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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Tol(l, n. Also: tolle, tole, toil(l, toyl, towll, tell(e, tholl, thol(e, thoill. [ME and e.m.E. tol (Layamon), toll (Cursor M.), tolle (1393), towlle (1587), tole (1604), tholl (1607), OE toll, MLG, MDu. tol, ON tollr, L. telōnium.]

1. A tax or duty paid to a landowner, etc., chiefly on land held in tenancy, on exported or imported goods, for the privilege of selling goods at a market, for right of passage, etc. Also fig.Some forms may have Latin endings. 13… Liber Melros 332.]
[Them et tala(a) 1272 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 32.
Sint etiam liberi in perpetuum de nobis … ab omni custuma ab omni tol frithelagio vel cariagio c1283 Reg. Paisley 385.
Et heredibus meis et assignatis meis de consensu dicti Gilberti per prepositos et ballivos dicti burgi, hora diei legittima, cum in tolle et oute tolle 1316 (?c1370–1400) 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. viii 41.
[The land … to be held … free from multure in the Mill of Moffet and from] tolle [within Anandale] a1400 Leg. S. x 549.
Mathow … wes tollar, & toll tuke, & changeoure als c1420 Wynt. iv 108.
He wes the fyrst kyng … That gert the Romanys custum pay; Befor his tyme thai war sa fre That thai wyst noucht quhat toll suld be 1449 Lanark & R. 171.
That nan of yhou … cum within the barony of Glasgu … to tak tol or custum be watter or land, of ony persons cummand or gangand to the said mercat 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 76.
Williame Dowglas of Quhittinghame past as ambassatour to the king of Denmark to get doun ane toll quhilk he causit our Scottismen to pay; that is to say, the j^c d. of the guidis of ewerik schip passand to Danskene, in contrair auld vse and custame 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 58a.
For my toll to the lansmane vi marke 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Vectigal, custome, tribute, tole [1617 toll] 1598 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 12a.
For our toll ham wart 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 106.
Edward Croce, Inglisman … presentlie at the tred of fischeing at Sancttrinyeanis yle … in caice ony Inglisman salbe tryit to pay ony tole within ony part of the realme of Scotland … sall content and pay to my lord and his deputis sax angell nobillis and ane crowne for his tole of his schipe at the said port … in anno 1603 and sall pay the samin at mitsomer nixtocum the yeir of God 1604 yeiris 1633 Glasgow Chart. I ii 354.
Concerning the trone of the said burgh, river and brige of the samyne, tolles and customes thairof 1641 Peebles Chart. 104.
Togidder with the sheref fie, shereffis glowes, tolles, customes, impositiounes … and all vther fies, dewties, pledgis and liberties, quhilkis are knawin to pertein to the saides faires and mercatis 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 249.
The Master, to improve Beuly … resolves to set up ins and maltkilns in it, and set his marcats in toll and tribut 1676 Conv. Burghs III 694.
All the saids staple commodities may be freely imported to this toun [sc. Campvere] without paying any toll or custom as is here called incoming convoy, licent money … and last gilt, upon any of the Scotts shipps(b) 14.. Burgh Laws Index c. 109 (A).
Of the telles & customes of Scotlande(c) 1488 Acts II 206/1.
Tholl 1499–1500 Reg. Privy S. I 68/1.
That the said erle and his airis have tholl and uther small custumez of the fairis 1504–5 Reg. Great S. 603/2.
Exceptis theoloneo finis pontis, viz. le tholl de le Brigand de Are 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Toll.
All earles, barronnes [etc.] … and all quha hes landes … suld be quite and free fra paymente of toll and custome within burgh; in bying … necessair thinges to their awin proper vse. Bot gif ony of them bee commoun merchandes, they suld paye tholl and custome 1608 Bentinck Dornoch 183.
[The city and town of Dornoch with the houses, tofts, acres] lie riggis, assyse aill et thole of the same 1633 Retours I Inq. Spec. Kincardine (62).
