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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wattillis, n. pl. Also: vattillis, wat(t)ellis, vattellis, watells, wat(t)les, vatlis, wadellis. [ME and e.m.E. watel (1263), wattels (1382), wattyllis (1488-9), vatill (1510), wattell (1586), wattles (1640), watle (1699), OE watul.] Rods, poles or thin branches, chiefly or only as used in building work, thatching or the like.(a) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 379.
For lyme, sand, caberis, … lath, nalis, haddir, wekir, tempill, wattillis … and otheris necessar spendit on biggyng of the brewhous 1512–13 Rentale Dunkeld. MS 171a.
Tigna ad orium & lie wattillis ad lie Manys de Clony 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 511.
Ane draucht of greit wattellis 1529–30 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 22.
Spendit for the masonis in vattillis to the luggis in the abbay kirkyard 1536 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 167.
That he kennit thair vas [twa] bernes … and I saw … the tane fall down … [and] the greit tymmer [etc.] … and I sawe the ane certane of speris … with ane certane of vattellis 1547–8 Stirling B. Rec. I 52.
And the remanent of the said tenement … standand sufficiently in gret tymmer … kaboris, wattillis and stray, thak and devot, sobirly apperand watir ticht 1597 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 164b.
For tua parpall walls of wattillis solit 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines II 18a.
For carying of ane loade of wattillis fra the wode to the mynes, i s. vi d. 1702 Foulis Acc. Bk. 303.
He is … to theick the hous on his oune charges, I laying timber, thack, and divot and wattles to his hand(b) 1563 (1567) Reg. Great S. 444/2.
Colligere lie vatlis et fallyne tymmer de dicta silva pro reparatione et edificatione domorum 1615 Melrose P. 600.
Watellis for the sogeris cabinis 1632 Lithgow Trav. (1906) 374.
These fabrickes are advanced three or foure yardes high … erected in a singular frame of smoake-torne straw … and rain-dropping watles 1659 Dumfries Council Min. MS 28 Feb.
Twa draught of watells … to mend the hedge 1684 Dumfries Doc. (Box of Accounts No. 157).
Bulding of the wall … for watles & rafts 1699 Peebles B. Rec. II 162.
Visit the Sheilgrein wood, and considder whither or not ther may be any watles conveniently spared out therof(c) 1622 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 87a.
iiij^c wadellis pryce of the cuttell iiij s.