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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.

HOLOGRAPH, adj., n. As in Eng. but mainly referring to Sc. law usage:

I. adj. Of a deed or letter: wholly in the handwriting of one person, and, in the case of a will, signed by him (Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 41).Sc. 1722 W. Forbes Institutes I. ii. 177:
Holograph Writs, that is, all written with the Granter's Hand, are good without Witnesses, but do not prove their Dates.Sc. 1753 Trial of James Stewart 24:
Principal holograph letter, by Allan Stewart . . . addressed to Duncan Stewart of Glenbucky.Sc. 1802 Morison Decisions 15952:
The deed which is not holograph, and which contains neither the name of the writer nor the designation of the witnesses.Sc. 1953 Session Cases 270:
Since essential parts of the document were printed, the document was not a valid holograph will.

II. n. A letter or other document wholly in the handwriting of one person. Phr. in holograph, applied to the handwriting itself.Sc. 1755 Johnson Dictionary s.v.:
Holograph. This word is used in the Scottish law to denote a deed written altogether by the granter's own hand.Slk. 1820 Hogg Tales (1874) 183:
Two short codicils in his own holograph.Sc. 1848 J. J. S. Wharton Law Lexicon:
Holograph, a deed written entirely by the grantor himself, which . . . is held by the Scotch law valid without witnesses.Sc. 1927 Gloag & Henderson Law Scot. 94:
In ordinary cases a writing may be rendered probative in three ways — . . . (2) if it is subscribed by the grantor, with a docquet, in his handwriting, with the words “adopted as holograph,” or words to a similar effect.