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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Halfpenny, n. Also: halfpeny, -pennie, -penney, -penne, halfepene, halpen(n)y, -penne, halpane, happenny. Plur. -pen(n)eis, -pennis. [e.m.E. happenny, ME. halpeny, pl. halpens (1382), halfpenny (c 1330), OE. healf-peniᵹ.] A halfpenny; the (orig. silver) coin of this value; this sum of money. Also attrib. with candill, lafe, man. 14.. Acts I. 306/2.
Of a dussane of lokkys [a duty of] a half penny Ib. 27/2.
The mersar … sal geyf a halpeny … for custum 1438 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart 48.
Thre halfe peneis of borow male yerely 1451 Acts II. 39/2.
At thar be strikin … half grote, penny, half penny & farding 1467 Ib. 88/2.
The quhyt scottis penny and half penny to haif cours as thaj war wont to haue c1490 Irland Asl. MS. l. 53/12.
The wedow … that gaf twa halpenneis in offerand 1536 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 79.
Ilk seruand sall pay his wkly halfpenny to the wphalding of devyne seruice a1500 Peblis to Play 113.
Ilk man tua and ane happenie Ib. 225.
Thre happennis for half ane day a1578 Pitsc. I. 267/24.
A glied half penney 1591 R. Bruce Serm. 252.
They had rather lose their souls ane hundred times or they wared ane halfpennie upon the Kirkattrib. 14.. Acts I. 312/2.
The halfpeny lafe … sal wey sex markys evyn 1541 Elgin Rec. I. 65.
The penny candill [to] contene xviii inchis in lenth … and sicklike the halpane candill ix inchis — 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 94.
To Wille Goldsmyth [a royal moneyer] callit Halpenny man … iij vnicornis

b. Halfpenny-land, a piece of land valued at a halfpenny. (Cf. Farding- and Penny-land.) 1455 Rec. Earld. Orkney 190.
A half penny lande 1480 Reg. Great S. 310/1.
The halfpennyland that Finlaw Johnestoun [etc.] … duellis in 1482–3 Rec. Earld. Orkney 194.
A half penny land lyand in Wasbuster 1492 Dunferm. B. Rec. 38.
The qwhilk reuercione is of the halfpenne land of Dursdeir 1569 Events Q. Mary & Jas. VI 39.
I haif nevir gottin paiment of the halpeny landis of Carrick sen my office of the chalmerlanrie 1609 Argyll Rentals MS. 9 Oct.
Donald M^cphetris occupyer of ane half penny land