which a certain area of pasture can support. Also const. of (the animals).Hirding sowme, the number of animals the common herd was allowed to graze, as a perquisite of his job.For further information see Murray Early B. Organ. II 70, 71.(1) 1442–3 Ayr B. Ct. 28 Jan.
At ilk man hald twa soumys & a hors
1473–74 Yester Wr. 74.
[And the said Sir William is bound not to claim the said house and castle of Morham] … nor the pastour of the sowmes of Wyndan
1488 Lanark B. Rec. 1.
That ilke day Nicol Schirelaw is maid commoun herde, to keip to [sic] catel of the town for ix d. ilke soum and a scheif of corn of ilke hous
1505 Lennox Mun. 171.
Forsamekle as the said Lord Erskyne and his tenandis … had wse of pastureing in the commone of Inchinnan are part of sowmys for the half day and ane wthir part of sowmis for the haile day the quhilk saidis landis of Awelandis twenty foure sowmys the haile day
1524 (1531) Reg. Great S. 222/2.
Cum 6 le sowmys in pastura … item cum le brodsow et le brodguse
1542 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 517.
[Others had more than] five soumes for ilk pund land [counting 10 sheep to the soum]
c1575 Balfour Pract. 139.
This is the maner of pannage, viz. of ilk sowme, that is, ten swine
1582 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 169.
Quhairof viij scheip to be ane sowme and ane kow ane sowme and the said James to haif ij s. for ilk sowme guds
1657 Lanark B. Rec. 159.
Ordanit that no burges within this brughe keip na ma sowmes upon the muir bot thrie in tyme cuming, being ather tua ky and ane hors or thrie ky
a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
A horse and he be one year old he is two sowmme. An oxe of ane year old is the thrid pairt of a sowmme [etc.]
a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
Ten sheip is a sowmme, twentie lambes make a sowmme. They tak for the sowmme in sommer fyve marks and for the wholl yeir ten marks. Fowr scor and fowr goates maks a sowmme
1669 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 256.
[The whole] sowmes pasturage [of the said lands are estimated to be] fourtie aught sowme of nolt and scheip
1696 Donaldson Husbandry 39.
The two horses, according to the vulgar account, are reckoned four soumes, and every cow or oxen one
1700 Stitchill Baron Ct. 146.
That wher any possessed but one soum in the Mayns that soum shall absolutely be a kow or oxe
possess. 1519 Wigtown B. Ct. 88a.
The vrangus haldin fra him of xxxii d. for ii sowmes gyrsing & hirding
1669 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 256 (see (1) above).(b) 1433 Ayr B. Ct. 4 May.
It was ordanyt in plan court that ilka man sal haf ii sommis in the common & na mar & v schep til a som
1433 Ayr B. Ct. 4 May.
Gif ony hald ma sommys than twa he sal pay fyrst xii d. of wnlaw & syn ii s.
1434 Ayr B. Ct. 19 April.
John Martinson, commoun hird, rakans for ilka som v d.
(c) 1691 Corshill Baron Ct. 186.
The judge findeing the said comon moore not swimed … the saidis pairties ordaines John Brown … and Robert Faullis … to goe and try quhat swimes the said moore can hold
(2) 1461 Strathblane Par. 308.
[The lands were to be held] with free ish and entry thereto, viz., with 12 soumes of bestial
1476 Reg. Cupar A. I 204.
xiiij sowmys of hors and nowt
1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 178.
The soumes of cattell … being pastorit vpone the lordschip … of Craghall
1528 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) Scott v. Seytoun.
The pasturing of iiijc soumes of schepe and xl soumes of ky and oxin ȝerelie
1557 Reg. Cupar A. II 138.
Thai sall haif preuilege and fredome to hald thre sowmys of ky with thair followaris, with commoun pastour of the said town, and sall help ȝerelie to fut our turffis in the mwre of Montkell
1566–7 Reg. Privy S. V ii 339/2.
With the pasture of sex sowmes cattell in the commoun pasture
1576 Fam. Innes 131.
The profeittis of fyfty soumes gris gudis yeirly
1651 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 281. 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II 15.
That all unfriemen pasturing scheepe or nolt upon the tounes propper landes of Caidmure … shall pay … for everie sowme of scheepe fyve merkes
1678 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 93.
On the east syde maillings ilke a mailling shall hauld thrie sowme of kye and a last yeares calff quhilk is a yeare auld stirke
(b) 1443 Milne-Home MSS 21.
Till half rasawit fra Sir Alexander of Hume all and hall the somys of nowit and schep the quhilkis he had of myn, and quhar the nowit and schep lakit, the somys of silver for thame
1476 Reg. Cupar A. I 224.
xxvj somys of nowt and hors, til our weillouyt famylyar Waltyr of Essy
(c) 1472 Reg. Cupar A. I 162.
The priuilege that pertenys to ws of the mure of Munthquhel to the vale of xxvj summys of catale
1657 Conv. Burghs III 453.
[He] has also by his chartour right to the pastorage of sex sume of guidis wpon thair comoun pasturag
(d) 1691 Corshill Baron Ct. 186.
Swimes
(3) 1669 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 256.
For the quhilk hirding and work the said Johne is to hawe the hirding sowme quhilk extendis to six sowmes of guidis

