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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.

Litstar, -er, Littistar, n. Also: litt-, lid-, lyt-, let-, leat-, lait-, lat- and -stare, -starr, -stair, -stor; listar, -er; litis-, lites-, littys-, lyt(t)is-, let(t)istar(e, -air, -er. [ME. (chiefly north. and north midl.) and north. e.m.E. litestere (1279), littester (1281), lyttester, lytster (1327), litster, -ar, lister (1292); f. Lit v. In the mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial. as litster, north. Eng. dial. also lister.]

A dyer.a. As a surname. b. In general use.a. (a) 1365 Exch. R. II. 211.
Compotum Ade Letister et Patricii Ambrucii 1373 Ib. 413.
Adam Lytister 1403 Ib. III. 565.
Domino Galfrido Littyster 1513 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 484.
In personam domini Willelmi Lyttistare 1645 Kinghorn Kirk S. 48.
[He called William Cuninghame] Duch Willie, Willie litestar, cucold Willie [etc.](b) 1426 Exch. R. IV. 417.
Per Adam Bour et Johannem Litstare 1429 Ayr Chart. 83.
Testibus … Johanne Litster 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I. 66.
Gevin to Henry Litstare for his mertimes fee 1475 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 585.
Thoma Litstair 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 235. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 186.
Johne Litstar, blak smythb. (a) 1442 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 116.
The littistarez sal fynd the emprioure [etc.] 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 188.
That na littister deliuer furth of thair hous ony claith littit be thame bot merkit with thair awin merk 1564–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 481.
For making of the littistaris stamp xl s. 1577 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 36.
Sett to William Quhyitheid, litestar 1579 St. A. Kirk S. 446.
Littistar 1580 Conv. Burghs I. 104.
The common weill … sustenit great detriment … be the littistaris and maltmen … seking ernistlie dekynis to be granted to thame as to vther frie craftis, quhilk is ane noualtie 1587 Acts III. 508/2.
Ane convenient place for the vse of wattir … to ane walker and littistair 1590 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 24 Nov.
Heretable stait & seising … to Willem Abircrummy, lettister 1594–5 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 162.
William Kinloch, littister, is maid burges and frieman of the burgh 1663 Old Ross-shire II. 78.
Alex^r Ross, litister 1689 Acts XII. 68/2.
On [= one] Richie a litester in the Cannongate(b) 14.. Acts I. 39/2.
That nothir lytstar na fleschwar na soutar may be wythin the fredome of the gylde bot gif [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii. 3759.
Lo here ane lytstar wele at richt That sone sa fyne hew can dicht 1457 Acts II. 49/1.
That na litstar be drapar 1475 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 33.
Johne of Spens, litster 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 293 b.
The litstare that will put the maist noble coloure of scarlet in a claith 1540 Acts II. 376/1.
Anentis drawaris of claith & litstaris of fals colouris 1561–2 Treas. Acc. XI. 110.
To the lidstar for litting of … plading 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 294 b.
Ane litsterris cruik and boy price xl s. 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 288.
Anneill of Barbarie for litsteris 1640 Elgin Rec. II. 237.
Compeired Alexander … and Patrick … litsters, for hinging out cloath and wobes to dry one the Sabbath day 1656 Conv. Burghs III. 423.
We esteim thos who ar … maltmen, litsteris, land laboureris, and wther merchandis who ar not wndir the deykins of craftis … ar not in capacitie to be magistratis 1680 Blackness Customs 4 b.
Ane iron soll for a litsters press weycht ane hundretht & tuenty pund 1683 Dundee B. Laws 554.
Thinking the same [insufficient work] to be wrought by the litsters of Dundie (whereof he brages himself to be one) 1684 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 132.
The saids litsters has greater affinity with the bonnet-makers then any other of the saids incorporations 1686 Hawick Arch. Soc. Trans. (1868) 34/2.
Jas. Scott, littster, lat baylyea in Hawick 1697 Hawick Mem. 26.
Ane stuff petticoat which James Scott, litstor, … dyed(c) 1569 Lanark B. Rec. 47.
Thome Forest, letster 1581 Prot. Bk. J. Robertsone MS. 16.
Alexander Robartsoun, letstar 1633 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 55.
Whilk [loch] is so filthilie defyled and corrupted … by the letstaris who wash all their cloathes in the said loch 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 157.
Broune cloth quhilk I delewerit to her to tak the leatster(d) 1589 Prot. Bk. J. Dunbar MS. 25.
Frances Forbes, latster(e) 1590 Stirling Par. Reg. in Sc. Ant. VIII. 84.
Duncan Wallace, laitzr [sic in pr.](f) 1564–5 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 199.
Johnn Gardener, listar 1588 Stirling Par. Reg. in Sc. Ant. VII. 74.
George Narne, lister

c. Attrib. and comb. with as (aise), gallis, lowm, tre, wair, also Litster-leid, and airt, calling, craft, trade.(1) 1574 Edinb. Test. III. 219.
Sevin barrellis of litstar as price of the barrell l s. 1646 Ib. LXII. 147.
Four barrells of litstar aise — 1627 Ib. LIV. 42 b.
j^c wecht of litster gallis — 1591 Ib. XXIII. 356.
My haill leid fattis & vther litstar lowmes to remane & be bruikit be thame — 1538 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 89.
That the litster treyes beneth the Over Bow be removit 1612 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 328.
The litstarr treis … vpone the calsie syde ar grit hindir and impediment to the publique passage 1650 Lanark B. Rec. 144.
The … counsell ordaines the kaill mercat to be holdin qwhair Robert Durie his litster tries stand 1658 Edinb. B. Rec. IX. 146.
Alexander Noble gave in a bill … agains David Guthrie, litster, for removeing of his litster trees standing before … his hous — 1649 Aberd. Council Lett. III. 127.
All sort of spyceries and litsterwares 1656 Edinb. Test. LXVIII. 316.
Certaine litster wair as waides 1685 Brechin Test. VII. 138.
Of litster wairs within the house 1697 Dundee B. Laws 561.
Our dyeray and litster wear being at so great pryces(2) 1590 Dundee B. Laws 552.
That no persone … shuld pretend to vse the litster craft … except [etc.] a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 36.
Fund that ane burges could not both use merchandize and be ane litster craftsman 1680 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 300.
The friemen burgesses of the litster airt and calling 1683 Dundee B. Laws 554.
John Duncan, ane unfree man, … most impudentlie professes and exercises the said litster trade