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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pek, Peck, n.¹ Also: pec(c, pecke, peclk; pect; peke, peik(e, peick(e, peek; pyik. [ME. and e.m.E. pek (c 1300), pekke (Chaucer), peck (c 1485), AF. pec (1351–2), OF. pec (13th c. in Godef., once), med. L. (Eng.) pecca, peccum; of unknown ulterior origin.]

1. A peck, the measure of capacity for dry goods.In Scotland, a fourth part of a firlot and amounting to four lippies or forpits.For further instances, see Lippie n. and Multur(e n.(1) 1457 Acts II. 50/1.
Ande the half ferlot and pek to folowe thareftir [the standard set for the firlot] 1596 Conv. Burghs I. 477.
It is … ordanit … that the said land mesour … salbe … vsit … conforme to the stand … of the furlott of Lynlythquow and the mesour of the pek to be correspondent to the said furlett, to witt, foure pekis and na mair nor les to mak the furlott 1686 Mackenzie Observ. (1687) 121.
The furlot of Linlithgow which is the standart … for metting of wheat, ry, beans, pease, meal and white salt … which furlot is divided in four pecks, and the peck is divided in two half pecks or four forparts(2) 1444 Exch. R. V. 168.
ix bolle j ferlota ij pekis ordei 1477 Reg. Cupar A. I. 209.
For the tend of quhet vij firlotis iij pekkis 1495 Acta Conc. I. 405/2.
Pekkis 1497 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 77.
vj bollis of ald malt and ij pekis and iij quarteres of pek or the vale tharof c 1505 Lanark B. Rec. 16.
All thir landis abone writtyn … is ordynit to pay … ilk aker half ane forlot and half ane pek of vetall 1509–10 Alloway Baron Ct. 29 Jan.
Condampnit in 2 f[irlottis] of malt & j pek haittis 1531 Treas. Acc. V. 459. c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 10.
(Quod scho) I staw ane pek of beir 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 189 b.
With ten peks of gude & sufficient aittis mesor of Nytht 1564 Perth B. Ct. 80 (9 May).
Payit of the said thre bollis thre pekis beir 1568 Inverness Rec. I. 164.
Coles … to the quantite of ane pek 1570 Peebles B. Rec. I. 323.
Of ilk laid ij pekkis meill 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 202. 1596 Conv. Burghs I. 477.
And anent the watter mett of vittuall and salt tane fra forane cuntreyis it is … ordanit that the mesour of the boll thairof salbe … auchtene pekis of the land mesour of Lynlythquow 1598 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 25 a.
For ii pekeses of boter vi s. 8 d. 1607 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 44.
Pekis 1643 Dumfries Treas. Acc. MS. 2.
For ane pek of aples(b) 1438 Exch. R. V. 53.
Pro sex celdris quatuordecim bollis et tribus peckis salis albi 1531 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 64.
Ilk hors on the nycht i pec aitis 1539 Reg. Cupar A. II. ii.
Fourtene bollis ten peccis victuall 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 437.
Tua peccis and half pecc beir ane boll aittis [etc.] Ib. 439. 1586 St. A. Test. II. 65.
Thre peckis linget 1588 Exch. R. XXI. 377.
Being cheretit with ane pecc to everie boll 1595 Skene in Misc. Stair Soc. I. 140.
iii firlotis iii peccis i quarter peck 1597 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 353.
And tua peclkis meill and tua peckis beir small mesour 1602 Old Ross-shire i. 57.
Ane peck shelling as multir furth of everie sex firlatts 1625 Acts V. 183/1.
The exacting of ane peck or more vnder the name of cheritie to the boll a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 587.
God send na war nor a peck of meale for a plak 1636–7 Misc. Spald. C. V. 150. 1678 Fawside Coal Compt 34.
For a pecke of mille & ane halfe, 00. 09. 0 1680 Fountainhall Decis. I. 118.
In peaceable possession of a peck of two bolls of malt 40 years before [etc.] 1705 Ayr & W. Coll. IV. 206.
Guilty of transgressing the haill penall statutes and particularlee anent peck and boll or buying and selling of victual by eick and additione(c) 1537 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 86.
Of ilk thre bollis of vngrundin malt ane pect of grundin malt for the multur 1541 Elgin Rec. I. 65.
Deirer eitis to horse corne na iiij d. the pect 1561 Thirds of Benefices 53.
And tua bollis tua firlottis tua pectis tua pairt pect quheit 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 3. 1581–2 Perth B. Ct. MS. 6 Mar.
Sex pectis half pect beir rynnand mett 1594 Paisley B. Rec. 157. 1603 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 32.
Ten kaikis to be bakin in the pect meill Ib. 33. 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 116.(d) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 299.
The peck of meill viij s. the salt iij s. the peck the quheit v s. the peick 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 157.
Peick 1673 Ib. No. 171.
For ten peiks of seed corn 1675 Stitchill Baron Ct. 78.
35 s. as the pryce of ane peik of meall 1697 Rental of Brabster in Old Lore Misc. VIII. i. 7.
Peicke(e) 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 438.
With ane pyik to ilk boll malt(f) 1670 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 13 May.
Sawin … fowr peeks of beir small missor of Kirkcudbright 1676 Ib. 12 Jan.
Restand of teind beire or locallitie … sex small peeks of beire

