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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tounes barne, Toune bairne, n. Also: townis-, townes-, toun- and -bairn, -bayrn. [Toun n. and Barne n.] An adult or child native to or ? resident in a particular town.(a) 1603 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 26.
Cravand support of the sessioun … seing he is a native born townis barne 1621 Aberd. Council Lett. I 190.
That the annuelrent thereof may alwayes serve for entertaining one burser (that is no townesbairne) for his four yeeris course; or two townes children for the same space 1640 Aberd. B. Rec. III 230.
His sallarie and schollage, to be payed to him quarterlie be his schollares eftir sic proportioun … viz., be ilk tounes bairne … threttene shillingis foure penneis; be ilk landvart barne … twentie sex schillingis aught penneis 1641 Aberd. Council Lett. II 282.
I humblie desyre that your wisdomes wilbe pleaset to admit me to that burse … both becaus I am a townes barne and I have the Laird of Caskeibenes consent in wreit 1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 55.
That the said James Adam micht be admittit to serve in the said office of mettage, considering that he is a tounes bairne 1656 Irving Dumbartonsh. II App. 325.
That nane of the said craftsmen tak ane unfrieman or outer tounesbairn to be his prentice 1661 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 199.
He wes ane burges of gild and tounes barne(b) 1611 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 70.
That all toun bayrnis resortand to the said schole sall pay yeirlie … twenty schillings 1629 S. Leith Rec. 16/1.
The sessioune ordained that for the present necessitie the schoole sould be provydit with a toune bairne and nominat Mr. Johne Schawe [sc. as schoolmaster] for half a ȝeir 1654 Peebles B. Rec. II 24.
The modified stipend … shal be payed … to the said scoolmaister … with tuelve pennies Scottes of quarter payment for each toune bairne, and for the landwart bairnes leaves it to the benevolence of their parentes