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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.

Tounschip, n. Also: toune-, town(e)-, tone- and -schyp, -schipe, -ship, -shippe, -schipth. [Late ME and e.m.E. tounshipe (1414), tounship (1444), towneshyp (1494), townshipe (1540), towneshippe (1547), OE túnscipe.] a. The inhabitants or community of a town. b. The administration representing the interests of the community.a., b. 1460 Hay Alex. 2906.
The tounschip also thame thocht it best 1550 Elgin Rec. I 102.
The baillies with consent of the haill toneschip hes statut and ordanit [etc.] 15.. Clar. v 2686.
They com into the toun of Durant. The tounschip thair … Met them … With intermeisis and blyth abaitments 1560 Inverness Rec. I 46.
Thir personis … hes ondertane to … mac gude schone to the towneschyp and cuntrethmen 1566 Rec. Earld. Orkney 376.
[They] came vndir sylence of nycht to the towne of Kirkwall, and thair obscuirly ramanit but knawlage of the townschipth 1574 Inverness Rec. I 239.
The croft of the freyouris yard lattin to him be the towneschip in fewe 1576 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 16b.
I will reid heir the prayaris quhill this tounschipe [sc. Lindores] discharge me of my office 1576 Glasgow B. Rec. I 52.
In respect that thair commoune muris ȝit left wndelt and set furthe will scarslie serue the touneschip 1584 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 88.
Being convenit the haill body for maist pairt of the tounshippe off the said toune efter the ryding of the marchis 1657 Elgin Rec. II 289.
This day no session, the touneschip waiting on the judges 1675 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 20 Dec.
The sowme of fyve hindreth merkis Scots … assigned be him befor his deceis to the tounship off Kirkcudbricht 1693 Retours II Inq. Spec. Edinburgh (1511).
7 mercatis terrarum cum 2 acris et 3 particatis seu portionibus villitatis lie tounschip et overtoun de Kirknewtounpossess. 1670 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 2 April.
This foirsaid charge is by and attour fourscoir merkis … of the foirsaid composition money which was the touneshipis pairt therof