A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Umboth, n. Also: umb(o)uth, -booth, -boith, -bois, -bouscht, -bus, (-byse, -byf, -buss), wmboth, -buth, oumbotht, owm(b)uth. [ON umboð a charge, commission, administration by a delegacy.]
1. In Orkney: In (one's own, another's) umboth, on behalf of, as a representative or agent of. = Oumbotht n.(a) 1489–90 Rec. Earld. Orkney 198.
The quhilk [land] I … optanit in the umbouth off the King off Mawnis off Corgyllis aris 1490 Rec. Earld. Orkney 199.
This indentour … beris … betuix … Vilȝame Corgill in his awne umboth on the ta part and Andro Linclater in his wyfis umboth on the tother part 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 84.
Schir Nycoll Haucru his sone, persone of Orphare, in his said fadaris umbuth, on the tother part 1516 Misc. Spald. C. V 395.
Wmbuth 1519 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 62.
Vmbouscht(b) 1509 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 252.
Owmbuth [Rec. Earld. Orkney 82, owmuth] 1519 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 62.
Oumbotht(c) 1510 Shetland Doc. 30.
Rychert Sinclair in the umbus [Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 60, umbyse; Misc. Spald. C. V 394, umbyf; Sc. Jrnl. Topog. II 88, umbuss] of Jhonne Ademsone onne the tayne part, and Wil[y]em Flet ine his awyne umbus [Misc. Spald. C. V 394, umbyf; Sc. Jrnl. Topog. II 88, umbuss] [on] the tother part
2. A teind or tithe payable from lands in Shetland originally belonging to the bishops of Orkney (later, alienated to the Crown), and shared by the bishop and the parish clergyman. Also attrib. Cf. SND, s.v. Umboth n.1733 Descr. Zetland (1886) 56.]
[That rent called umboth duty, that is the bishop's rents of Zetland, for which … the bishop has the equivalent rent in Orkney. These rents are half of the corn tythes of each parish in Zetland, excepting the united parishes of Tingwall, Whitness and Wisdale, which was an archdenrie … the umboth tythes are for the most part a rental tythe 1572 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 180.
Terras nostras ecclesiasticas seu (ut vulgo nuncupatur) kirk umbothis de Zeitland 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 648.
Letters rasit at the instance of Barthill Strang … aganis Laurence Bruce … for compelling … Barthillis wyff … to pay the bischoppis dewitie callit the bischoppis umbois in Zeitland quhilk he hes in tak and assedatioun, thre monethis befoir the terme of payment contenit thairin 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 37.
Ilk ane … to decist and ceise fra all forder occupatioun … ressaving or collecting of the saidis bischopis umboithis fruitis rentis … and emoliment thairof … inhibiting … of all intromissioun and collecting of the saidis umboithis 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 37.
William Sinclair of Ustanes alledgit titulair of the foirsaidis umboithis of Nesting, Lunesting [etc.] … and … Androw Giffairt of Woddirsta alledgit tutular [sic] of the umbothis of Delting 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 145.
Annent the leispund butter … alledgit to be in questioun betwix Alexander Bruce chalmerlane of Yeitland and the tennentis of Bruche and Lie in Quhailsay for the part of the kirk umbothis of the crope 1603 yeris, the essyse findis that … [they] … ar restand awand ane leispund butter for thair part of the said kirk umbothis 1622 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 88.
The debttis awand be the deid. Item of bischopes wmbothes or cornteind threttein gulȝones a1688 Wallace Orkney 111.
Umboth, the great teind of either half of the parish, so called because every other year it was changed with the minister for his half, for the word umboth signifieth time aboutattrib. 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 82.
Their maintenance is by tithes, either vicarage or umboth tithes, the vicarages some of them are in the hands of lay-vicars, or of the ministers themselves, the umboths belonging to the Crown 1663 Soc. Ant. XIV 41.
The umbooth goods of Soumbroche which payes yeirlie according to the usuall rentall
