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

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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.

Stipend, n. Also: stipent, -eind, -and, -on, stibend, stypand, stiepend, stepend, -and, -ane, steipen(d, -and, -on, steepend(e, steepand. (? Pl.) steippance. [Late ME and e.m.E. stipendy (1432-50), stipende (1480), stipend (1514), stipent (1531), OF stipende, -ie (OED), L. stipendium money payment, wages, alms.]

1. The pay of a soldier. 1596 Dalr. I 188/5.
With Carancie remayned of the Scotis and Pechtes to the number of twa thousand, quhome he susteined with a gret stipend as a kingis gaird

b. Upon one's own stipends, (to fight) at one's own charge, to support oneself while fighting.Cf. 1 Cor. ix 7 (Vulgate): Quis militat suis stipendiis unquam? 1596 Dalr. I 104 marg.
Baith the nobilitie and the hail peple fechtes vpon thair awne stipends

2. A fixed salary in money and kind paid to a. A minister, reader or other official of the post-Reformation church, also, once, const. of a particular parish. Also attrib. and fig. b. A teacher, judge or other employee of an authority or institution.For further examples see 1681 Stair Inst. Index, s.v. Stipend.a. (1) 1562 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 26.
That the Superintendent sall cause present the names of ministers, exhorters and readers, to the Lords appointed be the Queen's Majestie for assigning of their stipends 1566 Reg. Privy C. I 494.
The ministeris within our realme this haill yeir bigane hes wantit thair stipendis 1566–7 Crail B. Ct. Feb.
That I may have ane honest stipend for my lauboris 1567 Acts III 24/1. 1567–8 Reg. Privy C. I 615.
George Watsoun exhorter in the kirk of Fintre … ordanit to haif ane sobir and small stipend with the gleib manse and yaird … quhilk the vicaris … hes had … past memor of man 1558-66 Knox II 310.
Thair war appointed to modifie the ministeris stipendis, the Erles Ergyle, Murray, and Mortoun, Lethingtoun, the Justice Cleark, and Cleark of Registrie 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. V 7.
[The council] thairfore grantis unto him [sc. the minister] ane yeirlie stipend of sex hunder merks [blank] togidder with ane hous maill frie 1596 James VI in Calderwood V 412. 1599 Stirling B. Rec. I 93.
His stipend … of fyff hundrethe merkis money [to be paid] … at … Martimes, Candilmes, Witsonday and Lambes 1622 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 202.
The minister being in Edinburghe in persewing ane pairt of his stipend fra the Laird of Spott 1627 Orkney Rentals iii 47.
The ministeris stipend is thrie last of malt, six barrell of butter, vicaredge of the ile, with manse and gleib 1632 Aberd. B. Rec. III 45.
The stipend allotit to Thomas Cowye, sacristar, is … verie meane … sieing he wantis the benefite of baptismes that he had abefoir a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 27.
All ministers stipends to be frie from all tacks, impositions, pensiones and taxations, notwithstanding of any gift in the contrair a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 33.
That the lowest proportione of ministers stipends shal be 8 chalder wictuall … or proportionallie in silver or victuall 1680 Lauder Observes 12.
I mark as extraordinary, for to leive a better stipend to goe to a much leaner 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) i 62.
Their stipends, and their living Were at the foresaid rebels giving 1684 Alford Rec. 356.
That the minister's stipend is three chalder of victuall, three hundreth merks of money, and the vicarage estimate to two hundreth merks that he is provyded of foggage, fewall, faill and divot, only he wants grasse, which he is appoynted to provyde the church of 1695 Cramond Kirk S. IV 10 Sept.
[Sir Georg Hamilton] caused pay a pairt of the vacant stipend to Katharin Broun(b) 1567–9 Old Ross-shire I 17.
I Farchar Reid exhortar at Kincardin grants me weill content and payit of xl merks monye in compleit pament of my stipent for ane yeiris service(c) c1607–15 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 157.
Stipeind(d) 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 463.
The sowme of fyve hundreth pundis to be given to [the minister] … in lew of his halfe yeares stipand 1662 Glasgow B. Rec. II 496.
Ordaines Mr. Ralph Rodger, minister, to be payit of his stipand till Mertimes nixt and Mr. Donald Catgill [sic] to be payit quhat is awand him of his steipand for the cropt 1661(e) 1695 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 3.
To the minister of Ersiltons for his stipon 1694, £146 13 s.(f) 1596 Irons Leith I (App.) 564-5.
Stiependis(g) 1573 Ayr Chart. 109.
To the clerk of thair sessioun for his stepend 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xlii 548.
Ilkane ten kirkis will tak in cure, Sa of thair stependis thay be sure 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 126.
His yeirlie stepend for vptaking of the psalmes in the kirk 1608 Peebles Gleanings 31.
[The council] can nocht grant ane stepend for thair pairt; but gif the brether sall place ane secund minister they will voluntarlie … contribut with the rest of the parochin 1621 Acts IV 606/2.
With power vnto thame out of the saidis teyndis of everie parochin and kirk not alreddie planted to appoynt … a perpetuall locall stepend to the ministeris(h) 1667 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 240.
Stepands(i) 1600-1610 Melvill 8.
Quhilk annes being bestowit, might purchas a stedfast steipend 1642 Orkney Rentals iii 5. 1636 S. Leith Rec. 25.
