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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sarking, Serking, vbl. n.² Also: sarkin, serkin, serkne. [Late north. ME and north. e.m.E. sarking, in sense 1 below (1568–9), sarkyng-nale (1464–5), sarkyn-boord(e (1597); appar. f. Sark n. (cf. id. 2) perhaps as being the innermost layer or underpart of the roof. (Cf. also Sark v.)]

1. The furnishing of (a building or the roof of a building) with sarking as in 2 below.(a) 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 95.
i^c suadyn burd for sarkin and completing of the platform ruf 1535–6 Ib. 180.
For skaffalting fluring dovelling sarking of the leid ruiffis sentreis and coumys making 1637 Alyth Kirk S. in Sc. N. & Q. 1 Ser. XII 44.
Giffin to the scletter Pa. Maklarin for theking certen breachis in the kirk … and sarkin of ane syd of the queir xx merks. … Giffin to the vright for dressing the dealis to the sarking of the queir ii merks 4 d. 1646 Rec. Old Aberd. II 22. 1680 Irvine Mun. II 287.
For the sarking of the mill five hunder dobell pllenshor [nails] 1694 Donaldson Cramondiana 42.
To 4000 double nails for sarking the kill at Oldmilns(b) 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 80.
ij^m dure nalis to the saidis roundis serkin and for syle and skaffolting 1675 Trans. Glasg. Archæol. Soc. I 436.
To Wm. Sommervell, for serking the Lyme Craig, £3

2. ‘Rough boarding, plain edged or rebated, nailed on top of rafters and to which slates are nailed’ (G.L. Pride Glossary of Scottish Building (1975) s.v.).For further examples see Lath n.(a) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 217.
Bocht fra ane Duchemanne in Leith xxix^xxiiij dalis … to be sarking, lofting and scaffaling 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 144. 1555–6 Ib. II 55.
vj dalis, to be sarkin to the massoun luge 1560 Old Dundee II 186.
The said George Blak hes oblist himself to furnish … unto the theiking with sklaits, ane ruif of timmer, with the close sarking of deal 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 175.
For mending of the haill sarking of the queir bow stringe 1638 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 410.
They found ruiff of the kirk … sufficient, except it be in sylling and sarking 1653 Ellon Par. 142.
And ther yet to be made use of for sarking to the kirk 1656 Edinb. Justices Peace 409.
For every rood of sklater-work, [a slater] is to have ten pounds Scots, he furnishing pins to the work, and boring the lath to the balk, and the sarking to the top 1665 Stirling Common Good 35.
400 nailles to call on the sarking of the knock hous 1671 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III 375.
He … did contryve and make his escape … by breaking … throw the sarking and rooffe of the said tolbuith 1710 Stirling B. Rec. II 124.
The whol tofalls will neid new sarking(b) 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 111.
For ane rude of burd to be serkin to the saidis roundis 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. II 41. 1555–6 Ib. 57.
For sawin of twa gestis to be clattis, and xxxij dalis to be serkne 1562–3 Ib. 173.
For naillis to him [sc. the slater] for fessying on the serking agane 1712 Lanark B. Rec. 285.
A parcell of old daills that were the old serkin of the kirk

3. Attrib. with burd(e, naill.(1) 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 107.
For ane rud of serkin burd to the est syd of the grete hall 1535–6 Ib. 189.
For certane sarking burd of Scotis ayk(2) 1628–9 M. Works Acc. II 286.
For ii^m and vi^c sarking naill for the round at x s. ilk hundreth xiii lib.