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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
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Reversio(u)n(e, -vertio(u)n(e, n. Also: ravers-, rewers-, reverc- and -iowne; (revertiatione). [Late ME and e.m.E. reuersion remains, remainder (c1440), in legal use (1442; also, in AN, a1300), OF reversion, -cioun (13th c. and 1304 in Larousse), L. reversiōn-, f. p.p. stem of revertere Revert v.] The right of a debtor who has borrowed money on security of land to redeem the land within a limited time by payment of a sum specified in the original contract or in a separate deed, as a letter of reversion; a statement of the conditions under which a right of reversion may be operable. b. A deed setting forth such conditions; a letter of reversion. Also ? transf.Under Canon Law ‘the direct disposition in security of a sum lent, with a fixed rate of interest, being impossible, the alternative form of an annualrent secured upon land and a wadset were adopted … The right of reversion was usually provided for in a separate deed by a mutual contract, … the wadsetter undertook to grant a right of reversion.’Encyclopaedia of the Laws of Scotland (1926–35) VII 573–4. See also legal reversion, s.v. Legal(l adj. 2 b.For further examples see c1575 Balfour Pract. 446–54 passim.(1) 1446 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 105.
I oblyis me … to get fra the forsaid Dauid … ane lettir of reuersioun of al the landis of the Tempilhil 1449 Liber Aberbr. II 76.
Me Jamys Euie … to haff salde and frely ourgiffyn to Wilyam of Strathachyn … a lettyr of reuersioun contenand in it fiw hundyr mark 1454–5 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 275.
The letter of reuercioun maid betwix me ande the saide master Johnne apone the annuel of sex merkis of my landis of Achlewyn 1521 Boyd Fam. P. No. 3 (3 Nov.).
Be the tenor of there our letters of reuersion 1528 Inchcolm Chart. 63.
To paye … the soum of lxxx pund … specifiit and contenit in ane letter of reversioun maid to me … be the said reuerend fader for the redemptioun … of fyif markis wortht of my landis 1563–4 Reg. Privy C. I 262.
To ressave the sowmes of money and lettres of tak contenit in the lettres of reversioun maid thairupoun ?1600 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 5 Aug.
Ane sufficient lettir of reuertione for the redemptione of the saidis landis 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I 326.
Revertiounepl. 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 64.
[He] … sal tharewith mak … Robert his assignay and cessionare in and to all letters of reversions of al landis and annuale rentis wedset within the lordschipwithout art. 1469 Acts II 94/2, 95/1.
As tuiching the new inuentions of selling of landis be chartir and sesing and takin again of reversions … that [upon resale] the sellare sall haue recours to the samyn landis sauld be him vnder lettre of reuersione … and haue sic priuelege … as he suld haue again the principale first byare And becaus sic reuersions may of case be tynt oure souerane lord sall mak the said reuersionis to be regesterit in his registir(2) indef. art. 1478 Acta Aud. 64/2.
A reuersioun maid … be vmquhile … James Blaire 1492 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 38.
Wilyam Stewart … gert reid a reuercione of a chartir … the qwhilk reuercione is of the halfpenne land of Dursdeir 1496 Acta Conc. II 32.
Under ane reversione oblisand him … to resigne … the saidis landis quhen it suld happin the sade Uchtre … to pay to the sade Henry … j^c li. 1498 Ib. 247. 1498 Reg. Morton II 248.
Of the quhilk third part the said lord heid ane reuersion 1520 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 196.
That the aucht over buthis of thair tolbuith … be laid in wodsett vpoun the sowme of ix^c and iij^xx frankis vnder ane reuersioun 1550 Boyd Fam. P. No. 28 (20 Dec.).
I makand seilland and subscryfand ane sufecient revertioun to the said Adam … of the sum of fyfe hundreth merkis 1552–3 Lochwinnoch Par. 39.
To … pay yeirlie … fourty pundis money for every reversioun vnrademit c1575 Balfour Pract. 454.
