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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.

Liferent, Lyf(e)rent, Liverent, n. Also: lif(f)-, lyff-, lyifrent, lyeferrent; liv-, lyv(e)rent. [Lif(e n.; Rent n. Usually written as one word but occas., and in the earliest occurrences, as two. Only Sc.]

1. The enjoyment for life of the yield of a property or other source of income. b. Commonly spec., the personal servitude which entitled one person to enjoy for life another's property without destroying or wasting its substance (and see Fiar n.¹).As enjoyed by widows by terce or by provision, or widowers by ‘courtesy’ (see 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Cvrialitas), or as constituted by grant or by ‘reservation’.

c. The life-tenure of an office or of a tenancy or tack.(a) 1483 Acta Conc. II. cxix.
The said landis … to be … joisit be the said Johne the Bruse efter the form of the said letters and gift of liferent 1525–6 Acta Conc. Public Aff. 241.
George erle of Huntlies landis quhilkis ar all haile in thre ladyis handis be resoune of terce, lifrent and conjunctfee 1531 Misc. Bann. C. III. 417.
A precep off seissing of the said Erll Boithwellis, direct to George Thomson … for stait & seissing of lyfrent corporall actuall & reall of all … the said half of the forsaid landis 1535 Acts II. 344/2.
The wardatouris of sik landis (marg. adds ladyis of coniunct fee or lyfrent) 1545 Reg. Cupar A. II. 227.
Componit … for ane lifrent of Ester Perceis to Jhone Campbell … Robert and Willeame Campbellis, his sonnis naturalle for thair liftymmis 1556 Stirling B. Rec. I. 69.
Reservand to the said Sir James his lyfrent of the hous … and the by run proffittis for the dayis of his lyf a1578 Pitsc. II. 311/22.
Nathir tackis nor lyfrentis of customes availled to thame c1575 Balfour Pract. 203.
Assedatioun of liferent is ane alienatioun 1587 Acts III. 456/1.
That all rentalles sett be ony our souerane lordis predicessouris … of ony landis pertening in propertie to his hienes … salhaue na furder strenth … nor ane nakit lyferent 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v.
Libervm tenementum is commounlie and properlie called franck-tenement or life-rent 1600 Prestwick B. Rec. 84.
That in all fewis to be maid the vidovis lyfrent of equal half to be reservit 1671 Cunningham Diary 25, 26.
Provides her to ane lifrent of certane lands in Johnstoun … whilk provision she accepts in satisfaction of all farder lifrent or tearce of any lands present 1685 Scot. Ant. XIII. 38.
List of the heretors … and others having right to lyfrents jure mariti, wadsetters, tacksmen … within the shirrefdom of Ross 1687 Lauder Notices Affairs II. 804.
A relict is provided to the lifrent of the conquest, which proves all to be moveable debts(b) 1522 Acta Conc. MS. XXXIII. 36.
The said Margrete has live rent of ane part of the … barony of Frethrid 1528 Exch. R. XV. 585.
That na tennent salbe remufit furth of thair malingis nochtwithstanding ony liverentis gevin to quhatsumevir persounes 1535 Q. Margaret Cal. St. P. Henry VIII V. 22 n.
The maist partie of oure landis and lyverent lyis apoune the bordouris of Ingland 1555 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. I. 158.
Licence … to marie and to jos the lyvrent of the … land quhilk wes hyr husbandis 1610 Crim. Trials II. 326.
Becaus the depouner wes a doar, in procuireing of Agnes Seytoun lyvrent of the rowme of Colone in William Wallace favour(c) 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 25 April.
Prouiding that thai obseref … the hedis … contenit in the said contract for the part of the saidis James Innes lyifrent 1593 Ib. 12 Mar.
Johne Tailȝour remittit his modir Agnes Neill hir lyifrent of the haill tak as scho haid the same of before remittand the lawboring to him 1604 Stewart Mem. 109.
Reservand the said Johneis lyeferrent of the samey[n] landis 1614 Burnett Fam. P. MS.
Thrie nynteine ȝeiris takis beginand immediatlie efter the … outrining of vtheris making in the hail tua lyifrentis

