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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.

Sekclaith, Sakclaith, n. Also: sec(k)-, seke-, seak-, sac-, sack-, saik-, saick- and -claithe, -claitht, -claiyth, -clayth(t, -cleith, -cloth(e, -cloath, seclaith, secklaytht, sackloth(e, sac(k)loath(e. [ME and e.m.E. sekk-clathe (14th c.), sekklath (1373-4), sak clothe (c1420), cek clothe (Prompt Parv.), sekclath (1484-5), sack cloth (1526); Sek n.¹]

1. Sackcloth, sacking. Cf. esp. Sek n.¹ 4.(a) 1512 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 226.
[21 ells] lie sekclaytht [at 8 d. the ell] 1513 Rentale Dunkeld. 228.
[22 ells] lie sekclaiyth [at 6 d. the ell] 1567–8 Treas. Acc. XII 97.
xvj elnis of sekclaith ranyeit with reid to be five dowblettis 1568 Edinb. Test. I 153.
Half ane steik of ȝellow sekclayth 1570 Edinb. Test. II 80.
Secclaith 1588 St. A. Test. II 97.
Seke claith(b) 1569 Treas. Acc. XII 176.
vj elnis of sakclaith to be … dowblettis the elne x s. 1661 Acts VII 253/2.
Sack cloath ilk tuo hundred ells tuo ounces 1661 True Character Ragged Presbyter 36.]
[He looked as bair as a Scotch laird in sackcloth

b. attrib. in sackcloth goun. = 3 below. 1644 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VIII 101.
And … they patt on sackcloath gounes upon us and loakit our leggis in yron gaddis 1649 Alyth Kirk S. in Sc. N. & Q. XII 74.
Given to Androw Balfour, tylor, for making of an seakclothe gown 10 s.