Ane reversioun maid under form of instrument be the notar quha was … notar in the instrument of sasine is sufficient 1621 Acts IV 623/1.
For a reuersioun writtin vpoun parchement, xl s. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 187.
Wryttis for giveing of a reversion shall make no fayth except it be registratt be the judicciall compeirance of the partie befor some ordinarie judge 1681 Stair Inst. ii x § 3.
A reversion is a paction and condition, or provision for redemption of any thing alienated, upon such terms as are agreed upon, which of itself is no more than a personal obligation, whereby the wadsetter is obliged; until [by the Act of 1469] … reversions are accounted as heritable and real rightsdef. art. 1467 Acta Aud. 6/2.
Wilȝam sall brouk … the said landis … at the termes contenit in the reuersioune 1469 Acts II 95/1.
The quhilk registir sall haue the samyn force as the principale reuersione wer schawing for the tyme 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II 365.
Geve the sadis landis remanis unredemyt … vij yeris efter the yschey of thame, than the sade reversione to be exspyrit Ib. 438.
Til … redeme the landis of Mellirstanis be vertew of the reversione 1527 Prot. Bk. J. Foular II 239.
That he sall lous the samyn at his plesour he payand … xl lib. tharfor efter the forme of the reversion 1540–1 Reg. Privy S. II 592/1. 1556 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 11.
I kend now [? nocht] quhat the soume was, nor ȝit be quhome the rauersioune was maid 1567 Glasgow Prot. III 107. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 84.
The principallis of … Edinburgh aggreit … to lend thair majesties ten thowsand merkis vpoun the superiouritie of Leith vnder the reversioun 1588 Boyd Fam. P. No. 72.
This is the just copie of the principall reuersioun … nather eikit nor pairit that may alter the substance therof 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Reversion.
The byar of landes lettis them returne to the seller thereof, be the reversion giuen vnto him. … And gif onye man annalies landes vnder reversion to be halden of him and his aires ane regresse is not necessar. … In aulde times the reversion was conteined in the chartour 1615 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 258.
For nocht fulfilling the haill heidis contained in the rewersion and innowat contrak a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 188 (see without art. below). 1681 Stair Inst. ii xii § 32.
There is also a quinquennial prescription of the legal reversions of special adjudicationspossess. adj. 1481 Instr. H. Scheves MS.
Efter the tenor of his reuercion maid to the said James 1482 Reg. Great S. 326/1.
Quhilkis landis the said Williame has under his reversioun to upgif quhensaever I pay to him 300 merkis 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxvii.
The actioun … persewit … for … ourgevin … of the charteris [etc.] … [efter] the … tenour of his reversioun 1536 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 222.
To this my rauersioun … I haue apensyt my propir seill … afoire thir witnes 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 11 April.
Margaret … to compere … to ressawe the sowme … for the redemptione … of the landis of Burnequhonnie conforme to hir reuertione 1587–8 Ib. 17 Jan.
& grantit the same lauchfully redemit & the poyntis of his reuertion to be fulfillitpl. 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 64, 65.
That the sade Thomas sall nocht … put away na reversions na eik na soumes contenit in thame that lyis in wed of the sadis landis, na yit tak na maire soumes on thame …; and gif … the sade Thomas makis ony fraud in the eking of soumes apone ony of the sadis reversions or … gif the sadis reversions has bene lade in wed be … ony … persons, … he sal lowys thame of quhat soumes of money thai ly [etc.] c1575 Balfour Pract. 271.
For making, seilling and subscryving of reversiounis 1604 Acts Sederunt ii 35.
That … all instrumentis of seasing, reversiounis, regressis [etc.] … suld be insert and registrat in the registeris of the secretarie appoyntit be the act of Parliament 1622-6 Bisset I 241/20.
Anent registration of reversionis seasingis and uthiris wreittis first called the secreteris registere 1681 Stair Inst. ii x § 4.
