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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.

Wedset(t, Wodset(t, Wadset(t, n. Also: wedeset, vedset(t, wodeset, wodseit, woidsett, woodset(t, vodset, wadsatt, waddset, vadset, widset(t, widesett. [Wedset(t v.]

1. ‘The conveyance of land in pledge for or in satisfaction of a debt or obligation, with a reserved power to the debtor to recover his lands on payment or performance’ (Bell Dict. Law Scotl.); the land or property put in pledge. Freq. in (on) wedset.(1) 1439 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 49.
Allson as the payment of the saide tene pvndis is made … this wedsett … sal be of na valew 1451 Acts II 40/2.
That al wedsettis that war maid in the tym of the mone that now rynnis be pait in the tym of the quiting oute with swilk mone as was lent 1452 Ayr B. Ct. 9 Dec.
That Gelon M^cilwrekyn resingnit in his handis … the markis of annuell rentis … the qwhilkis annuel [renti]s war bot wedsetis to the sayd Gelon 1480 Acta Conc. I 61/1.
The ald forme of wedsettis that contenis bathe the infeftment & reuersioun 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxxvi.
Evidentis … quhilk suld declare that the said landis war fee and heritage and na wedsett 1544 Reg. Privy S. III 104/1.
To … lord Methven … of the gift of the eschet of all cornis, catell, dettis, stedyngis, takkis, wedsettis, obligationis, jowillis, money … quhilkis pertenit to Thomas Bischop 1577 Fam. Innes 135.
To be acquirit … be redemptioun of vedsettis conquest successioun [etc.] 1625 Acts V 169/1.
The havear of the wedsett sall pay for the annuelrent of his money 1633 Misc. Spald. C. III 102.
That the said Mr. William, as tutor foresaid, haid imployed the saidis soumes on vedset to the saidis bairnes thair behaif and novayes lent out the samen for annuelrent 1667 Argyll-Lauderdale Lett. 74.
Possession of land, either by way of wedset or heritable sale(b) 1439 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 49.
The said Jone … iosand … the forsaide landis … vnlousit ovt of the said wodeset 1462 Misc. Spald. C. V 286.
Wodset 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 199 (12 Oct.).
Sanderis Scot … set and to formaill, in maner of vodset, lattin the rigis of land 1580 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson 68b.
To avance … to him sowmes of money vpoun the said wodsettis 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 32.
Gevin for the wodsett of the four markland of Cowelballoch … fyve hundreth markis 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I 328.
To resaiff the said sowme and to giff renunciatioun accordinglie off the said wodsett a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 164.
Ane wodsett of the lands of Seans made to him … in lyfrent 1645 Acts VI i 504/1.
Where landis ar affected with wodsetis [etc.] c1650 Spalding I 240.
For his releif quhairof he gat the woodset of Lochquhaber 1657 Ruthven Corr. 136.
Having ingadged in so greate soumes … by and attoure the wodset 1662 Decis. Lords G. 25.
A wodset upon Ednem, containing a reversion 1663 Decis. Lords G. 53.
A right of wodset, which she had of the lands of Strathodie 1670 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 21.
[He] hade borrowed … on a wodsett of the said James Dollors land 1685 Decis. Lords F. 79.
Robert Cunningham having granted a wodset of the links of Kinghorn to David Dowie 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 164.
Woodsett(c) 14.. Acts I 358/2.
Fresch defforsyng is alsmekill as fresch spoliacioun or a fresch intrusioun quhen ony man possedis land as wadset and therof is castyn out wrangwisly 1474 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 527.
To … redeim … landis annuall rentis wadsetis … pertening … to me 1520 Dumfries B. Ct. 18b.
Wadsatt 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 228b.
[He] protestit that the akir of land in Gallow Clois sett to hym in few hurt nocht his priuilege of wadsett quhilk he has thairupon 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 104b (Table).
That the saidis profits … sall be payed ȝeirly to him, quha hes the wadset 1658 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 196.
Upon the pand or wadset of sum monie 1659 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 247.
The pursuer … denyes his intromissioun with one dovat earth except in the wadset 1675 Sel. Biog. II 196.
A small wadset of sixteen chalders, liferented … by my mother 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i xxiv 4 (1699) 121.
Statutory usury … is committed by these … taking wadsets of land from the borrower, for more than their annualrent can extend to 1681 Stair Inst. ii x § 1.
A pledge or wadset with us is where any infeftment or security is granted in security of a sum of money, or for relief of cautionry … which bears expressly that the land or right is disponed for security or relief and therefore needs express no reversion; for it is necessarily implied that so soon as relief … is obtained, the infeftment granted in security ceaseth 1681 Stair Inst. ii x § 1.
It is also a wadset when an infeftment of property or any other real right is burdened with any sum of money; for thereby that right is impledged to the person to whom such sums are due a1688 Wallace Orkney 87.
His waddset of Orkney and Zetland(d) 1627 Misc. Hist. Soc. I 87.
Widsettis 1634 Bk. Carlaverock II 129.
Widsett(2) c1420 Bute MS 141a.
The qwhilk maner tenement or place is the said A. de T. is land in propyrte wedset or malyng 1426 Old Dundee II 58.
He declines to give the lands … in wadset 1488 Acta Conc. I 96/1.
The landis … redemit & qwitout be Dauid Ogilby … fra the said James quhilk he haid in wedset 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 11.
Dauid Litster … resauit … fywe schillingis of annuel rent in wedset of a land liand in the Causagat 1492 Highland P. II 193.
Vedset … endentit 1497–8 Newbattle Coll. (Reg. H.) (Somerville).
Quhylkis foresutht … croft … I haif in wedset & impingneratione of Simon Dennum 1513 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 20.
Cuthbert Turnbyll … in wodsettis lattis … his reig of land … to Wolȝem Loremer 1514 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 38b.
Wodseit 1531–2 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 159b.
Vodset 1536 Glasgow Prot. IV 90.
The lowsing and rademyng of his place that lyis in wedset to Jhon Gybson of the xl pwnd of monye 1540 Renfrew Arch. Coll. I 189.
To by or tak in widesett any of the said Jhonis landis 1543 Reg. Privy S. III 35/1.
Licence to sell and analie simpliciter or in wedsett … the landis [etc.] 1555 Boyd Fam. P. No. 43 (6 Dec.).
Land … quhilk the said Maister John hes in woidsett of the lardis and airis of Barneill 1572 Knox VI lviii.
Ane hundreth pundis, quhilk lyis in wodset upoune Robert Campbellis landis 1576 Reg. Privy C. II 528.
Four thowsand merkis, quhilkis he had in wedset of the landis of Strathnaver 1582–3 Perth B. Ct. 11 Jan.
Vedsett 1588 Old Dundee I 150.
Woodset 1591 Stirlings of Keir 429.
Vadset 1695 Cullen Kirk S. 13 Jan.
John Ogilvie … did disspone the said croaft in wedsett to ane George Duffes for the sowm of ane hundreth pounds

