Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Constabil(l)ry, -ablerie, n. Also: -belery, -bilirye; -bilarie, -billary, -blary, -blari. [ME. constabilrie, conestableré (c 1400), OF. conestablerie. The Sc. endings are partly assimilated to constabulary.]

1. = Constabulary 1. c 1390 Reg. Morton I. App. xl.
Thou come … to the tounis of Newton and Dodyngstoun … in the Constabelery of Lithcu 1423 Haddington Mem. II. 229.
[40 pennies worth] of rent within the constabilry of Hadyngtoun 1484 Acta Aud. *132/1.
Landis … liand in the baronry of Dunkanlaw within the constablary of Hadingtoune 1505 14th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. III. 20.
The half of the Bernishill … in the berrony of Brochtoun; and withyne the constabillry of Edinburgh 1534 Liber Melros 628.
Land … within the … constabilirye of Hadingtoune 1592 Exch. Rolls XXII. 179.
The scheref of Edinburgh within the constablerie of Hadingtoun 1616 Edinb. Test. XLIX. 43.
Ion Wilsone in Ettalie within the … constabilarie of Hadingtoun

2. = Constabulary 2. 1484 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 42.
William Kempty, constabil of Abirdene … has made … Alexander of Chavmer … his deput and substitute, to ministre in the said office of constablanary [sic], for a yer 1501 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 91.
Thai promittit to supple the said lord in his office of constablari in tyme tocum 1531 Bell. Boece II. 342.
The constabillary wes gevin to the Hayis of Arroll