Reversions are either legal, arising from law and statute, and not from consent of parties, … or they are conventional, by the consent of parties, which are either incorporated in the body of the wadset-right, or apartwithout art. 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I 198.
And ordanis chartour, instrument, precept of sessing, and reuersione to be maid in the sickerest sort heirvpoune c1575 Balfour Pract. 445.
Ony persoun havand landis or annuelrentis annalȝeit to him, under reversioun [etc.] Ib.
Gif ony man buyis land under reversioun [etc.] 1589 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 93.
With engin … and rewersiowne [etc.] 1597 Rec. Earld. Orkney 321.
[The] rycht of rothe reversioun, uthall, aying [pr. aynig], and samming [in the lands] 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Reversion (see def. art. above). Id. Reg. Maj. i 64.
Or as lands wadset (vnder reversion) c1630 Hope Minor Pract. (1734) 241 n.
Reversion … signifies either the clause, provision or condition [of returning lands] … either ingrossed in the contract of wadset or the obligement, apart for that end, given by the wadsetter to the debitor Id. Major Pract. I 188.
All annualrents that ar disponed under reversion ar … redeemable be peyment of the principall soumes contained in the reversion, and ten merkis for the hundreth for all byganes 1688 Irvine Deeds 8 June.
[The tenement to be] redeemable alwayes & undir reversione be me … be … payment making be ws to them of their said principall soume(3) 1672 Acts VIII 86/2.
The generall registers of horneings … and of seasings and reversiouns 1697-1707 D. Hume Accompt of Estate 60.
Which I caused registrate in the general register of reversions(4) fig. a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxv 8.
Suppose my silly saull with sin be seasde ȝit the reverssiones rests that it redemes 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 279.
I pray God that Christ may keep both [my heart and my love] without reversion Ib. 296.
If I could, I would sell myself without reversion to Christ

c. Const. of the lands wadset (cf. quots. 1446 and 1494 under (1) above) or the annual rent or capital sum contained in the contract. 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxvii.
The some contenit in the reversioun of the mone that now rynnis 1496–7 Ib. 64.
And in speciale the reversione of x merkis of annuale of the saidis landis contenand in it the soum of v^xx of merkis and laid in wed to Robert Clerk for x merkis [etc.] 1518 Selkirk B. Ct. MS fol. 64b.
This [money is] to be gewyne upone ane reversioun of the said sowme of foir lib. 1567 Crail B. Ct. 18 July (see Redem(e v. 2 (a)). 1587 Melville Chart. 130.
The alienatioun maid … of four hundreth markis yeirlie annuell of the saidis landis … vpoun reuersiones of four thousand markis to the said Johnne Melwyll … dochtaris … conforme to thair infeftmentis, contening in thame reuersiones be ressoun of thair les ages 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 14 May.
Valter Ogiluie portionar of Ardaycht & Jonet Ord his spous … renunsit the seising & infeiftment … of the half landis of Ardaycht, quhilk thai haif in wadsett of the said Schir Walter [Ogilvie] vpone the reuertion of sewin hunderit merkis and that for infeiftment to be tane of new … of the said half landis … vpone the reuertion of nyne hunderit merkis … and that reuertiatione maid … for the causis forsaid allanerly 1611 Reg. Panmure I xxviii.
The landis … wer onlie wodset, and heirefter his sone … did sel the reversione thearof to the lard of Dwne c1612 Skene Memorabilia 17.
Togidder with the reuersion of the thrid parte therof 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 453.
Reay desired him to deal with the marquis to interceed for him … for the revertion of Orknay 1659 Rothesay B. Rec. 282.
John … offerit if scho wold secuir him … the reversioun of that land … to delyver ane hundrethe merkis money, being the first terme conteinet in the reversioun 1662 Burnett Fam. P.
Lands … all lyand as said is togither with the reversiones therof

d. A paper or document on which a reversion is written. 1556–7 Inverness Rec. I 4.
Apon the production of ane blank reversion onselit