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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.

Wobstar, Webstar, n. Also: wobstare, -air, -our, -ir, -er, vobstar, -air, -er, voibster, webstare, -ere, -or, -er, vebstar, -eir, -er, wabs-, vabster, wobistar, webister. Possess. also vabstaras. [ME and e.m.E. webster (Cursor M.) a female weaver, (1362) a male weaver, webstere (1334-5), webester (1379), webstar (Prompt. Parv.), OE webbestre fem. of webba a weaver.] A weaver, a member of the weaver craft, appar. chiefly applied to a man. Also pl. Also proverb. b. pl. The (members of) the weaver craft. Also possess. with Craft n. 3 b. c. attrib. and comb.Also as a personal name. 1379 Exch. R. III 17.
Ade Webster 1436 Exch. R. IV 666.
Per Henricum Webstare de Montrossing. a1500 Colk. Sow i 55.
A wich and a wobstare A milygant and a mychare 1494 Acta Aud. 206/2.
The wobstare of Kinȝalty Thomas Gray 1515–16 Reg. Privy S. I 420/1.
Quhilk tenement and rig of land … pertenit to … Patrik Schaw wobstar cietenar of the said ciete 1517 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 40.
Wobster 1529 Conv. Burghs I 511.
That na manner of walcar nor wobster mak ony claith of thar awin to sell agane wnder the pane of eschaeting of the same 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4106.
Find me ane wobster that is leill, Or ane walker that will nocht steill; Thair craftines I ken 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 181b.
Vobstar 1578 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 92.
Johne Ka wobstar is admittit burges and freman and sworn 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 237.
Agnes Sampsoune … Gelie Duncan and Meg Dyn baptesit ane catt in the wobstaris hous 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V 228.
[The council] ordanis the deyne of gild … resave Robert Robesoun, wobster, to be burges for the dewty of fyve li. allanerlie, in respect of his guid qualiteis and experience in his craft [etc.] … and fynds he hes na rycht to the said burgesschip be his father or prenteisschip 1605 Glasgow Merchants House 98. 1613 Coll. Rebus Alban. 160.
Exacting and lifting fra everie wobstar and cordinar … forty aucht shillinges yeirlie 1622 Black Bk. Taymouth 362.
That na wobster tak in na ma wobis to wirk quhill they haive wrocht and outred theis wobis that they haif takin in 1626–7 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 186.
To the wobster for ane pund of thrumes to be ane mappit for smeiring over the quheillis with iiii s. 1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 46. 1684 Proclamation anent Persons Denounced Fugitives for Rebellion 1679 20.
William Ronaldson, wobster in Jedburgh(b) 1582 Perth B. Ct. 23 Oct.
Voibster(c) 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Textor, a webster 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 23.
Doth God play the gardiner, ploughman or webster here? 1640 Hawick Ann. 50 (see (d) below).
Webster 1690 Foulis Acc. Bk. 118.
To the webstor for 15 ell and ½ of cours [pr. coms] girding at 1 s. 4 d. the ell £1 8 d.(d) 1593 Dysart Rec. 41.
Johne Myllikin vabster ald and puir 1640 Hawick Ann. 46.
That na wabster sal gif any claithe to the walker without consent of the owner thereof 1640 Hawick Ann. 50.
That nae webster receive nae wark frae any person that has wrought wark with other wabsters, and has not payit them therfor, quhil they first pay the wabster that rowcht to them of before, under the lyck penalty(e) 1589–90 St. A. B. Ct. 6 Feb.
Ane wobistar of his craft hawand the intromission and handling off monie and sindyre wobbis baith off wolwin and lynning claith 1593 Aberd. Council Lett. I 55.
Androw Leslie webister xl s.pl. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 112 (B).
Gyf ony kemstarys or webstaris levis the burgh to dwel wyth vplandis men thai sal be prisonyt 14.. Burgh Laws Index c. 95 (B).
Webstarys 1534–5 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 147.
Volle Flecher and Valter Dunhop, vobstairis 1587 Acts III 508/1.
The saidis craftismen sall remane within this realme for the space of fyve ȝeiris … and salbring … xxx … wabsteris walkaris and sic vtheris as may wirk … the said wark as alsua ane litstair or ma 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V 287.
[The council] agreyes with Androw Watsoun for the intertenement at bed and buird of the sevin Flemyng wobsters … to pay … aucht schillings daylie for thair ordiner ilk persoun 1603 Glasgow Weavers 86.
The wobstiris, weavaris, and claithmakeris within this realme 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II 10.
Thomas Moses, walker, … affirmit that the websteres in Peblis spilt and stoll his work 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 164.
Their is warped in the wobsters of linning—66 ellsproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 656.
Need gars naked men run, and sorrow gars websters spinb. 1505–6 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 120.
In the first the … walcaris, litstaris, wobstaris, tailȝouris, goldsmithis [etc.] … and thair craftismen sale furnys thair pageantis 1522 Stirling B. Rec. I 16.
Allexander Benne, dekin of the wobstaris … Sanc Severine, patrone to the saidis craftismen of wobstaris 1560 Dundee B. Laws 520.
The hale craft of the vebstares 1566 Peebles B. Rec. I 303.
I John Wilsone dikin of the wobstairis by ewis and consent of the haill craift 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 106.
Wobstourispossess. 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. MS XX 19 (Jam. s.v. Graith n.)
Ane nyne hundreth grayth and tua pilleis perteining to the vobsteris craft 1566 Dundee B. Laws 520.
In the hoff tharof conuenit all the bredern of the vabstaras craft of Dundec. (1) 1557 Dundee B. Laws 519.
Thyre ar the names off the bredern of vebster craft … the hale bredern afoir vrettyne of the vebsteir craft 1574 Brechin Test. I 118.
Greithe and warklomes perteneing to the webster craft 1583 Conv. Burghs I 163.
Jhonn Houstoun … renuncitt his occupation of wobster craft and gaif his aith he hes nocht of lang tyme bygane vsitt … the samyn 1611 Glasgow Weavers 122.
It is statut … be the deikin and maisteris, that thair mortclayth in na tymes to cum sall not be lend to na persoune bot to friemen in the wobstercraft bot upone the conditiounes following 1672 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 28 Feb.
The said James Camle taks the said Johne Thomsone … as prenteis to him in the webster tred(2) a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlviii 43.
A weid … Weill wrocht in the lwmis with wobster gwmis c1653 Irvine Mun. II 253.
Depurst … to an wabster wyfe … 24 s.(3) 1582 Brechin Test. I 59b.
Four vobster lummis with graythis price of all vj lib. x s. 1593 St. A. Test. II 353b.
Tua narow wobster lwmes price of the pece xxx s. 1652 Edinb. Test. LXVI 28.
Tua wobster lomes estimat bothe to xv lib.