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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.

Coket, Coquet, Cocket, n. Also: cokete, cokket; cockett, -it; cocquet(t, -quheit, cokquet(e, cockequet; coquett, -eit(t, -ete, -it. [ME. and AF. coket (1293), of obscure origin.]

1. The distinctive seal of the custom house, or a document sealed with this and delivered to a merchant as evidence of having satisfied the requirements of the customs. 1327 Exch. R. I. 78.
[Per coketam custumariorum de Cupro Ib. 79.
Per tres coketas de Dunfermeline Ib. 118.
Pro factura vnius cokete ad burgum de Tarbard 1332 Ib. 425.
Per custodiam … custodum coketi dicti burgi 1393 Acts I. 581/1.
Volumus … quod ipsi religiosi [monasterii de Melros] et eorum successores imperpetuum habeant duo folia cokete ad custumandum lanas suas 1490 Glasgow Chart. I. ii. 84.]
Quod … super hujusmodi mercanciis et bonis … cokketas dari faciant(a) 1474 Acts II. 106/2.
That the custummaris sall or thaj gif the coket till ony schip tak souerte and borovis of ilk a merchande for the hame bringyne of bulȝeon 1488 Ib. 209/1.
That the said strangearis by na fisch bot saltit & barrellit … at fre burrowis, & thar pay thar dewitez & custummez & tak thar cokket as efferis 1506 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 109.
That na skipperis … saill … with thair schippis chargit with ony merchandice or guidis quhill the samin be lelely enterit to yow our saidis customeris, and the cokket thairof deliuerit to thame and entred 1670 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III. 177.
We have discharged all … clerkes to our cocketts from receaving enteresses or granting of coketts for any … fishes to be exported(b) 1516 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 163.
The claith … of the quhilk thai haif the coquet to schaw that thai haue payit thair dewteis and custome 1528 Acta Conc. MS. XXXVIII. 172.
Our sele of coqueit 1535 Reg. Privy S. II. 257/1.
That thare coquetis be admittit in all uthiris our burrowis siclik as in our burgh of Edinburgh 1538 Treas. Acc. VI. 441.
Iohne Patersoun … to bring the lard of Anstruthiris sonne for the falsing of ane coquete 1557 Admir. Ct. Bk. 14 b.
Ane schip being apprehendit without thair coqueit, sey breif, or testimoniale 1561 Reg. Privy C. I. 175.
In respect of the clerkis buke, billis and coquet being fund and apprehendit in the schip libellit 1571 Acts III. 60/1.
That na schippis pas furth of this realme … without our souerane lordis coquet 1574 Conv. Burghs I. 27.
It is thocht gude … that all schippis passing to the pairtis foirsaidis haif for thair warrand the coquet of the burgh or poirt quhairfra thay pas 1641 Stirling Chart. 122.
That they … tak thair coquetis thair befoir thair departure 1643 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 7 b.
Peyitt for custome of the foirsaid … small collis, and peyitt for 4 coqeittes 1659-60 Hay Diary 41.
I gave him his coquet(c) 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 334.
The said Conservatour sall serche … all maner of gudis uncustumat and nocht contenit in the cocqueit 1572 Ib. II. 141.
In … Aprile last [he] wes departit furth of the said watter … without custum or schawing of cocquet 1586 Conv. Burghs I. 227.
That the clerkis … bring and produce … thair cocquettis and cocquet buikis … befoir the Commissioners … and mak compt … of the guids that thai haue gevein cocquet vpoun 1597 Acts III. 137/2.
Quhatsumeuir gudis that is not contenit in the cocquet to be confiscat 1641 Acts V. (1817) 508/2.
That all cocquetis to be givin furth within the regalitie of St Androis … be … grantit be Johne lord Lyndsay and his deputts cocquet keipers(d) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 19.
Diuerse schippis past thairto without the said cokquet 1591 Reg. Privy C. IV. 652.
We … commandis na schip to lois till they haue deliverit thair cokquet and entres to the Conservatour 1609 Haddington Corr. 219.
The Bischop of Santandrois … acclamed … your Maiesties custumes and cokquet of Santandrois 1613 Melrose P. I. 102.
Takismen … may … infinitelie preiuge your maiesties commoditie … be geuing cokquets to merchands of thair custumes payed to thame 1640 Acts V. 295/1.
Warrand concerneing the cockquets within the Regalitie of St Androis … The Lord Lindesay … to supplie euerie thing both anent the seale and name of directione of cockequetis(e) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 19.
Ane proclamatioun maid in France, … that na schipp … of Scotland resort within the … hevines of the samyne … , without the quenis cocket hade 1619 Haddington Corr. 223.
When they haue giuen vp their cocket and entrie and payed their custume 1666 Glasgow Chart. II. 64.
That … the said towne of Glasgow and merchands therin … should aryve at ther brugh, make entries and take cockits ther [etc.] 1683 New Mills Manuf. 46.
George Home … to enquire anent the cocketts of Thomas Wiers shipp at his last parting from London

2. Clerk of the coket, an officer having charge of the seal and authorized to issue customs documents. 1365 Acts David II c. 39.
Sit ibi clericus ad tronam, qui … potest conuenienter esse clericus coketæ regis 1451 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 315.
We hafe gravntit trone to be erekkit in thair cite vith custumaris and clerk of cocket 1490 Glasgow Chart. I. ii. 83.
Quod … ordinent custumarium, tronatorem, et clericum cokkete in eadem [civitate] 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 337/2.
The tak of the grete custumis … with power … deputis, clerkis of coketis, tronaris and all uther officiaris neidfull to create and mak under him 1513 Ib. 381/2.
Ane lettre maid to David Pantar, makand him clerk of the coquete of the burgh of Montros 1528 Acta Conc. MS. XXXVIII. 172.
The office of the clerk of cokquete of our burgh of Perth 1542 Reg. Privy S. II. 696/2.
The gift of the office of the clerk of cokete of the said burgh 1571 Reg. Privy C. II. 88.
That the custumar and clerk of the cokquet on na wyise grant ony cocquet quhill the merchandis … have … gevin the said ayth 1582 Conv. Burghs I. 160.
The saidis customaris sall alwayis concur with the clarkis and keparis of the coquettis 1592 Ib. 379.
Ane suplicatioun … for ordour taking with the extortioun vsit be the clerkis of coquitis, in taking of sic dewtie as they plais

3. Attrib. and comb. with buke, keiper, money, office, seill. 1567 Acts III. 42/2.
That na kepar of coquet seill absent him self or withhald the coquet, the schip being reddy 1584 Conv. Burghs I. 194.
The commissioneris … ordanis William Macartney … to sie ane half seill new maid of perfyte tyn, … according to the quantitie of the coquett seil 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV. 89 b.
The compt of the custoumes of Achesones hevin … conforme to the coquett buke 1586 Conv. Burghs I. 227.
That the clerkis … bring and produce … thair cocquettis and cocquet buikis … befoir the Commissioners 1641 Acts V. 508/2.
Johne lord Lyndsay and his deputts cocquet keipers 1670 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III. 177.
All vessells imployed in the said trade, to be frie of all shoare dues, customes, excyse, cockett money [etc.] 1671 Ib. 415.
A petition … shewing that … the petitioner hath right to the cokquet office of St. Andrewes