Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quarter-land, n. [Cf. e.m.E. quarter-land (1645) the fourth of a treen or balla in the Isle of Man.] A denomination of land equivalent to the quarter of a principal unit of land-measurement, such as the davach or the ploughgate; in the West Highlands, presumably rendering the Gaelic ceathramh or quarter (sc. appar. of the ‘tirung’ or ‘ounceland’).Also pl. in sing. sense. 1563 Prot. Bk. D. Gray 21.
All the cornis growand vpone the quarter landis 1567 Liber Calchou II 518.
Ane cot land and ane quarter land 1583 Exch. R. XXI 565.
The said quarter land lay lie in the said yeir fourscoir 1585 Charter in Liber Scon 225.
All and haill that quarter landis of Durdy Inglis alias Nether Durdy Ib. 230.
The quarter landis of Shirreftoun 1599 Fam. Rose 288.
The quarter landis of the hiltoun of Tarradell 1600 Crim. Trials II 104.
Ane false chartour … of … twa oxgait of land callit the quarter-land of Nig 1609 Retours I Inq. Spec. Fife (201).
Quarta parte solaris terrarum et villæ de Tyrie vulgo vocata Sonie Quarterlandis of Tyrie 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 30.
His pairt of the customes and colt silver and of the quarter landis of Catermaleyne 1685 Paterson Sc. Arithm. (1685) 6.
Town land, [=] 4 quarter land, [=] 6 horsgang 1692 Bk. Islay 419.
The lands of Glassens … extending to ane quarterland, being thirtie three shilling four pennie land of old extent