d. Freq. in (also a) liferent. a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 42.
To quham … The … senat gef the cure Of Alysandir … Thar lutenand thar-of to be; For-thi to that cite he went That was betacht hym a lyf-rent 1478 Acta Aud. 62/1.
The questioun quhether the gift of the landis … in lif rent suld ber the Countas fra hir terce or nocht 1488 Acts II. 207/2.
All … that has the saidis offices in liffrent [etc.] 1491 Ib. 225/1.
Landis gevin in coniunctfeftment or lifrent … that the schiref [etc.] … sall tak sicker souerte … that thai sall nocht waist … ther biggingis [etc.] … bot hald thaim in siclik kynd as thai ar in the tyme that he gettis … the samen 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 253/1.
Alienatioun thairof in heretage, lyferent, or lang takis forthir than thre ȝeris 1551 Reg. Cupar A. II. 71.
We … sall sett the saidis landis … to the saidis Maister Alexander … in lyff rentis 1552 Misc. Spald. C. IV. 221.
The said Erle … sall infeft the said Arthure in lifrent … of ane dawauch of land 1564 Crim. Trials III. 392.
In coniunct-fee or lifrent with hir said future spous 1564 Edinb. B. Deeds MS. 148.
Margaret Littill, moder to the said Williame Lausoun analiar foirsaid, is in liferent of the said land 1574 Hist. Kinloss A. 94.
To the officiar of Kinlos for his fie, quhilk he hes in lyfrent of auld fra the Abbot and Conwent thairof 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 127.
That na office within this burgh, sic as provest [etc.] … salbe gevin in lyfrent at ony tyme heirefter 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 11 April.
That quhat tyme the saidis landis wes redemit that he suld haif the same in lyifrent for certand dewate contenit in his instrument a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 203.
The father, acquyreing infeftment of annualrent to himself in lyfrent and to his sone … in fie ?c1675 J. Gordon's Hist. I. App. xlv.
[He] did obleidge himselfe to pay to the saide M^r James his sonne heritably and to the saide Margarett Gordone in lyverent all and haille the summe of [etc.] 1661 Bk. Dunvegan I. 57.
They both … have sauld and disponeit … to the said Marie McLeod … in lyfe rent during all the dayes of her lyfe tyme all and haill [certain lands] 1675 Stitchill Baron Ct. 77.
For the maill … of the land possesst be him perteining to the persewer in lyfrent

e. attrib. and comb. in liferent landis, provision, liferent richt, liferent tak.(1) 1561–2 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 253/2.
Nonentres … of hir saidis liverent landis a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 203.
The lyfrenter, be accepting ane tack of his lyfrent-landis from the giver of his lyfrent-landis … prejudges not himself of his lyfrent right 1646 Acts VI. i. 633/1.
Lyverentaris … wha hes set thair lyverent landis for ane bak tak dewtie c1650 Spalding II. 185.
Hir eldest sone, … succeidit to hir lifrent landis 1663 Stitchill Baron Ct. 28.
The haill tenants and possessors of the auld lady her lyferent-lands are decerned to pay to her [etc.](2) 1680 Irvine Deeds MS. (Marriage Contract).
Whilk lyfrent provisione abovespecifeit(3) 1633 Cullen B. Ct. MS. 5 Feb.
Elspet Duncan his dochter in law … renuncit hir lyffrent richt and tytle of Gillanis croft 1667 Bamff Chart. 311.
In that caice allenarlie … the said Sir Gilbert Ramsay … reduceth his lyfrent right 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 189 (20/22 March).
Taksman of the lyfrent right of Dame Jeane Cambell of the lands of Argrenan efter specifeit 1680 Dunlop P. III. 9.
I [must] … quit my liferent right of what was my husbands or elles he must be still presionr(4) 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 8.
Ilk buyth to paye of entres siluer for ane lyferent tak, xx lib. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 158.
A lifrent tak should be advysed 1602 Row 218.
That the licence granted to beneficed persons to sett tacks be restrained either to a liferent tack or to a nineteen yeare tack allanerlie 1617 Acts IV. 545/2.
Tuicheing the escheat of lyverent takis of landis and teyndis fallin by the rebellioun of the persounes 1636 Bk. Dunvegan I. 183.
By giving me ane lyferent tack of the ttweltie pennie lands of Waternesfig. 1633 Rutherford Christ's Napkin 6.
The saints have a liferent-tack of the cross of Christ(b) 16.. Old Ross-shire I. 31.
The said umquhill George gave to hir … livrent tack … certaine … widis of oack, birk, fir

