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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.

Pouch(e, Pu(t)ch(e, n. Also: (pouthe), powtche, poutch(e; puitche; peuch; ? Push. [e.m.E. and ME pouch(e (1327), powche, pouch, bag, purse, pocket, ONF pouche (13th c. in Littré), = F. poche Poche n.²] A pouch, in various senses.

1. A pocket.? Chiefly or only one within a garment, but possibly in some instances a distinct receptacle carried separately or worn outside the garment.As ‘a pocket within a garment’ appar. only Sc. till 1686.Also plur. in sing. sense.To mowle (= mould) in one's pouch, to be left unused or unread.To be at the ground of (one's) poutche, to be out of, or short of, ready money.(1) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 253.
For bukrem to be ane tulat and ane pouche to it [a coat] Ib. 270.
To stuff the slevis and be pouchis to the saidis cotis, viij elnis bukrem 1549 Ib. IX 344, etc. 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 28 (see Kirtil(l n. 2 b). 1579 Treas. Acc. XIII 300.
Poutcheis 1590 Criminal Trials I ii 194.
Ane buist of wichcraft … quhilk thow ressauit fra him, and putt itt in thy awin pouch incontinent 1600 Tailors Acc. Bk. 5.
Tueill to be pouchis 1600-1610 Melvill 223.
Haiffing in his poutche the key of the brig Ib. 490.
The quhilk letter the king tuk … and … keipit it in his awin poutche c1610 Melville Mem. 65.
That he had alwayes a New Testament in Englis in his poutche 1612 Reg. Privy C. IX 446.
He drew the copie … out of his poutche Ib. 734.
Having the same in his poutche, the same is in missing 1638 Justiciary Cases II 365.
Steilling of ane napkin with certane moneys being thairintill … furthe of ane honest manes pouthe [sic in ed.; infra 366 poutche] 1659 Rothesay B. Rec. 39.
Katherin Lamount haid putt hir hand in his pouche and tukin out moneyis furthe thairof 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 15.
When ye are glowring at a sign, Into your poutch he'll popp his fingerplur. as sing. c 1612 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XVIII 118.
[Putting] the key in his poutches(b) 1553 Treas. Acc. X 192.
Bukrum … to be puchis to the cote 1580 Ib. MS 35 (2) b.
Ane eln of burge satyn tobe putchis to his maiesties hoise Ib. 38.
Small satine for putcheis 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 199. 1615 Ib. 239.
Bukasie to lyne the taillis and be puchis 1621 Perth Kirk S. MS 24 Sept.
The said Alex^r hed the key … in his puch 1646 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXX 150.
[Grey ribbons to be] bobis at the puchis 1658 Sc. Ant. IX 51.
They took som thing out of thair putches 1673 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 50.
No man sould take it [a whinger] out of his putch that night 1675 Peebles B. Rec. II 91.
For filling his putch full of Thomas Williamsones bear(c) 1551 Treas. Acc. X 28.
And bukcrame to be peuchis to the samyn [coat](2) 1597 Melrose P. 612*.
It [the commission] sall not therefter mowle in my poutche, but sall be send to your lordship with haist(3) 1662 Dumfries Council Min. 21 Nov.
Becaus A was at the ground of his poutche and behooved to have supplie out of the fynes

b. attrib. 1575 Edinb. Test. III 403.
Ane new poutche quhynȝer price x s. 1584 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 418.
He is schot through the hart with a poutche pistole 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 212.
A new sort of pistolett callit powtche pistoletts 1632 Edinb. Test. LVI 23.
Puitche inkhornis at iiij s. the peice 1639 Baillie I 225.
Our English poutch Bibles

2. A (appar., fairly small) bag or sack. 1587 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 117.
And that na pouchis nor uschis be temit thair, vnder the pan of punding the pouchis to the officeris selff 1623 Edinb. Test. LII 72 b.
Sex skines and sex powtches 1624 Ib. 295.
Fyve ledder poutchis price of all xv s. 1641 Ib. LIX 286.
Leather poutches and littill poikis for keeping of letteris