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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Swescher, Swascher, n. Also: swesch(e)our, swescheor, suescher, -our, swecher, -our, swasher, suascheor, suasher, swacher, swschear, swyssar. [Swesch(e n.¹] A drummer.(a) 1561 Edinb. B. Rec. III 118.
The suechouris quhilkis playit before the craftis childer 1564–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 482.
To the haill trompetouris and sueschouris and pephouris in the tyme of the Parliament, in playing afoir the toun 1567 Edinb. B. Rec. III 240.
Swescheouris 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 104.
The ordour of the cuming of the meit was this, efter the herauldis, maisseris, trumpetouris and swescheouris [etc.] 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 122.
The baillies to provyde foure or fyve sueschouris to the mustour day 1586 Dundee Treas. Acc. in Soc. Ant. II 349.
Sueschers 1587 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 488.
Swecher 1588 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 520.
Diksoun, toun swescheour 1590 Edinb. B. Rec. V 26.
[The council] constitutes David Pook swescher ordiner to the guid toun, conjunctlie with [blank], present swescher [blank] and that thai pas throw the toun nychtlie and every morning togidder 1592 Edinb. B. Rec. V 69.
Swescheour 1591–2 Edinb. B. Rec. V 60.
[The council] ordanis David Pook, commoun sweschour, to attend and oversie the wark of the wellis 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V 270.
To David Pook, swescher, for himself and the remanent taburreris … the sowme of twenty merks(b) 1559–60 Edinb. Old Acc. I 308.
To … pay to James Fawsyd and the remanent of the suascheors, … xl s. 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 60.
To ane swacher of Lawder to stryk the swach in Lawder brig 1576 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1921) 28.
[To] Carsane the swasher that day we moustirit 1598 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1921) 28.
Swascher 1600 Crim. Trials II 245.
To pay to the pephereris and tua exraordiner drummeris nyne merk, and to the townes twa swascheris [etc.] 1619 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 June.
To delyver to Nicoll Broun swascher ten mks to lowss his awin claithis, & also to by his sone … ane quhite poldovie … to thar better decorment to stryke on the swasche, the tyme of the conventioun of burrowis 1677 Stirling Common Good 113b.
Suasher 1683–4 Stirling B. Rec. II 324.
To the suasher for a proclamatioun for takeing the middings of the streett(c) 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 21.
To Paull Fasyde swyssar to stryk the drum affoir the toun on the mustar day

b. attrib. With bell (Bell n.¹ c or d a bell or ? a means of alerting the public more generally). 1587 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 509.
All persouns … be in reddynes attending vpoun the prouest and baillies swa oft as thai sall be chairget be the swescheor bell