Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Tascal(l, -aill, Taskall, -ell, Tasquill, n. [Gael. taisgeal finding of anything that was lost (Dwelly). Also, as tascal (money), in the later Sc. dial.] The demand for a reward for the recovery of stolen property; the reward itself. Also attrib. with money (silver). 1636 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VI 235.]
[Whereas there is a most shamefull … trade of gayning commonlie practised in the Hielandis, to witt, when anie goods ar takin out of the inland or lowland there is diverse persons who will undertake to recover and bring backe the stollin goods to the awner upon condition sometime of the halfe and sometime of more of the stollin goods, quhilk in thair language is callit the taskall, and they never present the theeves thamselffes becaus they ar … hounders out of the theeves or art and part of the theevish deeds thameselffes 1289–1308 Charter in Adv. MS 34. 3. 25 p. 194.
Volo etiam et concedo pro me et hæredibus meis quod dictus dominus Adam, hæredes sui [etc.] … sint quieti de sorthyn et tascal et de super dicto servientis et de omnibus quos pertinent ad super dictum servientis et volo etiam quod dictus dominus Adam [etc.] … habeant sorchyn tascal et super dictum servientis de omnibus hominibus infra praedictas terras suas habitantibus 1689 Cushnie MSS No. 547 (26 Oct.).
They ar[e] to gett ane boll of maill for taskell of the gouds and lykways tha ar to haue ane discharg 1690 Cramond Grant Regality Ct. Bks. (1897) 11.
His tasquill and expensesattrib. 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 416.
[To indemnify the complainer by paying him £20 for each of the cattle, with 100 merks for] tascaill [pr. cascaill] silver [and other expenses] 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 361.
[Conform to this Act William Frazer [etc.] … gave bonds] that their haill men [etc.] … shall committ no … reiffe [etc.] … under the penaltie of tuo thousand merks … besyds redressing and repairing the pairties skaithed [and to exhibit such persons to justice … therefore the said landlords ought to exhibit the said persons to justice and be decerned to restore the goods stolen … and pay 200 merks of] tascall money and damage susteaned by them [on account of the said robbery] 1677 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 81.
And for cloaking of his being airt and part of the foresaid theift the said pannell went … to the said owner and discovered the … theift to him for the which ther wes promised to the said pannell ten punds of taskell money quherof he receaved four shilling six pennyes Scots in arles 1680 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 114.
Yow thieftously stole and away took from Archibald M'Intyre in Inverarey out of Clachandysart in tyme of a publick mercat ane gray mear pertaining to him and for tascall money he offered himself ready and willing to have gotten the same mear again 1683 Clanranald P. (Reg. H.) 19 June.
If he would agree with him for ane certane sowme of taskell money he would gett him back the foirsaid seven kowes