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

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

Tosche(o)derach, n. Also: toscheoderache, tosherodaroch, toshdorich, toschodairach, tosheodire, tossochdoir; (tosachisdori, toseachderach, toschoderach, tochederauch, toyseachderach, toyschochderay, tosordereh, tocioderach, tosheagor, tussochdoir, thoschachderach, thochoderach, thoseanderaw, thochisdoir). [Gael. toiseach (see Toscheochdoras(c)hip,n.) and ? EIr. doír-rath a client relationship with a base person, prob. influenced in some instances by Gael. deòradh a stranger, wanderer, fugitive. Cf. Manx toshiagh-joarey.] An executive officer of the crown, the office itself, freq. equated with crowner or coroner (Crounar(e n.) or Mair n.The function of this office is not clear; see, for instance, the Skene quot. below. For a detailed study of the linguistic evidence, see W. Gillies ‘Some Thoughts on the Toschederach’ in Scottish Gaelic Studies XVII (1996 [1997]), pp. 128-42. For a discussion of Gaelic legal concepts and terminology in Scots Law, see W. D. H. Sellar ‘Celtic Law and Scots Law: Survival and Integration’ in Scottish Studies XXIX, pp. 1-27. a1200-1398 Cart. Levenax 49.
Carta officii de tosheagor et officii forestarie de Levenax Patricio de Lindsay … totum officium quod dicitur tosheagor de Levenax 14.. Acts I 235/1.
Cum nomine officii sui scilicet si fuerit marus domini regis vel toseachderach 14.. Acts I 58/1.
Per seriandum vel coronatorem vel tosordereh vel alium summonitorem [Acts I 58/2, be the seriand or be the crownar] 1446–7 Charter in Argyll Mun. MS 20 Feb.
Totale et integrum officium senescalliatus tosachisdori ac mari tocius terre nostre de Craginche 1453 Exch. R. V 601.
Thome Forbas toschederach, pro feodo suo in officio de toschederach comitatus de Marr 1454 Exch. R. V 658.
Toyseachderach 1455 Exch. R. VI 70.
Thochoderach 1456 Exch. R. VI 269.
Thome Forbes, toyschochderay 1457 Exch. R. VI 361.
Thoschachderach 1458 Exch. R. VI 436.
Thoseanderaw 1550 Reg. Great S. 108/2.
Officio coronatoris, alias thochisdoir 1554 Reg. Great S. 206/1.
Cum Tossochdoir totius Kyntire 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Toscheoderache.
Aberrans … pecus aut domino furum iudagatori (tochederauch vulgus appellat) [Boece (Latin) 207b, tocioderach vulgus appellat; Bell. Boece (M) II 52, serchour of thevis] aut sacerdoti reddito 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. (Latin) ii 121 (Index).
Toschoderach 1632 Reg. Great S. 650/2.
Tussochdoir 1539 Reg. Privy S. II 458/1.
The viii merk land in Knapdale callit Kilcammak … with the Tossochdoir of all Kintyre … all lyand within the schirefdome of Terbert 1554 4th Rep. Hist. MSS 476/1.
Tosheodire c1575 Balfour Pract. 303.
That the executour of the summoundis shaw and expreme at the time of the making of the executioun, his awin proper name, togidder with the name of his office, viz. gif he be the king's mair, herauld, toschederach, or ony uther officiar havand powar to summound 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Toscheoderache.
The lands of Gya, and vtheris with the Toschodairach of Kintyre 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Toscheoderache.
Toscheoderache, ane office or jurisdiction, not vnlike to ane baillierie, speciallie in the Iles and Hielandes … Some alleagis to be ane office perteining to execution of summonds … Sik as ane quha summondis … ane vther to compeir before ony judge … Vtheris vnderstandis the same to be ane crowner … Last, summe vnderstandis it to be ane searchour, and taker of thieues, and limmers 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 93.
Qvhen ane is summoned … the sergent, the crowner, the toscheoderach (the mair of fie) in his summons … sould declare to him for quhat crime, or for quhat cause he is summoned 1682 Lauder Notices Affairs I 350.
All the Jurisdictions … Right of Generall Justiciary, Tosherodaroch or Mairship, Chamberlanry [etc.] … are annexed to the Croun, and ordained to be ratified in the nixt parliament 1685 Acts VIII 493/2.
[Annexation of] the heretable crownership and toshdorich or majorship in these shires [sc. Argyll and Tarbat]