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.

Crele, Creill, Creel, n. Also: crell-; creil(e, kreile, kreill; creall, criel, creell. [e.m.E. crele, krele, ME. crelle (c 1440), of obscure origin; rare in older Eng., but still common in northern dialects.]

1. A large wicker basket, freq. one of a pair used for holding articles carried on horseback; also, a wooden crate or box for similar use.Also with defining terms, as bering, cadger, candle, cole, elding, ele, hand, hosting, muk, paking, panȝell, wand, woll crele. See these words.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 5717.
Syne the colis and crelis wyth all Apon the turnepyk lete he fall 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 291.
To Thom Howysone, the wrycht, to mak crelis 1503 Ib. II. 401.
For making off ane pair of crelis of burdis to Johne de Cawpanis harnes c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 355.
The cappill, that the crelis kest in the caf myddling 1533 Bell. Livy I. 136/8.
Quhen thai had schorne the said quhete, thai gaderit it with the stra in crelis 1551 Treas. Acc. X. 68.
To the saidis boyis to by crelis with for carying of the. saidis partrikis 1559 Ib. XI. 7.
To serche and seik hors witht crelis to follow the Franche army in Fyffe 1567–8 Crim. Trials I. 491.
For crelis and tursing of the saidis heidis, leggis, and armis 1586 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 388.
For hewin of the jammes of ane entres in the kirk yerd to resaif hors with carts and crellis(b) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 20.
In Damase atoure the wall In a creile he wes latin fall Ib. 937. 1473 Prestwick B. Rec. 22.
Jok George is in twa vnlaws, ane for the wrangwis takin of a creill of Anne Kerdis 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 82.
In ane vthir small coffre … a diamant maid like a creill 1517 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 171.
Ane servand that sall gang honestlie throw the toun with his creill and stufe to furneis his callands with 1528 Wemyss Chart. 277.
[If the coals were won] be potts and drawen up be windoses, kreills, or other wayes 1540 Elgin Rec. I. 49.
The away hewing [= having] of ane creill with certane fysche thairintill out of the mercat 1547 Stirling B. Rec. I. 48.
That thair be maid ane standand gest furth fra the heid of the tolboitht with ane pillie, ane tow, and ane creile, and scho be put in the creile and hyng thair 1558 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 21.
The said Iames to caus mak tua hundreth creillis for be[ring] of eird 1565 Treas. Acc. XI. 439.
ij dosane of flouris maid of fedderis. Item, ane creill to put thame in 1575 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 657/2.
Ane creil to put the same [figs and raisins] in, … four faldome small towis to band the creill 1584 Glasgow B. Rec. I. .
Thair hors to be escheit, … and thair creillis, polkis and laid sadillis to be brunt 1607 Crim. Trials II. ii. 526.
Scho cuming thair by hir dur, with ane creill on hir bak, said to hir [etc.] 1620 Urie Baron Ct. 33.
For ilk laid of peits on hors with creillis, xx s c1650 Spalding I. 293.
Thir lounes cumis with six creillis on thair bakis, and beginnis to fill thame wp with salmound 1651 Black Bk. Taymouth 434.
To desire that yow wold send … a naige and creiles on him … to cary the said litle tronk to your house 1675 Melrose R. Rec. II. 418.
He had … a pair of old creills and tua mid tries lying within ane untheiked hous 1681 Blackness Customs MS. 14 b.
Ane creill containing earthen warre & glasses(c) 1558-66 Knox II. 357.
He was cassen over-thorte a pair of crealles, and so was caryed to Abirdene a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxiv. 2.
Curious to knau Vhat Mercurie inclosit within the creell 1664 Dundee B. Laws 140.
They shall be sold two shilling the creell below the rait that other coalles sells for 1669 Aberdeen B. Rec. IV. 254.
For ilk lesser quantitie of fishes brought therto in creelis … two pennies

b. A basketful or crateful of peats, etc. 1483 Acta Aud. *123/2.
Tuelf hundrethe crele of petis, price of the crele j d. cum obolo 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 82.
For sex crelis of glass 1509 Prestwick B. Rec. 41.
The said Wilȝame sall cast & wyn xxx crellis of pettis betuex and the next Lammes 1563 Liber Ins. Missarum 88.
With the inleiding of xxxvj creillis of peittis 1588 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 219.
2 creillis and ane keist of glaiss 1598 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 52.
The metting of a criell of coalls 1613 Conv. Burghs II. 396.
For lossing and caryeing of ilk grit creill of pan or kettill from the skoute flote to the ship or hous

2. A contrivance of wickerwork used as a device for catching fish. 1457 Acts II. 51/2.
That na man in smolt tyme set veschellis, crelys, weris, or ony vther ingyne to lat the smoltis to pas to the see 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxxiv.
The peple makis ane lang mand, … the fische thrawis thameself in it, … and als sone as the see ebbis, the fische ar tane dry in the crelis 1572 Peebles B. Rec. 339.
That na crelis be vsit in the milnis the tyme of smoltis, vnder the pane of viij s. vnlaw and cutting of the creill set 1579 Acts III. 147/1.
All … that distroyis the smoltis and fry of salmond … be polkis, creillis, trammelnettis, and hery watteris 1587-99 Hume iii. 209.
The salmon out of cruifs and creils Up hailed into skowts 1596 Dalr. I. 42/28.
Nocht sa mekle fishe thay with nettis, as with skepis, or long kreilis, win with wickeris Ib. 43/3.
The fishe … entiris in the creilis 1641 Acts V. 484/1.
The … slaughter of blakefische … with crooves, creeles and raising of blaizes

3. Attrib. with bed, kist, mouth. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2109.
At the creill mouth I had it [the fish] thryis but dout 1501 Acta Conc. II. 477.
A Flandris kist, a bow kist, … a creil kist 1613 Edinb. Test. XLVII. 270.
Ane creill bed for ane bairne