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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.

S(c)hottill, -el(l, -le, -all, n. Also: schotill, -ell, shotill, el, -le, schottlle; shutill; Chottill. [Of doubtful origin ? f. S(c)hut v., or ? a dimin. ultim. f. S(c)hot n.¹ (cf. LG schot a drawer); or perhaps a conflation of these.] A case, container or chest small enough to be carried by a messenger, and to be put inside a larger chest, ? orig. chiefly for documents. Passing into: b. A small case, or drawer, so constructed as to fit into a larger piece of furniture as part thereof.(1) 1502 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 123.
j par of kamys a cruk a kist ane schotill 1503 Ib. 137. 1551 Treas. Acc. X 26.
Ane boy send to Hammyltoun with certane schottillis to keip evidentes of my lord governouris 1552 Ib. 99. 1582 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 517.
The College comptis … All thir lettres are into ane bandit keist with twa lokis … and in the schottill of wode 1582 Edinb. Test. X 288b.
Ane litill schottill price vj d. 1586 Ib. XV 68.
The tikket in the schottell in the buith 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V 354.
Thre pair bonkour bandis … with thair handis to the schottillis with sex stapillis and four rossis to thame 1600-1610 Melvill 19.
Sche … gaiff me the credit of the key of hir kist, and haiffing sum small silver in a lytle schottle, I tuk sum of it 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX 269b.
Schottillis or cabinettis … for keiping of sweitmeitis and confectiones 1643 T. Hope Diary 188.
My sone … gaif me bak the contract of mariage, quhilk I patt in my blak cabinet, in the midmest of the twa black schotells, quhilk are in the middis thairoff 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII 303.
Two fyne cabinetts wherof one of them wants thrie shottells 1660 Johnston Diary III 180.
But looking to the open shottels, and the first shottels I looked on, was my letters 1671 Annandale Corr. 311.
I have sentt yow the key of my kistt to looke the tuo shottles in it for some dischairges I payed 1674 Cunningham Diary 45.
5 dozen of rings to my shottles 1677 Glasgow Trades House 511.
Ane new made box quhilk hes … four kyes without and four within for two shotles 1683 Edinb. City Archives Letters II (22).
Ther is in on of the shotels a pece of the oreng and clowe stufe(2) 1632 Glasgow B. Rec. II 12.
And the act put in the schottill of the koffir 1649 Wemyss Chart. 232.
In the lokkit shotill of my kalbinett 1684 Glamis Bk. Record 58.
His bond of releif which lyes in on of the shottles of my cabinet(3) 1575 Edinb. Test. III 318b.
In his buith … ane lapidare cais with xxv schottillis 1610 Brechin Test. III 100.
Ane paintit boist with schottallis 1626 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 142.
Ane aikin … pres with schottlles of aik thairin 1635 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 46.
Ane caise with twelffe shottellis 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII 256b.
Ane meikell pres with schottills for keping buith wair Ib.
Ane buith kist with cabinets and schottels 1650 Frasers of Philorth II 285.
Ane littil coffer with shottillis in 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII 10b.
Ane great cabine with schottills 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 360.
A cabinet full of shottles. A lathrone with shottles covered with grein base 1693 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 65.
To John Patersone, wright, … ane hundreth and twelve punds, Scots monie, for makeing ane cabinet of shottles 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 161.
Ane chist of shotles, tuo cabinets … containing shotles

c. With defining word(s) indicating one or more of the features of a particular schottill. 1590 Edinb. Test. XXI 312.
xij drawin schottellis price xxix s. 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 28.
To my wife 4 R[ex] d[ollaris] and 1 she tooke out of her cabinet lower shottle 1683 Peebles B. Rec. II 110.
James Horsbrugh to mak a press for the tounes papers, with tuelve close shotles

d. attrib. With buist (Buist n.). 1587 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 283.
For ane shutill bust to put the kirk candill in to keip thame vnbrokin v s. viij d. 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 160.
Ane schottel buist pryce xl s.