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.

Te(i)nd penny, Tent pen(n)y, n. Also: teind penie, teynd penny, tend penné, tent pennie, -penn(y)e, ten pennie, tenth penny, -ie, thenne penny. [Te(i)nd adj. and Penny n.]

1. A tenth or tithe payable to ecclesiastics on a number of (chiefly legal) transactions (see esp. Balfour Pract. quot. below). = Secund teind (Te(i)nd n. 3 c). 1415 (1483) Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 204.
The bischop … in the … rasing of his teynd penny aucht till hymme off relewis wardis mariage malis finis eschetis or ischeis of courtis 1491 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 409.
The kirk of Abirdene is feft of the tent penny of ald of all wardis and relevis of the said landis 1494–5 Treas. Acc. I 212.
The tent penny of this composicioune was gevin to the Abbot of Scvne 1500–1 Acta Conc. II 481.
[£54] for the secund teynd quhilk is the tend penny of the soume of v^c and fourti of the extretis of the last justice are haldin at Bervy 1522 Acta Conc. MS XXXIII 54b.
The teynd pennyis of the casualiteis of the scherefdome of Perth 1562 Reg. Privy C. I 222.
That thair airis sall haif the ward of thair landis [etc.] … fre without payment of ony compositioun or teind penny c1575 Balfour Pract. 145.
The teind penie of all wairdis, mariagis, releifis, maillis, fermis, eschetis, or ischeis of courtis, may pertene to bischoppis and abbotis speciallie infeft thairintill [marg. The secund teindis pertenis to the prelatis] 1587 Acts III 435/1.
Bot the said ecclesiasticall persone salhaif actioun and richt to the tent penny of liquidat mailles contenit in the said infeftment

2. A tax of one tenth of the value of land, etc.Esp. in 1640-1 as military funding. In these instances, ? = Te(i)nd n. 3. 1531 Bell. Boece II 331.
King Johne tuk, be generall exaction, the tent peny of al landis and frutis pertenand to the kirk 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 15.
In this ȝeir was tane the tent penny of all the benefices of this realme abone xx li. to be payit to the kingis grace 1640 Glasgow B. Rec. I 414, 415.
The … counsall wnderstanding the great charges … debursit wpon … thair sojoris … and seing thair is ane charge given for the tuenty pennie of all frie rentis by and attour the tent pennie alredie payit quhilk aught not to be payit … vpoun the commoun purs bot everie inhabitant aught and sould beir his awin pairt thairof [etc.] … The provest declarit that he had gottine vp from the clark the subscryvit roll anent the tent pennie of frie rent [etc.] 1640 Glasgow B. Rec. I 424.
The tent pennie and tuenty pennie quhilk thei have receavit for provyding of the armie in claithes and hois and shoes 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 94.
That the collector of the tenth penny within everie presbiterie, shall be collector also of the twentieth penny 1640 Dumbarton B. Rec. 60.
The collectors of the ten pennie within the said shriffdom of Renfrew 1640 Dumbarton B. Rec. 62.
John Neper of Kilmahew his collector-deput within the presbeterie of Dunbartane to mak payment … intratting Kilmahew to use diligence for payment of the tent pennie that the souldiers … may be payit 1640–1 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 120.
To aucht tounis men to go … to plunder for the tent and twentie pennis in the cuntrie c1650 Spalding II 4.
Ye hard of the voluntar contribution takin out of poor Old Abirdene … follouit schortlie the vptaking of the tenthis and tuenteithis throw the countrie … and the tent penny of ilk houss maill within the toun wes also vpliftit reseruand the bigging quhair the heretour himself duelt frie allanerlie

b. A payment to an individual of one tenth of a value or sum. 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 334.
Quhairof thair is to be rebatted to the marchand for his lekkage the tenth penny 1642 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 5.
[The pursuer … now obtained decree against the defender … for 80 merks] deduceand thairof the soume of aucht merkis money for the tent pennye of the said yeiris annuelrent conforme to the Actis of Estaittis 1658 Argyll Synod II 185.
The synod … does appoynt Joⁿ Ȝuil collector with full power to … receive the same … And to be comptable for his intromissions and for his paynes allowes him the tenth pennie of his intromissions

3. In Orkney: The tenth part of a udaller's land or property which he or she was allowed to alienate under udal law without consultation with any of the lawful heirs. 1504 Rec. Earld. Orkney 77 n.
[The gift of] the ferd and tent penny [that portion of his estate which an odaller might bequeath to whom he chose] 1507–8 Rec. Earld. Orkney 80.
The thenne penny and the ferd giffin till Helene Nes … be Andro Nes hir fathir 1514 Rec. Earld. Orkney 88.
And the said Schir William to louse a sistyr part of the foirsaid laundis and heretage, togidder with the tane half of the tend penne and the ferd, as the eldast bruthir 1534 Rec. Earld. Orkney 215.
Teind penny 1557 Rec. Earld. Orkney 261.
Is content to part the said tent penny and ferd as proper and lawchfull gift … at Alhallwmes nixt to cum 1557–8 Rec. Earld. Orkney 262.
The tent penny and ferd of all my said faderis guddis … quhilk … my said fader g[aif to] the [said James] for the kyndnes done to my fader be the said James 1570–1 Rec. Earld. Orkney 132.
And ordanis the fift rige of the haill landis under the hous of Nes to aperten to the tent penneellipt. 1504 Rec. Earld. Orkney 202.
The said Eden gives freely … to … her daughter, both the tenth and the fourth penny of her whole goods