Portu, statione et navali hospitio de Gairdoun cum custumis et tholis(d) 1550–1 Sc. Ant. VIII 163.
The said Thomas sal put them in the shaddo half of Pitlour for v yeir takis in the quhilk the said Thomas sal saw x bolls quheit [etc.] … and the said John sal deliuer at Michilmes next to cum aucht oxin, ii hors [etc.] … and ane kow to the toyl 1564 Warrender P. (SHS) I 38.
Of ald … the subjectis of this realme wer free to pas [sc. through the strait of the Baltic Sea] … for payment of ane rois noble or double doucatt for everie ship allanerly without ony forther exactioun, saulffing ane English grote or foure Dence schilling … to the clerk of the toill for his wageis 1578 Reg. Great S. 767/1.
Cum custumis et vectigalibus lie toillis de nundinis S. Mundi in baronia de Erlis-ruthven 1593 Acts IV 39/1.
To hald ane marcat … with the haill iurisdictionis fredomes toill and custumes off the same 1612 Acts IV 481/2.
Toillis, anchorages, custumes, wattil … and vtheris rychtis and dewties … pertening to the saidis erldome of Orknay and lordschip of Zetland(e) 1567 Digest Justiciary Proc. F 33.
Quhilk schipe haid payit hir thoill to the foude of Schetland 1605 Retours II Inq. Spec. Sutherland (2).
Cum palatio, croftis et tenementis infra civitatem de Dornoche, et Assyis aill et thoill ejusdemfig. a1400 Leg. S. xlii 256.
Til scho of ded had quyt the tol

2. The right of a lord to exact such a tax or duty from people on the land he owned or administered. Also, once, of a community and its land. In collocation with teme (Tem(e n.), chiefly in the tenendas clause of charters granting land and referring to rights of jurisdiction.See Infangtheif n., Outfangand-thef(e n., Outfangtheif(f n., Sak n.¹ and Sok n.¹ for further examples.Some forms may have Latin endings.(1) c1120 Early Chart. 55 (see Sok n.¹ 1).
Toll 1136–52 Regesta I 154.
Cum sacka socca tol team 1172–8 Inchaffray Chart. 153.
Cum sacca et socca cum tol et tem et infangenthef cum furca et fossa 1185 Inchaffray Chart. 154.
Cum sacca et socca cum tholl et theame et infangandthefe tenendam [etc.] 1225 Soc. Ant. LX 71 (see Infangtheif n. (b)).
Thole 1240 Highland P. II 122.
Cum socco et sacca, cum furca et fossa, cum tol et them et infangandethef et cum omnibus aliis ad easdem terras juste pertinentibus 1247 Burnett of Leys App. 151.
Thol 1341 Reg. Morton II 40.
Cum furca & fossa thoill & theme & infangandthef 1384 Cart. Levenax 4.
Cum … socca et sacca, thole et theame, infangandthef et outfangandthef 1450 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 376.
Cum furca et fossa sok sak thol theme 1511 Reg. Great S. 783/1.
Cum le thollis, &c. 1600 Reg. Great S. 348/2.
Cum … lacubus, piscariis, lie wrak, waith, sok, sak, thole, theme, tenentibus &c., in regalitate … de Orknay 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 6b.
Some criminall actions perteins to … them quha hes power to hald their courts, with sock, sack, gallous, and pit, toll, and thame, infang-thief, and outfang-thief 1630 Skene Mem. 214.
With halking hunting … and with furk fork sok sak tholl theme [pr. theve] vert wrack wair venyson waith pitt gallows infang theiff and outfang theif therof 1641 Stirling Chart. 165.
Cum furca, fossa, sok, sak, thole, thame, wrake, wair, weth, wart, vennysoun, infangtheif, outfangtheif, pitt et gallous 1611-57 Mure Hist. Rowallane 241.