b. Letter (charter, contract) of wedset. 1480 Acta Conc. I 73/1.
That Bertilmew Wolf procurit the seele of vmquhile Robert Roule to the letter of wedset 1483 Acta Conc. II cxxix.
The charter of wedeset 1604 Orkney & Shetl. Rec.I 227.
The foirsaid chartour of wadset conteining tharintill the precept of sesing wnderwrittin 1605 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 227.
Ane … chartour of alienatioun and wadset … giffin … to the said Richard 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 21.
Charter of wedset maid be Mr. Henrie Scrymgeour … to James Scrymgeour … of his landis of Lachwar 1674 Yester Wr. 348.
Ane contract of woodsett 1683 Decis. Lords F. 48.
The back-tack, contained in the contract of wadset

c. Proper or improper wedsett, see Stair quots. below. 1633 T. Hope Diary 6.
Anent the decreit of proper wedsettis gevin 18 December 1633 1649 Glasgow Chart. II 3.
Thir dyvers yeirs bygane we … have had the propper wadsett of ane yeirlie few dewtie of sax hundrethe punds 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i xxiv 4 (1699) 122.
Improper wadsets are these, wherein the wadsetter is only comptable for what rent he receives from the lender 1681 Stair Inst. ii x § 9.
A proper wadset is where the fruits … of the thing wadset are simply given for the annualrent of the sum, and the hazard or benefit thereof … is the wadsetter's 1681 Stair Inst. ii x § 11.
If there be a back-tack of the land, granted by the wadsetter to the reverser … or a provision to count for the profits of the land or to hold the land at such a rent, it is an improper wadset

d. fig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 151.
Our Lord … hath done more than bought the devil by, for He hath redeemed the wodset & made the poor heir free to the inheritance 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 167.
Look if ye can give out your money … for bread, and lay Christ and His blood in wadset for heaven 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 406.
If my ease … were laid in wadset and in pledge, to buy praises to Christ! 1638 Bk. Pasquils 23.
Plunged Aberdeine with pouerty, the riches he devor'd By houpe for woodset of hes soule, ar blasted by the Lord

e. comb. and attrib. 1623 Durie Decis. 43 (see Wedsettar n. a).
Wodset infeftment c1630 Hope Minor Practicks (1726) 70.
It is sufficient that the wadset-haver subscribe a renunciation, and grant the lands lawfully redeemed a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 227.
Ane wodsett-haver may not sett ane tack for longer tyme then the tyme of the wodsett 1664 Dunkeld Presb. I 311.
[Colin Campbell] … woodset-haver [of the said lands] 1682 Decis. Lords F. 13.
Margaret Phine having a wadset right from David Phine 1685 Decis. Lords F. 80.
The wodsetter did restrict his wodset money for 1100 merks

2. The document recording a wedset. 1662 Peebles B. Rec. II 51.
The said James Brotherstanes his contract or wedsett and infeftment of his back land, being read and considered