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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.

Bred, n.¹ Also: braid, brad. [ME. brede, OE. bred board, tablet.]

1. A small tablet or board serving to receive offerings to an altar, church, etc.; an offertory box.See also kirk bred, puir(is) bred. 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 91.
Item, … gevin to breddis in the kirk and awmus 1489 Ib. 113.
To ij breddis in Sanct Ieyllis Kirk, xviij s. 1490 Ib. 173.
On … Ȝwle da … to Sanct Meychellis bred 1497 Ib. 374.
On Ȝule day … to the Kingis offerand on the bred in Abirdene 1520 Old Dundee II. 26.
John Cowper is amerciate for the refusing to pass with the Haly Blude bred 1521 Ib. 23.
The bred sall gang to procure offerings to Sanct Thomas 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 210.
[The counsel] grantis to Robert Craig … the procuring with the bred to the bedrellis of Sanct Mary Wynd 1556 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 59.
For painting of the bred of Sanct Mary Wynd 1603 Elgin Rec. II. 108.
John Geddes and John Warden accusit for not avaiting on the breddis … Comperit John Warden and denyit that the breddis war delyverit to him the nycht befoir 1673 Cunningham Diary 30.
To Kilbarchen bred, 1 [s.]

b. Attrib. with silver. 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 244.
That Sanct Nicholace braid siluer be given to the sustentatioun of the seik folkis Ib.
The braid siluer he gat one Sonday

2. A board or plank; a wooden tablet. 1517 Treas. Acc. V. 119.
To vj wrychtis … reparaland the gret hall with windois and breddis 1539 Ib. VII. 161.
For iij quarteris of reid dammes to lyne the said polk, and the breddis of the buke 1558 Rentale Dunkeld. 354.
For iij dousing of fir burdis to be durris and vindo breddis … in Cluny 1563 Montgomery Mem. 198.
All the vnder houses furnist with suffecient douris, … with thair breddis 1573 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 2.
To repair … the wyndois at the laich tolbuith, and glas, breddis, and saittis 1579 Ib. 104.
To vphald the said scole in … lokis, durris, braddis, … and all vther necessaris 1596 Dalr. I. 1/8.
That I … mycht sett doun as in ane bredd or table a certane [etc.] Ib. II. 253/25.
The Image of our Ladie … painted in a bred c 1600 Crim. Trials II. 295.
Thair was also in the chalmer ane bred, with the pictour of wmq[uhi]ll William Erll of Gowry