Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HEARER, n. Sc. usage: one who listens to the preaching of a certain minister, a church attender (Uls. 1905 Uls. Jnl. Archæol. 123; Ork., Cai., Per., Fif., m.Lth., Uls. 1956).Sc. 1721 R. Wodrow Sufferings I. 436:
Publick Citations of Ministers and Hearers.Rs. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XII. 266:
This [Episcopalian] clergyman regularly administers the sacraments, and marries his own hearers, but never without a line from the session-clerk of this parish.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) xxii.:
Peter, who was a hearer of the Parish Church.Per. 1881 D. MacAra Crieff 163:
They turn up their noses at the Auld Kirk folk, an' ca' us bawbee hearers.Ags. 1894 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk 274:
He specially wished . . . a clock to be put in the church where all could see it, and specially named four of his old and tried hearers to take charge of the clock.Fif. 1905 S. Tytler Daughter of the Manse iii. iv.:
He was relieved from a difficulty, since, the number of his “hearers” being diminished, he could now engage the moderately-sized barn.