That the reider of this church … sall have for augmentatione of his yirlie steipend, … of everie baptem 6 s.(j) 1640 S. Leith Rec. 34.
The theasurer was ordained to pay the ordiner steipands to wit to Mr. Alexr. Gibsone or minister … to Mr. James Sharpe or minister … to Charles Watson reider … to Mr. James Robertsone scoolmaister [etc.] 1662 Glasgow B. Rec. II 496 (see (d) above). 1675 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 5 Jan.
That in tymecuming the ministers steipand shall be payed be way of anuities upon the hous mailes(k) 1635 Dickson Hebrews 123.
Mayntaynance of ministers, should bee a matter of honouring of them, or, rather, of Him that sent them, … though men turne it vnto a beggarlie steepende; and count the more baselie of the office, because of the manner of mayntaynance 1678 Edinb. B. Rec. X 334.
The ministers are peyed of there steepends(l) 1705 Conv. Burghs IV 374.
He had received a part of the vaccant steepand due to the minister at Camphier(m) 1574–5 Edinb. Skinners in Bk. Old Edinb. C. VI 92.
Stepane(n) 1649 Lamont Diary 11.
The steipen of the said parish was augmented by the Earle of Keelly(o) 1650 Dumfries Treas. Acc.
Steipon? pl. 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 176.
The quhilk yearlie rent was alogatt be the Bischop of Dumblain to the present minister of Dundrennan as a pairt of his loccalitie and steippance for serving the cuire within the said parrishe(2) 1694 Fountainhall Decis. I 615.
Mersington reported the competition for the stipend of Orr near Kircudbright between … the late Episcopal incumbent … Mr. William Houstoun suspected … Papist … and Mr. John Hepburn the field Cameronian preacherattrib. 1605–6 Ayr B. Acc. 227.
[The minister, for his] stipend silvir 1664 Dunferm. Ann. 335.
200 merks as the touns parte of the Collig minister's vacand steipand crop 1660 1689–90 Reid Forfar (1902) 184.
To the minister for his stipend cropt [pr. croft] 1689 which is payed of the teynd of the cornes of the said burgh … [£600]fig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 203.
Christ hath said, ‘Thy stipend is running up with interest in heaven, as if thou wert preaching’b. 1562 Inverness Rec. I 92.
To consult … quhat suld be the stipend suld be giffin to the maistyr of scule and quharof the samyn moycht be had 1568 Crail B. Ct. 13 Oct.
Troulus Messour provition of his stibend … the baillies counsall and community hes grantit … that Troulus Messour our commoun menstrall of ilk hows in Craill quhair he gat his meit afoir sall pay to him ȝeirly tua schilling … and all ȝouill vaigis dischargit 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 4.
The lard of Basis actioun and awysing with proces and paying of the men of law thair stypandis thair expensis [etc.] 1576 Orkney Oppress. 19.
The said lawrichtman … had ane ordinar stipend of the commownis … and was as ane procuratour and defendar of thair richtis 1579 Acts III 180/2.
That the lawer and mathematiciane of befoir in the New College sall now be in Sanctsalvatouris College, and haue thair stipendis … vpoune the fruictis thairof ? a1594 Sc. Hist. Rev. (1925-26) XXIII 209.
Namelie thair being sindrie professoris of the lawis erectit of auld in the principal universities of Sanctandrois and Abirdene and sufficient stependis appoyntit to that effect 1626 Conv. Burghs III 231.
The stipend bestowit vpone the … agent is becum verie heavie and burdenable to the whole borrowis 1640 S. Leith Rec. 34 (see 2 (j) above). c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 13.
The annuall of the other 1000 ls was alloted for the ordinary stipend of an private Professor of Humanity 1650 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 133.
That some course may be taken concerning the ingathering of the schoolmaster's stipend 1650 Brechin Presb. 29.
If the reverend brethren shall find that thair shall be such increase of scholers as the scholemaister stipend will requyr more, to augment the samen at thair sight 1655 Stirling Ant. II 19.
The session … ordains Lewis Menteith to have the other ten shillings sterling for poinding for the schoolmaster's steepend 1658 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 133.
Because of the evill payment of his stipend [the schoolmaster desired the Session to] take some course for the ingathering of the same 1663 Decis. Lords G. 68.
If any of these burdens be owing the time of the disposition, absolute warrandice will relieve the buyer thereof; sicklike of school-masters stipends

c. Victual-stipend, that part of the remuneration paid in kind. 1697 Fountainhall Decis. I 782.
The former and subsequent minister cannot be adduced to prove the quota of the stipend because no sum above a hundred pounds Scots can be proven by witnesses. Delivery of victual-stipend may be so proven indeed [etc.]

3. Payment for services, wages. 1565 Aberd. Trades 241.
The provost, baillies, and counsell … with consent of the said dekynis [sc. of the wrights] modifeit the expens and stipend of thair labour as follows: … ilk maister to have for his dais labour aucht penies besyd his ordinar meit and drink [etc.] 1596 Dalr. I 303/19.
Al quha seruet in the kings hall wanted nochte his ȝeirly stipand

4. A fixed allowance of money to cover costs, defray expenses, etc. 1572–3 Canongate Ct. Bk. 427.
Ane yeris stipend of xvj markis promittit be him to the said Stevin for sustening and buirding of Johnne Leirmont … at the scules 1633 Aberd. Council Lett. I 376.
[He] hes causit pay unto thame [sc. student bursars] thair stipend