Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Bareman, Bairman, n. Also: bar-, beirman. [Bare a. 5.] One who is destitute; a debtor or bankrupt. 14.. Acts I. 372/1.
De Bareman. Bareman qui debet fieri jurabit in curia quod nichil habet in bonis vltra quinque solidos et iiij denarios Ib. 372/1.
Of dyour or barman. Giff ony man grantis dett and has nocht to pay he salbe kepit be his chalanger … xl … dayis c1575 Balfour Pract. 154.
Gif ony man, beand bair-man or dyvour, wald mak cessioun or assignatioun of his gudis and geir, in favouris of his creditouris [etc.] 1581 Acts III. 217/1.
Sindrie wikit personis … ceissis not … to hund out bair men and vagaboundis to the attempting of sic foull … enormiteis 1582 Waus Corr. I. 237.
For he may at this present proclame and sweir him selff beir man at every mercat croce 1592 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 62.
[The council] fynds it expedient that the act of counsell concerning bairmen be put to executioun aganis Patrik Lyndsay 1597 Skene Verb. S. [Also 14.. Reg. Maj. ii. 5; Table 66.]
Dyovr, Dyvour, vtherwaies Bair-man, quha being involved & drowned in debtes, and not able to pay or satisfie the same [etc.] 1622-6 Bisset I. 269/18.
Anent theme quha offerris to mak theme selfis bairman 1697 Maxwell Mem. II. 346.
That her aversion should have made her to engage madly with a bareman