2. Latterly also, the yield for one's life of one's own property, as subject to escheat. Also liverent males and dewiteis, id.Chiefly, the profits of a vassal's property escheated to his superior during the vassal's life, when the latter had remained year and day at the horn; also, the life-yield of a benefice similarly returning to the patron's hands. 1535 Acts II. 350/1; 1572 Ib. III. 74/2.]
[The lordis of the articlis … findis that the vs … hes bene that the males and dewiteis of the landis of thaim that hes bene ȝeir and day at the horne haldin of vther superiouris than the Kingis grace … returnit agane to the superiouris of the saidis landis for the lyftyme of thaim that sustenit sik procesis of hornyng(1) 1572 Ib. 75/1.
That gif ony possessoure of benefices … being … put to the horne remanis thairat attoure the space of ȝeir and day thay sall thairby tyne thair lyfrent of thair benefices 1593 Ib. IV. 17/2.
And being convict thairof [entertainment of Jesuits or trafficking priests] the secund tyme sall … tyne thairly verent of quhatsumeuir thair landis possessionis vtheris guidis and geir 1602 Colville Parænese Ep. 55.
That in Scotland God had … lost his lyfrent for lying year and day at the horn a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 157.
The superior hes right to the lyfrent of the lands quherin his wassall rebell may be infeft(2) 1582 Reg. Privy C. III. 595.
The gift of the eschaet of the liverent males and dewiteis of Tarthorwald

b. Escheit and liferent, escheit of liferent, liferent escheit.(1) 1605 Douglas Bequest 22 May.
Me, Alexander Gordon … to hawe gevin … to the said Jhonne Ersken … my said richt of escheit … als frilie as the said escheit & lyfrent war disponit to me 1606 Reg. Privy C. VII. 167.
Ane signator of escheat and lyferent xx s. 1676 Sc. N. & Q. 1 Ser. XII. 107.
Escheat and liferent of William Chalmers of Balnacraig to Thomas Farquharson of Colistoune upon his owne horning(2) 1654 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 142.
All forfettures, escheits simple or of lyfrent, … quhich heirtofoir … fell to the King(3) 1617 Acts IV. 545/2.
That lyferent takis … sall not fall vnder a simple gift of escheate bot vnder the gift of a lyifrent escheat onlie 1622 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 230.
His Majestie gave … to the said Earle of Aboyne … all … giftes of single and lyfrent escheit … concerning the lands a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 100.
A declarator of lifrent-escheit obtained be the superior against the wassall 1680 Fountainhall Decis. I. 76.
[Obtaining] from the King the gift of Lord Cardross his life-rent-escheat upon a horning 1681 Stair Inst. ii. i. 4.
But as to the fisk, where the distinction is betwixt moveables, liferent-rights and heritable rights, the first is carried by single escheat, the next by liferent escheat, and the whole by forfeiture. … Rights having a tract of time, but not for a liferent, are moveable and fall under single escheat Ib. iv. 61.
The last common casualty of superiors is the liferent escheat of the vassal, when the vassal is denounced rebel

3. Put for (? shortened or erron.) Liferentar n. 1643 Misc. Spald. C. III. 144.
To give dew informatioun … of the just rentall of ilk heretour, liferent, coniunct fier, takisman, … lady tercer and uthers