A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Pol(l)ing, vbl. n. Also: polleing, -yng, poaling, pulling. [Late ME and e.m.E. polling (1439), e.m.E. powelinge (1544), powling (1557), Poll v.] a. Cutting the hair of (a person, a person's head), cropping. Also attrib. in polling-sheires. b. ‘Fleecing’, over-charging.a. (a) 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 208.
For poling your heid 1595 Perth Kirk S. in Chron. Perth 63.
That … Archibald had profaned the Sabbath … by shaving and polling gentlemen and strangers on the Lord's day 1672 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III 435. 1691 Cramond Kirk S. III ? 27 or 28 Dec.
By stayeing at home … & polleing his childes head(b) 1618 Black Bk. Taymouth xxxiv.
For pulling thair heidisattrib. 1658 Brechin Test. VI 163.
Sex pair of polling sheires 1673 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 12 Feb.
Ane cais of instruments containing two razors ane pair French poaling sheirs and ane bookb. 1547 Cal. Sc. P. I 11.
[For not only is] gret numbre of custummers & sersurs hurtfull to strangers & good name of inhabiturs, bot also the untollerable pollyng and shaving of innkeepers
