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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.

Local(l, a. Also: -alle. [Late ME. (15th c.) and e.m.E., F. local, L. locālis f. loc-us place.]

1. Pertaining to a particular place or region. 1560 Conf. Faith in 14.. Acts II. 531/2.
The interpretatioun [of scripture] … nouther appertenis to priuate nor publict persoun nouther ȝit to ony kirk for ony preeminence or prerogatiue personalle or localle quhilk ane hes abone ane vther

2. Applied to parochial stipends as assigned parish by parish out of the ecclesiastical revenues of each parish or its immediate neighbourhood, espec. out of the teinds of lands lying within the parish itself.i.e. in contradistinction to payment out of the general funds of the ‘Thirds of Benefices’.The allocation of the respective proportions of a ‘local stipend’ payable by the several heritors and other possessors of the teinds was by a teinds commission's ‘decreet of locality’: see Locality n. 1. 1573 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 277.]
[Suites made be the ministers … to have certain assignations made to them of their livings and stipends in places most ewest and commodious to their residence 1592 Acts III. 553/1.
That thair be ane locall stipend designit … to ilk minister to be taken vp ȝeirlie of the thriddis teyndis and vtheris dewties lyand within ilk parochin quharout the ministeris stipendis wer in vse to be takin and payit of befoir 1596 Calderwood V. 423.
That the lords of exchecker with suche of the ministrie as sall be appointed heerunto … sall modifie and assigne out of certane touns of everie parish a certane quantitie of victuall of the teind-scheaves therof and other duties of the vicarage … with the manse and whole gleeb land … as a locall stipend to everie parish kirk … for sustentatioun of the minister therat … of the fruicts of the parish itself Ib. 425.
Declaring all … the foresaids provisioun of benefices [etc.] … and fewing of tithes [etc.] … to be null … in so farre as they may make anie prejudice … to the particular locall assignatioun of stipends to be assigned to everie parish kirk Ib. 432.
Becaus there are diverse … persons who presentlie bruike the rents of everie parish kirk our soverane lord … ordeans that the quantitie of the locall and perpetuall stipend sould be equallie tane from everie one of the saids persons proportionallie … at the discretioun and summar cognitioun of the said modifiers 1597 Acts IV. 157/2, 1617 Ib. 531/2, 1621 Ib. 606/2. 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. I. 509. 1633 Acts V. (1870) 37/2.
With power to the saids commissioners … to appoint modifie and sett downe a constant and locall stipend and maintenance to ilk minister to be payit out of the teinds of ilk parochine 1641 Ib. 401/1; 1661 Ib. VII. 48/2. 1649 Ib. VI. ii. 424/1.
That whither [sic] the titulars and takismen of the teinds of any of the saidis parochins are able and willing to pay thair ministers locall stipendis wsit and wont that theise ministers … have [no] richt … to the same teind sheavis brokis of small teinds of thair saidis parochins 1649 Ayr Chart. 187.
Be vertew quhairof the saidis judgis comissiounaris haveing decerned … ane constant locall stipend with the modificatioune for furnischeing of the comunioun elementis to the said minister … payabill be the severall heritors [etc.] … furth of the teindis [etc.] 1657 Galloway P. 16 March.
[He is] to releive the erle of the locall stipend to the minister & supperplus teind 1672 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 13 Jan.
To compeer befour the commissioneris at Edinburgh for plantation of kirks and valuatioune of teynds … anent the teynds of the toune and lands within the paroche of Kirkcudbright and anent ane sufficient locall modified stipend and mans and gleib setled to the said Mr Alexander 1673 Alford Rec. 205. 1681 Dunkeld Presb. II. 435.

b. Applied to the stipend of the minister of a burgh church: see quot. 1692 Conv. Burghs IV. 661.
That ther [Queensferry's] ministers locall stipend is four hundreth merks which is payed by taxatione and pew mailles

3. Said of the quarterings of troops: With the district which each body of troops is to occupy for a period specifically allocated by authority; hence, stationary or permanent, not temporary or ‘transient’ (quarters). 1649 Acts VI. ii. 334/2.
That all forces which have marched to or fra the northe pairtis … have alwayes quartered … vpone the supplicantis their landis … and yeet in all locall quarteringis quhair their landis lyes they are alsemuch burdened be locall quarterings as vtheris in these schires who are … not burthened with transeant quarteringes Ib. 389/1.
The toune and toune liberties of Aberdeine to be exeimed from all locall quarteringis and the locall quarterings in the saids shyrs to be proportionallie according to the maintinance Ib. 465/2. 1650 Ib. 583/1.
Because through the draweing together of the troops … some parts of the shyres will be overburthened with locall quarters the committee thought fitt that such places of the shyres as will be frie from locall quarters should be lyable to contribut to the ease of such other parts of the shyres proportionably as bear the greater burthen of the locall quarters 1681 Ib. VIII. 241/1.
His majestie … doeth … discharge … all free quartering of the souldiers either transient or local and all localities for furnishing … corn [etc.] … to souldiers horses 1689 Ib. IX. 75/2; 1690 Ib. 147/2.
That all officers & souldiers … shall make due and punctuall payment of their quarters, locall and transient, as the same shall be appoynted … according to the rates of the country 1693 Ib. 257/2.
We require … all our officers … to give timely notice to the said commissary of their removeal to and from locall quarters and of the rout appointed for their march in transient quarters 1698 Ib. X. 151/1.

4. Having the attribute of ‘place’ or spatial position, localized. 1619 Misc. Bann. C. I. 244.
Our Kirk will be infected with the error of the locall descent of Christis saull into hell a1650 Row 354.
Forby much preaching for universall grace, Christ dieing for all, the saints not persevering, Christ's locall descending to hell, and diverse others heterodoxe doctrines

b. Locall motion, motion from place to place, locomotion.e.m.E. (1561– ). c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 40.
M^r Yong who disputed next insisted upon the nature of locall motion, pressing many things be clear testimonies of Aristotles text