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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Vice-admiral(l, -admerall, n. Also: wice-admerall, weis-admirall. [e.m.E. Vice Admirall (1520); Vice- prefix and Admirall n.] A naval officer next in rank to an admiral and able to act for him in his absence. c1575 Balfour Pract. 630.
The said admiral may … constitute and put under him vice-admirallis, having, in his absence, siclike jurisdictioun and powar as himself a1578 Pitsc. I 255/26.
The king … maid the lorde Hammilltoun earle of Arran captane and great admerall and maid the lorde Flemeing wice admerall to saill in the Margarit a1578 Pitsc. II 10/28.
Thair admirall and luftennand was Schir Raff Warran … and my Lord Clintowne weis admirall with uther captanes of weir 1622-6 Bisset II 217/10.
The admirall … may institute viceadmerallis under him with the samyn poware he hes c1650 Spalding II 126.
Schir Johne Penningtoun, viceadmirall 1683 Lauder Notices Affairs I 420.
The Marquis of Athol, Vice-Admirall, had a competition for the assise-herring of the Isles, formerly belonging to the Earle of Argile, now clamed by Stuart, Shireff of Bute