2. A vessel used as a peck measure.Also attrib. and comb.The peckis, the official peck measures of a burgh.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii. 442.
Fyrst gert corne wytht mesure mete, As boll, or pek, or wytht fyrlete 1468 Peebles B. Rec. I. 158.
[The] custumaris haid of the townys ix firlottis and iij pekis the quhylkis thai sal delyuer at thair wscha of the termys 1487 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 53.
And the customaris of this burgh furneis pek and half pek to the landmen heirto 1516 Fam. Rose 189.
x trein pekkis 1527 Stirling B. Rec. I. 30.
With the met loumis of the custumaris, bayth pecc [pr. pece] and fourllat 1529 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 12. 1549 Elgin Rec. I. 97. a1568 Jok & Jynny 33.
Ane furme ane furlet ane pott ane pek [: sek (= sack)] 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 207.
New pekis banddit with girthes of irne ane in the mouthe and ane vther in the boddum 15.. Aberd. B. Rec. MS. (Jam.). 1602 Inverness Rec. II. i.
The commun firlat or pek 1609 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 70.
Thrie pecks … all girdit with irne 1624 Huntar Weights & Measures i.
Drie metts, as the peck, the firlet and the bow, for metting of al cornes 1624 Linlithgow B. Rec. 16 Apr.
For the werking of nynetein custumes peckis 1675 Stirling Common Good 92 b.
For girding of pecks and drie stoolls 1681 Acts VIII. 400/1.(2) 1516 Wigtown B. Ct. 57 a.
To … deliuer the common sele of the peckis to the alderman & balȝeis 1518 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 48.
The custummaris to kep the meit weschell … furlatis, pekis and to tholl nane other to pas in mercat 1557–8 Haddington B. Rec. in E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII. 53.
For correkin of the pekkis 1563 Stirling Chart. 213.
Small custumis sett to Gilbert Watsone … pekis sett to John Huttoun for xiiij li. 1625–6 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 332.
The deyne of gild to have cair of … the firlottis, peckis, half peckis, lipies in the meilmerkatt 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II. 7.
The present magistrattes and dean of gild to meit … for measuring the tounes firloittes and peckes 1679 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 103.
After the … publict ropeing of the peckes and small customes … [Mr] Fleming … offered [£50 Scots] for the peckes 1680 Stirling B. Rec. II. 31.
These who bringis the … victuall payes naither the custome of the laidle nor the dewes for the pecks and furlottis 1681 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 120.
[He] hath takine the peks customes for [£58.8.8] … and the pettie customes … for fiftie merkes Scots money 1691 Glasgow B. Rec. IV. 27.
The dewtie and casualitie of the meill mercat and pecks(3) attrib. 1600 Paisley B. Rec. 235.
Ane halff pect messour fyve schillings 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 349.
And promist payment of the samen wpon the pek boddomie

3.. Peck of land, in Easter Ross in the 17th c., a land-measure.Cf. esp. They [the Commissioners] agreed to set aside for this purpose [building a school] a piece of land not exceeding a peckland or 3 acres; 1762 Forfeited Estate Papers (Lochbroom) Reg. H. Cf. also late ME. pek of londe (1442 Rolls of Parl.). Appar. not the same as the 19th c. Crieff term for a small plot of land: see SND. s.v. Peck n.² 2. 1641 Old Ross-shire I. 296.
[Mackenzie of Redcastle pays £1000 for the] lands and grising [ed. guising] of Kasscha Kassachin extending to ane peck of land 1655 Retours (Inq. Spec.) Ross & Cromarty (108).
6 pekes of land within the Chanonry of Ross 1677 Ib. (134).
2 peciis terrarum extendentibus ad dimidietatem bovatae terrarum, vulgariter two pecks of land extending to half ane oxgang land 1681 Acts VIII. 295/2.
The disposition … off all and sundrie these four pecks of land of the lands lyand betuixt the Chanonrie of Ros and Burgh of Rosmarkie … extending to the yearlie free rent of sexteen bolls ferme bear attour few dewtie … to witt two pecks of land thereof lyand [etc.] … , ane other peck of land of the samen bounded as followes whereof three riggs of land lyand [etc.] … And that other rigg or butt of land … extending to ane halfe boll of beir soweing