A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Spens, Spence, n.1 Also: spenss. [ME and e.m.E. spence (Chaucer), spens (c1450), spense (15th c.), aphetic f. OF despanse, despense (c1175 and 13th c. in Larousse).]Also as a personal name.1359 Rot. Sc. 836/1.
Willelmus de Spence 1362 Rot. Sc. 859/2.
Laurentius de Spense & Willelmus de Spense burgenses … ville de Pert 1363 Rot. Sc. 870/1.
Henr' de la Spense mercator de Scotia 1364 Rot. Sc. 883/2.
Willelmus o the Spense burgensis de Pert 1488 Treas. Acc. I 104.
To Thome of Spence, that wes pennyter to the Qwene
a. A storeroom or pantry, passing into b. An apartment or annex put to other uses, specif. as a bedroom or sleeping quarters. Also in extended use in the later dial.a., b. c1420 Ratis R. 1131.
[The child] plays With stikis and with spalys small To byge vp chalmer, spens & hall a1500 Henr. Fab. 263.
Ane spence with vittell grit plentie: Baith cheis and butter vpon skelfis hie, Flesche and fische aneuch … And sekkis full off grotis, meill, and malt a1500 K. Hart 812. c1575 Balfour Pract. 96.
Ony place quhairof the keyis ar in hir [sc. the wife's] keiping and cure, sic as the spensis [etc.] 1577 St. A. Kirk S. 424.
Thair servand … passit out of the spens to the hows witht the bairne 1577 St. A. Kirk S. 424.
The said Johne past out of the spens from his awin bed and [etc.] 1586 Prot. Bk. T. Lindsay 212.
Sic as … haue just title to redeme the ane halff burrowland … the spens and ȝaird effering thairto 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII 44.
He ordanes … his moder … to ly in the bed in the spence all the dayis of hir lyftyme … and als to haif the kist behind the spence dure … to put hir clais in 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 236.
To … his secund sone … his awin kist that standis in the spens of … Lowdoun hill maynes 1607 Edinb. Test. XLIII 138.
He ordanis & levis to him the twa bedis of the spens 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 5b.
Spens 1633 Orkney Bp. Ct. MS 92.
He … caryied it [sc. a sheep] ben to the seller callit the spence 1673 Kingarth Par. Rec. 86.
She said that she was not goten in any mans barne or spence with a sheet about her 1694 Lanark Presb. 119.
She hath committed incest and adultery with her husbands brother … in her own house in the spenceattrib. 1576 Edinb. Test. IV 113b.
Ane litill kist that standis at the bak of the spens dure 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII 44 (see above). 1679 Corshill Baron Ct. 149.
Ane spenss door
