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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Almery, Ambry, n. Also: almer(r)ye, almerie (pl. almereis, almerris); almary(e, almarie (ammari); almory, almorie (pl. almoreis, almowris), amerie; almry, almri(e, awmre, amry, amri; ambry, ambrie, ambre. [ME. almary(e, almery(e, almerie (also later awmery, awmry, ambry, etc.), a.OF. almarie, altered from armarie, = Prov. armari, Span. and Ital. armario, Port. almario, all from Lat. armārium a place or repository for arma ‘utensils’.The word appears in ME. towards the end of the 14th cent., and remained in common use in various forms down to the 17th. It survives, though now obsolescent, in Sc. and northern Eng. dial. in the forms aumery, aumry, aumbry or ambry.]

1. A repository of the nature of a cupboard or press, used for containing domestic utensils, plate, victuals, books, etc.; usually a separate piece of furniture made of wood.Frequently mentioned in inventories of the 16th cent. Somewhat earlier examples than those cited below occur with prefixed nouns, as mete almery and veschel almery (q.v.). Other special uses are denoted by buke, cop, dresser, sacrament, ware almery, and are entered under these words.(a) 1483 Acta Aud. *122/1.
Henry Petkarne sall restore … ane almery 1501 Edinb. B. Rec. 91.
A press, a counter, a almery 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 49.
For ix elne fresit claith to the Kingis almeryis in his closet 1507 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 266.
Item, ane burde and a pare of trestis, twa almowris 1517 Misc. Spald. C. II. 79.
Tua gret almerris, four small almerris 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. 39.
Ane comptar, a furnist bed, ane almory 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 572.
Ane almery of fyr a1540 Freiris Berw. 221.
Ga clois ȝone burd, … And lok vp all in to ȝone almery [M. almorie], Both meit and drink Ib. 372.
Fair dame, … ga belyfe vnto ȝone almerie, And oppin it 1553 Edinb. B. Rec. 177.
The … counsale … ordanis that the commoun bel haif ane string cummand thairfra … to be lokkit in ane almery Ib. 179.
The making of the almery of the commoun bell 1553–4 Ayr Common Good Acc.
Item to ane vrycht for makene ane almery in the kirk, iiij s iij d 1557 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 206.
For loks and bands to certane almoreis in the clerks chalmer for keping of thair buiks, xx s 1562 Will A. Betoun 224.
In the hall of Balmaddy … ane almery of ayk and ane copbuyrd Ib.
In the how chalmer under the hall twa beddys and almery of fyr 1565–6 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 506.
Ane dosoun of greitt dailles to mak the skelfis, almoreis and bowellis in the heycht loft of the Tolbuith 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 176.
Captaine Culan was beheadit, wha befoir was tane out of the amerie [= a meit almerie, 172] 1596 Crim. Trials I. 399.
He remanit in hir said hous, past to the almerie, quhair scho had certane meill 1608 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 521.
Twa seller vouttis with ane kitchein and ane almery for the naiprie and breid keiping 1629 Reg. Privy C. Ser. 2, III. 283.
[Missing him, they] brake up his kists, almereis, and uthers lockefast loomes 1641 Kirkcaldy Presb. 203.
For bands and hinges to tuo stone almeries in the laigh chalmer 1648 Melrose R. Rec. I. 121.
Ane great cupboord or almerie of wynscott(b) 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 576.
Ane almrye off aik 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 179.
Ane gryt almri with the tounis wreitingis a1568 Bann. MS. 137 b /27.
Ane ark, ane almry, and laidillis two 1584 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 386.
The gryt amrie … that stud in the reuestrie 1679 Corshill Baron Ct. 150.
The Judge … decernit the said Katherin … to remove the said almrie betwixt and the nixt Sabboth 1703 Foulis Acc. Bk. 323.
To Ja. Gourlay … for … 2 presses and an amrie(c) 1603 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 421.
I sall tell yow quhat is in your ambrie 1627 Ann. Banff I. 57.
My weschell in my ambrie and my spineing quheill 1644 Strathbogie Presb. 50.
He … lykvys told hir quhat shoe had in the ambrie, it being closed 1673–7 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 217.
Poyndit from Wm. Andersone ane kist, ane ambrie, ane brew fatt 1685 Erskine Journal 158.
I was locked up in an ambrie in the cabbin [of the ship]

2. Attrib. with almery fute, hede, man. 1546 Misc. Spald. C. II. 201.
Delyuerit be the comptar to Rychert Dowgles amery man to the gowernour 1612 Crim. Trials III. 239.
The defunct missing his dager, quhilk … was cassin vp … vpone ane almerie heid a1598 Ferg. Prov. 45.
He hes gotten ane fall at the amrie foot