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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.

Lawrikman, Larik-man, n. Also: laurick-, lar(r)ick-, (larigh-), lairick-, lerek-, lerack-, leireikman. [Only in Orkney. ? An altered form of lawrichtman, with k substituted for ch or cht (which did not exist in the native (Norn) phonetic system). The more ‘etymological’ lawrightman was, however, later re-introduced: see Lawrichtman n.] In Orkney. a. In earlier use: Appar., a local official, one to each parish, who served as a local delegate to the central court, and acted as chancellor of the assize and legal assessor in the parish courts.Cf. the note to Lawrichtman a, on the orig. functions of the Shetland lawrightmen. But the paucity of recorded occurrences of the word leaves the above conjecture in some doubt. ‘Among several mysteries in which this office and its title are wrapped, the greatest is the remarkable series of gaps between the appearances of the word on record’ (J. S. Clouston A History of Orkney (1932) 360). 1446 (14..) Rec. Earld. Orkney 51.
[The seal] of all the … communitie of the cuntre of Orchadie quhilk is callit the commune seill, the seill of myne Henrie Randale lawman, of Nicholaie Tullach myne, of Joanne Cragy myne armig., of Richard Fodrungame, lawrikmen [sic], myne, [etc.] 1576 Ib. 140.
The bailȝe court off Stanhowis haldine at Onestone be the bailȝe, … Nomina assise, Robert Ysbister [and 11 others]. … Writtin at the desyre of the larik man, Robert Isbister, be me, Stephane Paplay

b. In the later 17th c.: A local peace-officer. = Lawrichtman b.‘In the 17th century, the local forms in the various parish records include; lerekman, leireikmen, lerackmen, larickmen, laurickmen, and larrickmen’ (J. S. Clouston A History of Orkney (1932) 359 n.). 1673 Deerness Baillie Ct. (Reg. H.) 15 Oct.
Brabester is content … that John Smith & William Dawidson should continue as their leireik men [and similar entries for 5 other districts] a1688 Wallace Orkney 105 (see Lawrichtman n. b).
(Larighmen) [
In a Bailie Court held at Deerness, the bailie depute directs that the lairickmen of the parish are to do justice betwixt man and man during the harvest time in respect that he himself could not be present owing to distance of place 1705 Orkney Antiq. Soc. III. 62.]