Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Tounland, n. Also: toune-, town(e)-, ton-, tongue-, tound-, tounis-, townes-. [17th c. Eng. townland (Calr. S. P., Irel.), OE tún-land.] a. Land pertaining to a farm settlement. b. A land holding in a town or burgh. Also attrib. c. The inhabitants of a tounland.Tongueland (a (c) below) may be influenced by Toung n. 4 c.a. 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 84.
At the decerning and devyding of inskyftis, touneland, and owtchistis pertening to the fyff d. land 1606 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 7.
The lands of Newsteid … conteinand sax acres toun land and sax acres of coit yard land 1664 Boyd Fam. P. No. 266 (29 Jan.).
That proportion of stipend payable by him for the townland of Shalokwrak in the parish of Balantree to me the minister therof 1685 Dunlop P. III 11 (see Toun n. 2 (1)).
Toun land(b) 1686 Clouston Hist. Orkney 353.
He ought to have the fourth rig or foott of the townesland, with the fourth part of the meadowes(c) 1684 Retours I Inq. Spec. Orkney et Shetland (135).
3 mercatis lie Tongueland vocatis Ramsquoy in villa de Yrlandb. 1582 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 165.
The skair pertening to Symone McClellane and his complices on the eist the tonland and Mers of the vattersyde on the vest partis … the saids lands … ar haldin of the prowest and balȝeis of the said burgh as superiors 1612 Conv. Burghs II 345.
Rentall of the burgh of Irrwine 1612 … the toundland ȝeirlie rowpit, counting thriescor fiftie aikers at fyve merk the aiker 1616 Stirling Merch. Guild 37.
That the towne lands be met and missorit and that the superplus tharof salbe persevit tharfoir 1668 Irvine Mun. II 228.
Ane list of the toune landis as the samen wes given out to the inhabitants be lott … ther being tuentie sex lotts in all 1696 Conv. Burghs IV 215.
The … magistrats and councill … doe ordain … the said toun land in use to be lotted to be given … to the persons … above named each of them … paying in to … their … toun thessaurer … befor the lotteing of the said land(b) 1612–13 Misc. Spald. C. V 91.
Tounis landattrib. 1611 Conv. Burghs II 313.
Ilk burgh sall be frie and queyte ane with ane other, fra payment of … pittie customs … of thair … wearis at the tounland portis … provyding … the samin be not extendit to the customis to be tane at bridgis or sie portis 1612 Conv. Burghs II 349.
Anent the mater of the customes takin be burgh fra burgh at tounland ports … gives commissione to the burghs of Edinburgh, Perth [etc.] … to intreat and conclude thairvpone; and … ordeans ilk ane of the saids burghs … to give in ane particular roll of tounland customes at land ports, burgh fra burgh 1616 Conv. Burghs III 20.
[The commissioners] producit thair tabells of thair customes vpliftit be thame at thair tounland portsc. 1689 Cramond Kirk S. III 8 Sept.
The minister proposed that … two toun lands, or one town land (where there are moe tennents or inhabitants) should meet … in a house most convenient to that quarter of the parische where they dwell