2. The unit of grazing land, which can support a specified number of cows, sheep, etc. Also const. of, and with uninflected plural.Some examples are ambiguous with sense 1, in particular the quot. for 1472 in (b) seems to cover both senses.(1) 1500 Reg. Great S. 542/1.
Grymys Medow cum communi pastura unius equi et 4 de le sowmoys in dicta villa
1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 1.
Twa sowmis set to my lord gangand in the grenis
1527 Stirling B. Rec. I 31.
Gife thar be ony persoun … that hais ony ma soumes na twa, that tha sall pay thar girs mail for samony ma as tha have na the saidis twa soumis
1535 Wigtown B. Ct. 299b.
Fore the vrangus byrnyng of hyre sovm and hyre schaid to fyf markis
1556–7 Reg. Privy S. V i 17/2.
The gift of the escheit of all guidis, movabill and unmovabill, sowmes, takkis, stedingis [etc.]
1569 Exch. R. XX 400.
Unacum pastura de sex lie sowmes
1574 Prot. Bk. T. Lindsay 69b.
The feildland of the said tua sowmes … without the crofting dykis
1609 Peebles Gleanings 36.
[It is] ordanit that nane haif mae sowmes nor twa on the tounes heritage, but that they pay for ilk sowme mae be sycht of the counsall
1654 Peebles B. Rec. II 23.
If any burges … want goods of his awne to pleuch his thrie sowmes upon the touns propper land and shall set his sowmes to any other burges … in that caice the burges setter of sowmes shall bear burden in all publict impositiounes
1655 Peebles B. Rec. II 28.
Reservand furth hereof the sowmes, gras and tillage alreadie sett to Alexander Lauder and Alexander Horsbruik, and the herdis sowmes dureing their takis alanerlie
(b) 1472 Peebles B. Rec. I 168.
The sayd hyll to be somyt … the ester hill … to kow and kapyl and the wester hill to chep, and at na gudis sal gang apon the sayd Kadmowris bot burges gudis and wedos gudis … ilke burges and ilk wedo that induellis sal haf four somes, and that nane sal occupy na put ma somes than four
(c) 1564 Peebles B. Rec. I 294.
The quharter masteris of the Doid offeris thair summes to ony nebur for half ane merk the soume
(2) 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III 79.
Ane soum part or quantite of the landis of Orchadie
(3) 1518 Fife Sheriff Ct. 105.
The actioune … movete be Williame Lindesay … tueching certane catale girs of Craghall to the noumer of ijc sowme
1590 Edinb. Test. XXII 41.
His steeding & mailling … extending to tua oxingang of land that is xiiij sowme of land

b. With specification of the extent, or intended use, of the pasture.See also Insoume n., and kowes sowme (Kow n.1 2 c). 1673 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 329.
[£2 10s. rent for] ane hors soum and ane leye
1684 Peebles B. Rec. II 114.
That whoever possessis any soumes of thair nighbours this yeir … pay … for every cow soume half a croun

