A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Wricht, Wrycht, Wrech(t, n. Also: vricht, uricht, wrychte, wrychyt, vrycht, wright, wryght, writ(h, wryt(h, vrytht, wreicht, (wreycht), wreight, wreyt, vraht. [ME and e.m.E. wri(c)hte, wruhte (all a1200), wrihhte (Orm), wright (Cursor M.), wryȝt(e (Manning), write (c1440), wryght (c1450), wreight (1654), OE wyrhta, wryhta.]Some forms where ch is omitted may be abbreviations.See also Batall-wricht n.
1. A wright, specif. one who works with wood and woodworking tools, a carpenter or joiner. Also proverb. b. The wrechis sone, the carpenter's son, Christ. c. The second element in comb. with Maister n.1 13 a, q.v. d. attrib.See also Glasinwricht n., Glaswricht n., Land n.1 9 b, Quhele-wricht n., Schipwricht n., Squar(e)wright n. and Wod(e n. 6 a (2) for further examples.Also in personal and place-names.1342 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 71.
Ricardi dicti Wricht 1361 Exch. R. II 58.
Malcolmo Wrycht 1365 Rot. Sc. 898/1.
Johannes Wryth canonicus de Cambuskeneth 1381 Exch. R. III 82.
Duncano Wricht, carpentario 1448 Reg. Dunferm. 305.
Johannes Wright 1497 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 339.
Ricardo Wreycht —1382 Reg. Great S. 273/2.
Terrarum que vocantur Wrychtyshousis(a) 1375 Barb. xvi 339.
He gert set wrychtis [C. vrichtis] that war sleye And … gert thaim mak a fayr maner c1420 Wynt. viii 4743.
The wardane gert his wrychtis [C. wrichtis, W. gunnare] syne Set up rycht stowtly his engyne 1456 Hay II 18/22.
Outhir smythe, wrycht, or masoun, that dois thair craft as thai ar techit c1475 Wall. x 39.
Past our the bryg, Wallace gert wrychtis call, Hewyt trastis; wndyd the passage all 1488 Treas. Acc. I 94.
Til a wrycht of Dunde to pas to Lythgow to see the Palis werk, v s. 1496 Treas. Acc. I 291.
To Thom Howysone, the wrycht, to mak crelis xvj s. vj d. 1516 Edinb. Hammermen 91b.
To ane wrycht to put ane new leif quhar it wantit one the silour heid 1517 Treas. Acc. V 121.
Wrocht be the said wrychttis … ij burdis, iiij traistis, iiij formis … j dur and j vindo … ij rud of lofting in David Tour and sintries for the chymnay in the … keching [etc.] 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 75.
Kepar of the tymmer and deliverar of the samen to the wrychtis and sawaris 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 179 (see Killing-sound n.).
Wrychtis 1540–1 Aberd. B. Rec. I 176.
The provest … assignitt to the … wrychtis and masonis … to repair and byg thar altar 1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 135.
Wrychyttis and fleggearis to dres arrowys and bow[is] 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 142 (see Mars(c)hal(l v.3). 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 146.
For … calk to the wrychts 1565 Reg. Privy S. V i 708/1.
Makand him ane of oure soveranis gunnaris and wrychtis ordinare within thair grace castell of Edinburgh 1593 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 395 (see Muld(e n.2 1).
Vrytht 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Mamphur, tornus, a wrychts turning instrument 1626 Edinb. Test. LIII 324.
To the tua smithis called wrychtis xx s. 1657 Dunferm. Kirk S. 49.
To agrie with the wrychte for hinging the bells and laying the loft(b) 1375 Barb. xvi 335 (C) (see (a) above). c1420 Wynt. viii 4743 (C) (see (a) above). 1498 Treas. Acc. I 389.
Giffin to Wille wricht, to mak scaffating for the masounis and holl barrowis v s. 1507 Treas. Acc. IV 87.
To Johne Drummond, wricht, that he laid doun for tua lokkis to the stable dur 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4160.
Adew my maisters wrichts and maissouns. I haue neid to leir ȝow few lessouns 1551 Hamilton Cat. 134.
A wricht can nocht mak the ruif of ane house bot of tymmer 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 328.
Certane wrichtes … to prepair and mak gabiouns reddie 1597 Paisley B. Rec. 212.
To James Pull, wricht, burges of the burghe, xx s. viij d. money as for the making and furnising of a kist and twa gabellis thairto 1602 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 423.
To Robert Conquhour wricht xv s. for making a burriall kist to his vyfe 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 225/216.
The uricht doth sharpe his toothie sau(c) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 469.
Wrightis welterand doune treis 1513 Doug. vi i 13.
Dedalus, the wright a1578 Pitsc. I 251/10.
