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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Spicery, Spycery, -ie, n.¹ Also: spiceri, spycarie, spycere, spisery, spycrie, spysrye. [ME and e.m.E. spicerie (1297), spicerye (Wyclif), spycery (1513), spicery (1527), spycerie (1567), OF espicerie (13th c. in Larousse); Spice n.]

1. coll. Spices. In later use also pl. = Spice n. 1. a1400 Leg. S. i 734.
[They] Tuk done his cors and honorabli Wand it with clathis and spycery And laid it in grawe a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv 33.
With sic kynd of spicery Scho ennoyntit wes … That quhar scho ȝed or stud in stret The fluyre mad the ayr al swete c1420 Liber Calchou 451.
Thir spycery brayde be thaim self & drunkyn wyt wyn or ale castis out venome 1503 Acts II 245/2.
That na persone duelland vtouth the burrowis vse ony merchandice nor ȝit tap nor sell wyne walx silkis spicery wad nor sik like stuf nor ȝit stapill gudis 1509–10 Edinb. B. Rec. I 125.
Spisery 1510–11 Treas. Acc. IV 354.
To the said William for siklik powderis confectionis spiceri ypothecary and materialez deliverit be him to the king and quenis gracis 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 143. 1533 Boece 182b.
Thare faderis vrne … quharein was the powder of his body brynt afore inclusit with fyne odoramentis and spicery 1533 Boece 477.
Thai … ceirssit nowthir delicate nor exquisite coursis, nor corruptit thame be na sals nor sessoun of spicerie quhilk with grete expens … is brocht fra sa fer partis 1535 Stewart 51957 (see Nardus specudy).
Spycarie 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II 227.
To propine the quenis grace with four scoir pundis worth of wyne, walx, and spycery 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. I 203.
Spysrye 1562-3 Winȝet II 12/34.
An apothecaris buyth ful of al kynd of droigis bayth of delicat spycerie and of rady poysoun c1580 in Bann. Memor. 336.
Johne Hammiltoun was gone vp to the gallerie … to bring doun spicerie or some other geir for the kitchine 1592 Aberd. B. Rec. II 79.
The spycerie efter following that is to say four pound weycht of pepper halff pund of measis four unces of safrone [etc.] 1598 Edinb. Test. XXXI 338.
In small spycerie estimat to xx lib. 1633 Aberd. B. Rec. III 60.
Twa punsheones of wyne, with the spycerie in great, to be brocht and spent thairat [sc. the coronation] 1676 Glasgow Chart. II 189.
Spyceriepl. 1583 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 277.
That na maner of persouns bot thai that ar swa … admittit in the societie of the gild brether, top or sell … any maner of wyne walx wad spycereis of all sortis clayth of silk [etc.] a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 38. 1635 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XVII 318.
For sugor spycries and fruit 1649 Aberd. Council Lett. III 127.
To try what guids ar excisable under the name of maid work particularlie lint hardis salt and iron and all sort of spyceries and litsterwares 1674 Lennoxlove MS (The Duke of Hamilton) F1/556/13/10.
Payed ane accompt of spyceries to James Cockburn £44 1 s. 4 d. 1680 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 259.
Ane loading of spycries and other rich holland goods 1697 Fountainhall Decis. I 752.
Staple commodities, such as wine, wax, silks, spiceries, wad [etc.]

b. Wyne and spycerie, = Spice n. 1 b. 1590 Aberd. Council Lett. I 51.
Payment of the wyne and spycerie gevin to the lords of our nobilitie and officeris of honour

2. The department of the royal household concerned with the keeping of spices. = Spice-hous(e n. 1603 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 672/1.
Officers trained vp in the accompts and seruice of the howse of owr late deceased soueraigne … , clarcke comptrolleur Richard Manleye, cla: of kytchin & spicery Fowcke Fludd [etc.]