2. Sackcloth worn as a symbol of penitence by an offender, freq. one undergoing church discipline.Freq. in sakclaith, which is also freq. rendered as L. in sacco.(1) 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 302.
William Gilchriste … to cum to the penitent seat … in the parroche kirk in sek-claitht to resave penence for nocht presenting of his bairn to baptisme 1572 St. A. Kirk S. 372. ? 1581 Burne Disput. 156.
Quhat is the caus that ȝe constrain the people … to stand bairfuttit in sekclayth sa mony Sondayis in tyme of ȝour preachingis 1584–5 St. A. Kirk S. 550.
How that he … hed humlit him self … publiclie in the kirk clothit in sek claith 1592 St. A. Kirk S. 723.
Seclaith 1593 Logie Par. Hist. 38.
That the said Johne mak publict repentence in secclayth for his fault 1597 Stirling Kirk S. in Misc. Maitl. C. I 129.
Secclayth 1602 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 189.
He wes ordenit to sitt 3 Sondayes in the gowis, and uther thrie dayes in secklaytht 1603 Inverness Rec. II 10.
And [the inquest] ordainis him to be branckit joigkit [etc.] … and to put on the seckclaithe, and thairefter to banis and exayil him selff out of this bruche 1623 Falkirk Par. Rec. I 39.
Seckclaith 1643 Alyth Kirk S. in Sc. N. & Q. XII 60.
Janet Ogiluy for her incest maid her repentance the three Saboths bygone in seak cloth and was receaved 1648 Rec. Old Aberd. II 30.
To enter the nixt day beir foot and beir lege in seckcloth 1648 Cramond Ch. Speymouth 6.
Seckcloth 1669 Elgin Rec. II 307.
William Robe for being excessar to ane mans death … is ordained to stand … at the pillar foot in sekcloath and ane peper one his head(b) 1566 St. A. Kirk S. 284.
The saydis … Wyliam Huntar and Bege Scot twa syndry Sunday to compeir cled in sack-clayth, in the essemble of the congregacion of Sanctandrois 1577–8 Inverness Rec. I 260.
[Two persons] to present thame selffis thrie severall Sundayes in sak clayth wyth mytaris of paper on thair heidis in the kirk 1628 Justiciary Cases I 86.
Sakcloth 1629 Banff Ann. II 27.
To satisfie in sacclothe upon the penitentiarie seat 1640 Mouswald Kirk S. 1 July.
Saccloath 1641 Alyth Kirk S. in Sc. N. & Q. XII 59.
In sakclothe 1642 Rec. Old Aberd. II 17.
If she was ever founde in any sick faut againe to be punished in sackcloth 1648 Cullen Kirk S. 19 Nov.
To stand the next Lords day … in the jogs & in sacloathe 1650 Cramond Ch. Fordyce 29.
Saccloth 1650 Dingwall Presb. 170.
Thos of the gentrie … vnder the degrie of a lifeten[en]t … ar ordayned to sitt in sackcloth 1651 Rothiemay Kirk S. in J. Gordon Hist. I App. lvii.
To stand at the piller foote in the sacklothe 1654 Robertson Cullen Ch. Ann. 90.
To go in sackcloth to the place of repentance for his mocking of repentance 1663 Craven Caithness Diocese 137.
To stand in sackcloth for pypping at lykewakes 1663 Banff Ann. II 39.
In sackloath 1665 Alford Rec. 72.
Sackcloath 1665 Bonckle Kirk S. 6.
Each of them having sitten the publict place of repentance a whole yeir in sacloath 1670 Banff Ann. II 48.(c) 1574 Edinb. Kirk S. in Misc. Maitl. C. I 103.
Thai sall compeir … at the eister kirk duir, cleid in saik cleith 1598 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 165.
Saikclaith 1598–9 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 165.
Saick claith 1623 Fraserburgh Kirk S. II 24 July.
To sit ane Sabboithe at the croce bairfoot in saikclaithe in the joggis(2) 1648 Dumfries Kirk S. 22 Dec.
[To repair to the publict place of repentance the next Saboth in sacco, and so to continow in the same habite 1665 Boharm Kirk S. 9 July.
James Rob and John Makwilliam begude their repentance in sacco for giving in false bills against the minister 1670 Moray Synod 144.
Shoe sould satisfie the discipline of the church for ane quartar of yeir in sacco 1670 Soc. Ant. X 655.
John Edward … to satisfy in sacco on day 1671 Cramond Ch. Lhanbryd 13.
The said Alexander Abercromby in sacco, all the rest standing before the pulpit in their own habit 1672 Cramond Ch. Lhanbryd 13. 1676 Moray Synod 163.](3) 1597 Elgin Rec. II 48.
Accusit for denuding of hir selff of the sacclothe eftir scho ves indewit thairwith 1600 Elgin Rec. II 79. 1626 Justiciary Cases I 52.
Sche maid satisfactioun as ane simple fornicateris with ane plaid about hir and nocht with sakclothe 1640 S. Leith Rec. 31/2.
Arshbald Lawrie … is ordained to enter to the sak cloath on Sonday nixt 1651 Rothiemay Kirk S. in J. Gordon Hist. I App. lvii.
The sackloth wes tackne awaye and not long after this the stoole of repentance 1658 Caithness Presb. Rec. in Old-lore Misc. II 171.
For the inhibiting of the lyk [sc. taking oaths in connection with witchcraft] hereafter under the hazerd of sackcloath to any of quhatsoever rank that shall use the same 1684 Cramond Ch. Lhanbryd 16.
Margaret Hendersone … acknowledged her guilt, begging to be exeemed from sackcloath(4) 1619 Perth Kirk S. 5 April.
The sessioun ordenis that thair be tua gowinis of sack claith and adultereris … to compeir in that habite [etc.]

3. A garment made of sackcloth, for use as in sense 2.(a) 1483 Acta Aud. *112/1.
The said James sal restore … to the said Robert a sek claith twa side govnis ane blak [etc.] … twa pee govnis [etc.](b) 1637 Boharm Kirk S. 8 July.
Two merks given for ane sackclothe 1655 Boharm Kirk S. 4 March.
Given to buy ane saccloth 30 s. and to James Farq^r for making the same, 8 s. 1658 Boharm Kirk S. 3 Jan.
John Mitchell inhibited to stand in sheets till he sould buy ane saccloth for himself in part of payment of his penaltie 1664 S. Ronaldshay 45.
To poynd Jonet Budge for taking forth of the kirk the pennitentiall sackcloath and making us of it to her own body 1682 Craven Ch. in Orkney 101.
That hemp or lint was not spun that would be a sackcloth to him 1687 Boharm Kirk S. 3 April.
27 s. for six ells of harn to be ane sackcloath 1691 Cullen Kirk S. II 13 Sept.
Given for a sack cloath 1 lib. 4 s.