3. Soumis (of) gers (gyrs, gres, etc.), gres soumes: Sufficient quantities of grass to feed a ‘soum’; areas of pasture of sufficient extent to feed a ‘soum’. Also (once) sing.Cf. also kowis girs (Kow n.1 2 c).(1) 1423 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 37.
Myn infeftment … of twenty sowmys gyrs in the common pastor of the landis foirsaid
1517 Grant Chart. 63.
Gres and pasture of vjc ky and oxin, 1m scheip and gait, ijc hors and meris, ijc suyne, price of ilk sowmes gers xviij d.
1518 Wigtown B. Ct. 87a.
The vrangus haldin fra him of iiii cronys & vi d. for iiii sowmes grys
1539–40 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 484.
The quantite of the said muir and how mony soumes gers may be sustenit and pasturit tharon
1540 Boyd Fam. P. No. 18 (21 March).
Four sowmes gars ane horsgars
1573 Prot. Bk. Gilbert Grote 88.
[One] sowmes gers [and] als mony sowmes [of scheip and nolt] as the said Mathou pleissis put thairon
1582 Laing Chart. No. 1046.
The saidis millaris multraris hes ane certane land of ws for his soumis grise
1606 Acts in Burns Benef. Lect. 87 n.
Foure soumes grasse for ilk aiker of the saids four aiker of glebe land, extending in the haill to sextene soumes for the said four aikers
1611 Reg. Great S. 177/2.
Reservando ad lie hadderman dicte abbatie ejus terras et gressumas lie sowmes gres
1621 Acts IV 612/2.
Act declairing summes grasse gevin to the ministeris for thair gleibis to be teyndfrie
1650 Dalkeith Presb. in Butler Leighton 234.
Lord Lothian had provided the kirk of Newbottle with a stipend, … [and] with 4 sowmes grass, when the minister shall demand it, with manse and gleib
1655 Peebles B. Rec. II 28.
Thes burgessis who are able to advance money for himself and his neighbouris shall have libertie to plenish the sowmes gras due to thes for whom he payes out money
1656 Edinb. Justices Peace 406.
A whole hind is to have … for a whole years service … and if he live in the lower parts of the shire, two soumes grasse, or pasture for two cowes, but if in the higher parts of the shire, three soumes grasse
1656 Peebles B. Rec. II 34.
Andrew Ewmond conduced as commoun herd for the yearlie fie of sexteine sowmes gras and sex bolles oattes and beir sawing
1666 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 99.
With ane sowmes grasse within the lands of Holme … and if the said Gilbert sall bring in any moe sowmes to be pasturit … he is to pay yeirly fourtie schilling Scots for the grasse of ilk sowme he sall bring in
1680 Corshill Baron Ct. 152.
William and Alexander Fultounes … persued Johne Adame … for oppressione of four swimes grass, at fourtie shilling the swyme
1682 Decis. Lords F. 9.
For declaring his lands of Milrig to be free of a servitude of 16 soums grass
1704 Lesmahagow Ann. 146.
And because 4 sowms grass conform to law will be still wanting to him & cannot weel be found near to the said arable ground
(2) a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 29.
Instead of a gleib sixtein sowmns of gras
1658 Conv. Burghs III 471.
His richt of pasturage of sex sowmes of gras
(3) 1496 Acta Conc. II 20.
The pece of ilk soume of the gerse of the uther catall ij s.
(4) 1511 Chapel Royal 91.
With certane gres sowmes for gudyng of the said gleib
1528–29 Milne-Home MSS 36.
[With twelve] gerse soumes, [that is for light oxen and two horse]
sing. 1534 Liber Melros II 628.
All and haill the fourty schilling land … with the onset of the said myll and the gers sowme pertenand till thaim

4. attrib.Soume-pleuch, ? a ploughland (Pleuch n. 4) set aside for pasture. Soume-mailer, one who pays a money rent for his pasture. 1605 Douglas Bequest IV (22 May).
The wiolent & excrescent profeittis of the soume pleuche of the half landis of Kinmundie
1656 Craig-Brown Selkirkshire II 388.
12 soume maileres … 6 soume maileres … coatters

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"Soum n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/soum_n_2>

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