A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Cartow, n. Also: cartetowe; pl. cartovis. [Older Flem. kartouwe, Flem. and Du. kartouw.] A ‘quartercannon’, throwing a ball of a quarter of a hundredweight.c1650 Spalding I. 153.
Thay had tuo cartovis or quarter cannonis Ib. 155.
Cartowis, or quarter canons, haueing the bullet about 24 pund wecht Ib. 208.
The Erll Marschall … had stentit his cartowis and ordinans just in thair faces 1643 Melville Corr. 93.
Ane hundereth … men, with ane halfe cartow, and two feilding peices a1650 Row 519.
The Covenanters cartowes were playing on them from eleven hours in the forenoone till ten at night c1650 P. Gordon Brit. Dist. 25.
The enemie had but tuo cartetowes, and through want of skill in their cannoneir, some balles went ouer them a great way