The king … bigit ane great scheip … all the wryghtis of Scottland … was at hir devyse 1643 Banff Ann. I 90.
That na burges … shall … tak in … any landward wright, aixman, or eichman or timberman for working of any sort of timber work [etc.] 1656 Edinb. Justices Peace 408.
A wright is to have twelve shillings Scots … for a dayes work 1676 Craven Ch. in Orkney 62.
Imploying wrights and their tradesmen requisite for perfyting the said work 1683 Fawside Coal Compt 114.
To the wrights at the great seim credling £3 6 s. 8 d. 1698 (MS 1699) Cramond Kirk S. IV 16 Oct.
To agree with a wright as cheap as he can for thair coffins(d) 1489 Treas. Acc. I 124.
Wryth 1540 Edinb. Hammermen 157b.
In all necessar expensis maid be ws the massonis & writhis anentis the beggin … of xij ruidis in the park dyk(e) 1553 Edinb. Old Acc. I 85.
To ane wryt for making of spylis … and the mending of the rammell(f) 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 125.
To four wrechtis to cutt thame [sc. pieces of timber] and dres thaim 1574–5 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 384.
To Jame Chalmer, wreicht, for the kesing of the wyndo in the chaptor 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 213.
Wreichtis wagis for setting of the pellis 1664 Rec. of Old Tolbooth in Bk. Old Edinb. C. V 116.
Taik wreights or skletters help as ye shall have neid 1682 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 50.
Patricke Lucup, wreightproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 336.
He is not the best wright that hewes the maniest speals a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1370.
Sic wricht, sic spailesb. a1400 Leg. S. xxv 656.
Quhat venis thu That the wrechis sone [L. fabri filius] dois now?c. 1541 Treas. Acc. VII 477.
Johnne Drummond, maister wrycht 1599 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 320.
James Murray maister wrycht 1657 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 56.
Agries with Johne Scott, master wright, for the wright warke to be wroght be himd. 1503–4 Reg. Cupar A. I 259.
To wyrk … his craft of carweyn and wrycht-craift in our myl, brewhous, and quheilhous 1553 Carte Northberwic 67.
For instrukkin hym in all and syndrie the poyntis of vrycht craift 1558 Reg. Privy S. V i 94/1.
We command him and wirk at the said office of wrichtcraft and gunner-craft 1566 Mill Mediæv. Plays 343.
To James Reid wrycht for his … seruing of wrycht craft during the foirsaid space of ten dayis 1614 Edinb. Test. XLVIII 147.
The sowme foirsaid payit … to hald him at the wricht craft and interteine him in meit and claaith —1552 Edinb. Old Acc. I 79.
For the hale wryt werk maid on the well, xl s. 1591 Soc. Ant. VII 553.
The Madin mendit, for wryghtwark and smythwark, xv s. 1665 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 372.
To James Bane wright … for repaireing plaistering and uther wright warke done be him in the Lord Chancellors hous 1676 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 29 Nov.
To work fourtie shilling Scots worth of wricht work
2. pl. The craft guild or society of wrights. Also attrib. or possess. as wright(is) craft(is.(a) 1475 Edinb. B. Rec. I 31.
All the craftsmen of the masonis and the wrichtis within the said burgh 1531 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 125.
Writtis messouns slateris & cuparis [are to provide] the Resurextioun 1532 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 23 May.
The accioun betwene the maissons, wrychtis, on the ta part and the baxtars on the tother part, anents the plaissing of the maissonis & wryts in the processioun on Corpus Christs day 1534 Mill Mediæv. Plays 126.
Thai suld caus his craft … sic as writtis cuparis & sclattaris to obey thame 1537 Soc. Ant. II 398.
That the baxteris mawtmen … massonis wryts [etc.] … sall playe thir pagenis and ȝeirly 1592 Chron. Perth 5.
Jhone — decone of the wrechtis 1607 Glasgow Trades House 10.
Archibald Reid dekin of the wreytis 1650 Glasgow B. Rec. II 184.
For thair hospitall … the wreichttis 1000 merkis a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 86.
This doth imply … what is common to all societies, … such as companies of chirurgians, wrights, and such like 1659 Dundee B. Laws 586.
It is plesed the Lord that the wrightes of Dundie did buy ther mortcloth(b) 1588–9 Crail B. Ct. 26 Feb.
Villiam Robertsoun deacone off vrahtis and meassonisattrib. (and ? possess.) 1647 Douglas Bequest 25 Sept.
The masoun and wrightis craftis ar maist necessar … to be had within the burgh 1670 Dundee B. Laws 586.
Members of the wright craft … of Dundie, as squar wright, wheell wright, glaisen wright
