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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Knave-, Knaifschip, n. Also: cnave-, knav-, knavi-; knaiv(e)-; knaw-; knev-, knew-; knaiff-, knayf-; knef-, kneif-; and -schipe, -schipt, -scip, -ship(pe, -shep, -chep, -cheip, -chip. [f. Knave n. (cf. sense 3 c). Cf. also Knaschip.]

a. The offfice of an under-miller or miller's assistant or the perquisites of this. 1557 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 141.
The violent … withaulding fra him of the seruice of the millerschip and knaifschip of Dalsangane mylne 1558 Melrose Reg. Rec. III. 160.
Robert Boustoun … and certane utheris occupyaris of certane our yairdis houses and service of knaifschip of our abbay myllnis 1562 (1581–2) Reg. Great S. 120/1.
Officium et servitium molendinorum granariorum de Melros, vocat. lie knaifschipis, necnon cum lie banakis 1585 Liber Scon 229.
The ferd pairt of the toun and landis … with the doucat yaird knaiffschip and keiping of the corne myln 1642 Peebles Gleanings 305.
James Halden … declairit he had … socht for his richt of the knaifschip of the mylnes of this burgh and culd not find the samyn

b. Chiefly, a small quantity of corn or meal in addition to the multure, levied on each lot of corn ground at a mill, as payment for the miller's servants.After c 1550, found commonly in grants or leases of lands, as one of the customary emoluments of a mill.For some further examples (of the form knaifschip), see Bannok n. 2.(a) a 1350 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. xix.
Dabunt vicesimum quartum vas ad multuram pro omnibus saluo iure seruientis [gl. cnaueschipe] molendini 1573 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 7.
[The council] hes set in tak … the sevin commoun mylnis … with the haill multeris suckin knaveschip proffeitis 1602 Old Ross-shire I. 57.
Ane peck shelling as multir furth of euerie sex firlatts with ane lipie as knaveschip out of ilk boll … out of all beir and peis 1641 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 255.
Peter Hay, James Morgan, his servand, and Andro Mowat, pickiemen at the townes … milnes … convict … for exacting of ane goupin … mor nor the dew multur and knaueship allotit to the tackisman and his servandis 1641 Acts V. (1817) 625/1.
The landis of Trottok with the mylne, mylnlandys, multuris, sequellis and knavischyppis thairof 1655 Peebles B. Rec. II. 32.
The undermillers and their servants … sould work … all werk belonging to the corne milne for the knaveshipe 1681 Stair Inst. ii. vii. § 21. (1832) I. 304.
Beside the multures, thirlage is extended to sequels, which is understood to be the knaveship, bannock, or lock, payable besides the multures, to the millers and their servants for their service, according to the use of the several mills 1701 Burnett Fam. P. MS.
Her infeftment of the lands of Sauchen, … miln lands, multur, sucken sequels and knaveship thereofattrib. 1609 Dundee B. Laws 53.
By & attour the payment of thair dry multuris and knaveship dewtie according to vse & wount(b) 1565 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 424.
Anent the clame of the … cotter mvltyr and knaivschip of Cragorthie 1637 Misc. Spald. C. IV. 164.
The said Lauchlan and his tennentis … sall pay the accustumet knaiveschipt thairfoir 1659 Irvine Mun. II. 81.
The multur and knaiveschip eftermentionat(c) 1582 Prot. Bk. J. Robertsone MS. 20 b.
The landis of Auchinlek, … myllandis, multuris and knawschip thairof 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii. 3.
Ane free man … sall gif … of tuentie bolles ane firlot (as knawship) 1630 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 340.
With the … multurs sequells and knawshepis of the saids mylnes(d) 1610 Aboyne Rec. 202.
The said … landis, … mill … , lasuris multuris sukin knewschippis of the same 1633 Misc. Spald. C. V. 220.
Gif the millar beis not abill to gif tham sufficient service, they to be free of anie multeris or knevschip(e) 1476 Peebles B. Rec. I. 176.
The childer that sall serue in the sayd myllis sall nocht … tak knayfchep of na corn bot of attis and thai sall kep romys at thair power 1550 Reg. Great S. 124/2.
Cum molendino, terris molendinariis, multuris et lie knaiffschippis ejusdem 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 37.
Geif the said David biggis the said myl that he sal sarve the toun for thair knaifcheip 1576 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 242.
Pikeman of the miln of Auchnagat and uptaker of the multur and knaifschipe 1583 St. A. Test. II. 15 b.
Be Henrie Leisson his part of the knaifschip of the over miln of Perth 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 43.
The said maltmen sall … pay … twa penneis of knaiffschip for ilk laid for dew wairning and keping of thair rowmes Ib.
That the resaver of the knaifschip expell and putt owt all idill vagabounds out of the saidis mylnis 1611 Ib. VI. 80.
Of ilk laid of malt … ten pennies to the … maisteris, … to the undermylleris … aucht penneis, … to the filler up and wayrner twa penneis, … but prejudice alwayes of the knaifschip payet to the mylne wricht conform to use and wont 1622 Stirling B. Rec. II. 157.
Provyding … that thair be [no] … hichting of the quantitie of the multure or knaifshep 1644 Peebles Gleanings 306.
James Haldein, miller, … being challengit that he and his servantis hes … tane wrang measouris of his knaifschip and bannock, … ordanes him and his servantis … to tak the foirsaid knaifschip and bannock with the haill and half cop, and utherwyis proportionallie of everie corne according to the awin measour(f) 1566 Lennox Mun. 271.
The mylne callit the Adawmill, … with multuris and knefschippis perteyning thairto 1627 Reg. Great S. 390/1.
Knokglas, cum molendino … , exceptis astrictis multuris, lie suckin, lie bannok et lie kneifschipe … de Killantringand 16.. Old Ross-shire 31.
The tenentis … schukiners … cumis … and offeris … to the miller … multur and kneifschip