The Mures … were possessours of the estate … of Rowallane … holding in cheife of the crowne infeft cum furca et fossa, sock et sack, thole et theam 1697 Dundee Chart. 119.
To be held … the foresaid lands [etc.] … by … James Fletcher … provost; Robert Kinloch, Alexander Blair [etc.] … bailies of the said Burgh of Dundee … for themselves and in name and to the use of the whole council and community … with gallows, pit, sock, sack, thole, theme, wrack, waith wair, vert, vetch, venison, infangthief, outfangthief, pit and gallows(2) 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Toll.
He quha is infeft with toll, is custome free, and payis na custome 1683 Martine Reliq. Divi Andreae 109.
Thole, thelonium, telonium, custume, from τελος. He who is infeft with tole or thole is custume free; and all who have lands, nomine eleemosynae, are custume free within burgh

3. attrib. With -bere, -mony, -penny, -siluer, (the right to) goods, money, etc. paid as toll; -book, a record of what is sold in a market and the tolls paid; -fre, exempt from paying toll; -gaderare, -keeper, -man, -master, a collector of taxes or tolls; -hows, a building in which tolls were collected.(1) 1506 Exch. R. XII 458.
Et eidem in una celdra duabus bollis ordei vocati tolbeir 1508 Reg. Privy S. I 259/1.
The landis of … Knokmorgyn extending to xl s. of male, extending in the hale ȝerely in all proffitis to the soume of vii skor xi lib. of male, xi martis, [etc.] … and xvi bollis of toll bere as the rentale proportis 1558 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 167.
Alexander Leslie of Wardres allegeand that he is infeft with the thayndome of Kintor and toll beir of our said burgh 1605 Reg. Great S. 600/1.
Et lie tolbeir de Auchlevin et Bourtye — 1692 Conv. Burghs IV 604.
[Burgh of Inverness] The peck and firlott pettie custome and tole mony of the bridge, rouped for £1010 — 1556 Old Ross-shire I 14.
[Alexander Innes of Plaids is entitled to] tollpenny and seisin silver 40 pennies ilk seisin in the towne and lands of Tayne — c1567 Liber Calchou 490.
The gersume callit the tolsyluir 1581 Acts III 255/2.
All the toill and hevin siluer accustumat to be payit … be quhatsumeuir strangear or vtheris arryvand at ony pairt of the saidis landis of Orknay and Ȝetland(2) 1653 Dumfries Council Min. MS 1 Nov.
The towll book of all horses sald in the mercate(3) a1500 Henr. Fab. 173.
The vther mous … Was gild brother and made ane fre burges, Toll-fre [Bann. tolefre] als, but custum mair or les a1603 Anc. Prophecies 32.
Three toddes and a tersel shal tene al the woods From Tynemouth to Tultie and be tole free(4) c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 17.
Fra the office of a tolgaderare he [sc. Matthew] was callit to Gode — 1646 Dunferm. Kirk S. 22.
Christiane Dowe and Isabell Spens toll-keepers — 1587 Waus Corr. 380.
Ye gar send hame the hard fyche vith the toll man — 1564 Warrender P. (SHS) I 38.
Our said dearest brotheris toilmasteris and custumaris have exactit rasit and causit our mercheantis to mak payment for everie schip passand that wey 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xx.
If old canons were to vrge (whereby men was prouided to bury but where they payed their teynds) I see not where a great sort of our cumbersomest kirk-buriers should ly: who being tol-masters of the teynde themselves hes for-faulted their freedome of all sort of laire a1649 Drummond Wks. (1711) 70.
These projectors and new tollmasters, the king giving way to enrich his exchequer, awakened them [old laws](5) 1559–60 Misc. Spald. C. V 112.
For keping of the tolhows, 13 s. 4 d. 1605–6 Montrose Treas. Acc. 3.
For poynting of the toll hous and bering watter theirto iiij lib.