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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.

Quhit(e) wax. Also: quhyt(e, white, (quhilt) and waxe, walx, vax, vaux, waxt. [Quhite adj. 1 a. Cf. e.m.E. whyte wexe (1545).] Natural, uncoloured (? or bleached) beeswax as used for sealing official documents.In 15th c. the use of this wax came to be restricted to the sealing of precepts under the Quarter Seal (cf. rede wax), so that the phr. under the (his, i.e. the King's) quhite wax (very freq. between mid-15th c. and early 16th c.) was equivalent to, and in fact antedated, the phr. under the quarter-sele (see Quarter-sele n.).See further Introduction to Scottish Legal History (Stair Soc. 20) p. 334 and R. K. Hannay in Sources and Literature of Scots Law (Stair Soc. 1) p. 397.(1) 1432 Highland P. II 165.
[Quandam litteram formam indenturae … sigillo … domini Duncani Cambel domini de Louchquhow cum cera alba extra et intra cum rubea sigillatam Ib. 169.]
Unam confirmationem in pergamino scriptam sigillo secreto domini nostri regis Jacobi cum cera alba sigillatam 1519 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 292.
Ane preceip of sesing in parchment writtyn witht ane hingand seil of quhit vax 1531 Bell. Boece II 460.
To verify that this is suith I bite the quhit walx with my tuith 1532 Treas. Acc. VI 50.
For ane pund quhite walx and for rede wax to sele the saidis citationis 1567 G. Ball. 176.
With bullis of leid, quhyte wax and reid, And vther quhylis with grene c1575 Balfour Pract. 654. 15.. Sc. Hist. Rev. IX 450.
To mak ryd wax Tak quhit wax with terpatyne and quhyt creish [etc.](2) 1449 Acts II 37/2.
Gif ony person geris summonde ane vthir befor the king & his consal … at the lettres of summondis be maid & pas vnder the quhite wax Ib. 39/1.
And thai that takis lettres of sommondis sall procede vnder the quhyt wax 1476 Acta Aud. 50/1. 1479 Highland P. II 184.
That I resavit a precept of saising of oure soveran lordis chapell wnder the quhit waxt close directit me to giff saising [etc.] 1483 Acts II 152/1.
Schir Gilbert … schiref of Edinburgh present a lettre of summondis vnder the quhite walx and the testimoniale of the grete sele direct to him 1495 Acta Conc. I 423/2.
And quhasa plesis to tak summondis other vnder the quhite or red waxis [etc.] 1498 Ib. II 185 (see Quarter-sele n.).
Quhilt [sic] walx 1501 Ib. III 78, etc. 1504 Crim. Trials I i 45. 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 144. 1537 Renfrew Arch. Coll. I 172. 14.. Acts (1597) i 32.
Quhite waxe(3) 1483 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 13.
[In terms of the king's precept] closit under his quhite vaux thairupone 1490 Acta Conc. II 359.
In the act … apprevit be umquhile our sade fader under his quhite walx 1539 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. X, Scott v McDowall.
Be our souerane lordis comissioun vnder the testimoniall of his quhite walx specialie constitut [etc.](4) 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 345.
Ane lettre under the quarter seill in quhite walx 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Breve.
Ane precept, vnder the testimoniall of the great seale, called the quarter seale, in quhite walx c1630 Hope Minor Practicks (1726) 89.
And has the Privy Seal appended thereto by a tagg in white wax only