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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Safer, Sawfeir, Sauf(f)er, Sawfa, n. Also: safar, -ir, saiffer, saifare, sawpheir, sapheir. [Late ME and e.m.E. salfay, safye (c1400), sawfy, -ie, salffie, -ye (Bowes, 1551), of uncertain origin, but presum. f. Safe adj. (Perh. the second element is fee due payment. The forms in -e(i)r may be orig. the corresp. agent noun.) Cf. Savar n. 1 c. Once in the later dial. (1710) as saffer.] A reward paid to a finder of lost property or an informer concerning stolen property, also concerning persons held captive, ? sc. in recompense for effecting or making possible their safe recovery.In cases of theft or kidnapping, the safer was recoverable, along with other compensation, from the guilty party.According to Sir Robert Bowes ‘State of the Frontiers’, 1551, in Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale 32, ‘by … the dooble and salffie was ment … the princypalle goodes stollen or spoyled, to be redressed, or the valure thereof, with the doble, which was as much againe as the princypalle amounted unto. And for the salffie, or in respect of such charges as the partie offended had susteyned in the inquyring and fynding certeynly who was the offendour, another tyme the valour of the goodes which, in the hole, amounted to a iij fold restituton.'Chiefly in the formula (the) double (once, thre dowbillis) and safer, in the process for obtaining compensation and recovering safer, according to the procedures prescribed by the laws of the marches.Also Safer-silver, Saw-silver, (? and Safery).(a) 1557 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale App. c.
That we … becomis sourtie … to pay … the soum of saix skoyr nowbillis … quhilk the said Arche Niksone lyis for that sawfa of Will Wauchis bill(b) 1564 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 191b.
The skaytht sustenit for the wrang extending to ten marks or safar thairof 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 385.
To find … souerteis … for payment of the said bill, principall dowbill and sapheir in caise thai failye to deliver the saidis men at the day foirsaid 1576 Ib. II 539. 1578 Ib. III 2.
[Forbidding any] to ride in England [etc.] … [certifying offenders that] they sall not onlie be deliverit for dowbill and safer and compellit to mak redres … bot salbe execute to the death 1603 Ib. VI 539.
[The names of the said thieves … having been given up to the complainer upon] lairg silver and safer [delivered by him to the informers, he had … craved justice] a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1655) 306.
That … such as shall be found to be robbed of their goods be redressed to the double and with safer according to the law of Marches(c) 1583 Reg. Privy C. III 612.
[By paying £42 stg.] for the double and saiffer of the said bill 1605 Ib. VII 744, 745.
That it maye be lawfull to any man to give saifare for speiring of his goodis or geir stollen provyding it does not exceade the double of the availle of the goods stollen; whiche saifare is to be taken of the reddiest of there goods who shalbe convict of these stouthes or of the ressett of the stollen goodes 1631 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 24 May.
And the said Jon Dow till persew the said William Buchannan for the said sowme of xx merkis of saiffer(d) 1561–2 Reg. Privy C. I 201.
That he … sall enter to the wardane, and relief him of ane bill fylit upoun him of thre horsis takin fra the Lord Gray, with the dowble and saufer thairof 1577 Ib. II 623.
The Lard of Coldenknowis, Wardane in thay partis, hes fylit the said James in the dowbill and sawpheir of the said meir 1578–9 Ib. III 82.
Necessar it is that the dayis of Marchis be haldin everie fourtie dayis anis … according to the buik and lawis of Marchis and that he that is offendit unto ressave his redres with dowbill and sawfeir, according to the buke and lawis foirsaid 1605 Ib. VII 712.
In matteris of auld thiftis … betuix England and Scotland quo jure procedendum? quhidder by dowble sauffer or be single?fig. 1579 Waus Corr. 210.
I resauit your wreting desyring me to send wp sum clairett wyne. I haif appointit to send yow sic as thair is, bot geif ye will cum downe … ye sall haif ane drink of guid quhyt wyne, and than I dout nocht to gar yow pey for the double and safir to refresche my maisonis with