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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1662
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Curch(e, Curtch(e, n.1 Also: kurtch, cwrch, kurch, kurtsche, curchshe, cursche, cursh; curge. [Common variants of Courch(e, etc.] A kerchief; a woman's cap.See also brest-, caming-, hand-, nek-, nicht-curche. The forms with final -e (also the pl. curcheis) may sometimes represent curché.(a)a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 251.
Dowchtir … , Lene me thi curch to heile me, Till that myn hewid of strikin be 1429 Acts II. 18/2.
That the commonis wifis … wer nouther lange tail na syde nekit hudis … na costly curches as lawne or ryns 1457 Ib. 49/2.
Thar wifis and dochteris … [having] on thar hedis schort curches with litill hudis 1473 Treasurer's Accounts I. 13.
xiij elne of smale Hollande clath for iij sarkis and a curche 1483 Acts Lords Auditors *112/1.
A serk and a cursche of drewis 1489 Treasurer's Accounts I. 115.
To a servande of Lady Margretis, to by hir curcheis, sarkis, and odir smal geyre c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 221.
Than carlingis cryis, ‘Keip curches in the merk’ 1513 Doug. vii. vi. 25.
The grysly serpent … sum tyme of hir curche lap with a waif 1530 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 30.
Diuers seruandis … takis this womanis coller and that womanis curtche and wescheis thame amangis thair maisteris 1541 Treasurer's Accounts VIII. 43.
To be curcheis to Lady Jane for hir dule, four … elnis Holland clayth a1540 Freiris Berwik 144.
Ane fair quhyt curch scho puttis vpoun hir heid 1558 Inverness B. Rec. I. 19.
The said Mage reyf my hayr and dang me, and spulȝet me of my curche a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lxxix. 44.
I suld … lat thame se my ȝallow hair Vndir my curche hingand doun 1581 Brechin Testaments I. 45 b.
Twa gaircullis vith kurches, kolliris, and vthir small geir 1592 St. A. Kirk S. 728.
The mother of the barne wes sittand … with ane cursche ower hir eis 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 21.
The stowth of ane kurtche of Androw Wischertis wyffis 1631 Ann. Banff I. 67.
Katherein took a curtche from a barne, dochter of Androw Redheid 1639 Dysart Rec. 74.
Margaret Robertsone … put violent hand on Helene Tailyour and did ryve her kurtch1641 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 269.
For putting violent hands on Elspet Craig, … and for trailling hir in be the curtch to hir sellar 1662 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XXII. 227.
Elizabeth Dempster, … was present … with an kurch on her head(b)1566–7 Fleming Q. Mary 506.
Lyncum tuyne to schew the Quens curges 1566-7 Chalmers Q. Mary I. 207.
Of camarage to be four curges xviii elle
