Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Eschete, Escheit, Escheat, n. Also: escheite, es(s)cheitt, eschiet, -eet, esheit; escaete, eschaet(e, eschait; echeat, esheat; eschet(t, echet, eshet; asschet, aschaet(e, -eitt, -eat. [e.m.E. and ME. escheate, eschete (ME. also echete, eshete, eschet), AF. and OF. eschete, eschaete, f. OF. escheoir, to fall to one's share.]

1. Property, possessions, or goods taken from a person by forfeiture or confiscation, esp. falling to the king in this way.(a) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 372.
Quhat schepe [= ship] that brokine ware A-pone that coste, suld rycht thane Be mad eschete, gud & man Ib. xxxviii. 11.
Al thar gudis suld be tane & gefine as eschete to thame That for sic cause had ony slane c1400 Troy-bk. i. 58.
So that ȝoure gudys all be tane As plane eschete c1420 Wynt. v. 2889.
The tane half off hys gudis all Till the empryoure suld fall In till eschete [C. eschet] 1466 Acta Aud. 4/1.
The cornne, cattale, and gudis that thai tuke out of his landis of the eschete of Nevin M^cKilroy 1487 Acts II. 178/2.
This eschete to be inbrocht … to our soueran lorde vse & compt 1507 Reg. Privy S. I. 228/2.
That uther half of the said eschet we gif … to be appliit to Sanct Gelis werk and bigging 1553 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 7.
I am to be chargit with ane eschete of William Brone … for certane hydis put in ane schip unfrauchtit 1591 Reg. Privy C. IV. 579.
The said Johnne … procuirit baith the gift of the said Archibaldis eshete and respett(b) 1495 Acta Conc. 382/1.
He wes vnder process for a deforse and sa his movable gudis sulde be the kingis escheit 1512 Crim. Trials I. 77.
We grant … to the airis of the saidis Johne and William all our escheit that we … mycht have of thair said landis and gudis 1566 Digest Justiciary Proc. F. 7.
Comperit Williame Hoppringill, donatour to the said Williames escheit 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 115.
Quha sould sla ane erle suld haue ane xl pund land, … and ane ȝemane his escheit 1599 Reg. Privy S. MS. LXXI. 9.
Ane lettre maid to James Sempill … Of the gift of the escheit of all guidis, geir [etc.](c) 1478 Acts II. 119/2.
The first seller … sall tyne the fische and be oure souuerain lordis escaete 1582 Reg. Privy C. III. 595.
The gift of the eschaet of the liverent males and dewiteis … of Tarthorwald(d) 1583 Reg. Privy C. III. 603.
Alexander Douglas, … allegeing him donatour to the said Georges escheatt, … hes alreadie tane [etc.] 1589 Misc. Bann. C. I. 127.
My wyff … was compellit to by my escheat fra thair thesaurer 1618 Elphinstone Mun. 35.
To giwe yow money to get the gift of his esheat(e) 1526 Stirling B. Rec. I. 28.
It sould be lesum to ony nebour … to tak the stoufe fra the saidis ragratouris, and to be the takaris ascheat 1618 Sutherland Corr. 137.
I will nocht hesard to tak John Robsoune his ascheitt on yon horninge

b. In the pl. eschetis, etc.(a) 1417 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 215.
The tend penny of all wardis, relefis, … eschetis and vtheris profitis falland to the kyng in the forsaid schirefdomys 1439 Edinb. Chart. 64.
Oure ful and playne poware … our courts to halde, eschettis and amercimentis to ressawe [etc.] 1470 Breadalbane P. (Reg. H.).
Thai sall have … the thyrde part of al eschetis off all oure part of baroun cowrtis of al the hale lordschipis of Lorn 1508 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 333.
Giffand … to my said bailye my full pouar amerciamentis and eschetis of the samen [courts] to tak 1533 Bell. Livy I. 117/9.
The said pepill war sa tane with the sweitnes of the eschetis and gudis falling to thame … that thai war blindit [etc.] 1578 Reg. Privy C. II. 699.
To uplift the haill proffeittis, emolumentis, eschetis, unlawis, [etc.] … of the saidis Justice Airis or Justice Courtis(b) 1522 Stirlings of Keir 318.
With court and playnt of the saidis landis … vnlawis, amerchiamentis and eschietis thairof a1578 Pitsc. II. 188/15.
Thay war put to the horne and thair escheittis taine up 1590 Treas. Acc. MS. 6.
To … [the same] cachepularis the compositioun of the escheittis of Robert Denholme [etc.] 1610 Highland P. III. 120.
The haill escheittis of the courtis and airis whilkis ar never disponit bot in some heich point of seruice 1654 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 142.
All forfettures, escheits simple or of lyfrent, … qwhich heirtofoir … fell to the king(c) 1440 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 240.
The tende peny of all wardis, relevis, … eschaetis and vther revenovs and profitis falland to vs 1450 Coll. Aberd. & B. 428.
Our landis to sett, mail to raisse, … mercymentis and eschaettis to raisse 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I. ii.
Ane compositioune … for the eschaetis and remissionis of thaim that [wer] at the slauchter of Thome of Prestone 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 291/1.
With power … unlawis, eschaetis [etc.] … to rais and for the samyn gif neid beis distrenȝe 1542 Ib. II. 738/1.
With court plaint, heirȝeld and merchet, unlauis, amerchiamentis and aschaetis of the saidis courtis 1558-66 Knox II. 266.
Nobillis of the realme … are banished, thair eschaittis disponed, and thair lyves … persewed(d) 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 2.
Which persouns have beene humble suters unto us … to have thair esheats disponed unto thame gratis 1637 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 301.
Their … amerciaments and echeats … to vpetak and inbring to the commone weill and wtillitie of the saids crafts

2. ‘Any forfeiture or confiscation whereby a man's estate, heritable or movable, or any part thereof falls from him’ (Bell).(a) 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I. ii.
That na fleshowar … tak oute of onye mutone the neris … , under payne of eschete of the mutoune to the balyhes 1456 Hay I. 162/5.
The Frenche men in that cas ar nocht behaldin to … mak eschete of thair gudis 1483 Grant Chart. 35.
The forsaid landis … to be haldin … wyth cowrt playnt, vsche off court and eschet of cowrt 1538 Reg. Privy S. II. 415/2.
All gudis … quhilkis pertenit to umquhill Walter Stewart … pertenyng to our soverane lord be resoun of eschete 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 228.
It salbe lesum to that persoun to pas to ane other mylne without the danger of eschete of his quheit(b) 1451 Acts II. 40/2.
Vnder the paine of escheite thareof the tane half to the king & the tothir half to the tayntour & the takar 1542 Reg. Privy S. II. 738/2.
The gift of all gudis … now pertenyng to our soverane lord be resoun of escheit of bastardry 1546 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 124.
Vnder the payne of escheitt of the stufe that beis fundin sawld darrer nor the said pryce 1596 Dalr. I. 225/26.
He sett furth a law that quha with his wife had strukne a preist, he soulde be punised by ane escheit 1615 Crim. Trials III. 374.
Gif it be sa tryit that the persone [is] convict, for the first falt his escheit sall fall 1641 Misc. Hist. Soc. I. 116.
As to your proceiding in the escheit, I lyke weill of your course(c) 1515 Reg. Privy S. I. 408/1.
Landis … now pertening to the king and to the said governouris dispositioun be resone of eschaet 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 6.
Vnder the pane of viij s. for the first falt, and for the secund falt eschaet of thair stuff Ib. 9.
Vnder the pane of … eschaite of thar stufe 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII. 84.
Dischargeit to George Ormstoune the compositioune of Johnne Brownis aschaete

3. Attrib. with gudis. 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I. 10.
Of eschete gudis, xlii li. 1493 Acta Conc. 294/2.
The schirref … to be chargeit with the eschet gudis of James Stewart 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 372.
To Johne Coupar, … to cers and seik eschet gudis 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 254/1.
The gyft of the eschete gudis of bastardry of umquhile Johne Robertoun 1515 Ib. 408/2.
To intromet and tak up all the saidis eschaet gudis 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 209.
The half of the eschete gudis to be warit vpoun the commone workis 1584 Misc. Spald. C. II. 342.
Sic as hes intromittit with the escheat guidis or rentis callit for breking of the arreistment

b. With hors, land, tar, unȝeouns. 1479 Acta Conc. 39/2.
Anent the inbringing of ane eschete horsse of Patric Humes 1494–5 Treas. Acc. I. 212.
Ane composicione of the eschete landis of Thomas Ogilby of Clowa 1515 Reg. Privy S. I. 394/2.
The eschete landis and gudis of William Quhite, fals cunȝeour, now being fugitive 1547 Treas. Acc. IX. 100.
For carage of … vj barrellis of escheit tar 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 291.
The compter chargis him with twa lasts of escheit unȝeonis fra Johne Pennycuke