Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1705-1715, 1773, 1896-1911
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†ASSIZE, ASSISE, Asyze, n.
1. A trial by jury; a jury or panel. Common in O.Sc.Sc. 1715 Bishop G. Burnet Hist. of His Own Time (1724) I. 23:
The fact being only referred to the jury or assize as they call it.Sc. 1773 Erskine Inst. Law Scot. (1828) II. 1067:
Sometimes denotes the sittings of a court, and sometimes its regulations or ordinances, especially those which fix the standard of weights and measures; but it is most frequently made use of to signify a jury.Sc. 1909 Green's Encycl. Law Scot. I. 515:
In the Criminal Law of Scotland, assize means the jury called for the trial of prisoners at the sitting of the criminal Court.Lnk. 1711 Minutes J.P.'s Lnk. (S.H.S. 1931) 117:
By ane asyze only to be tryed, that they are called knouen, repute and halden Egyptians.
Hence: Assize-men.Kcb. 1896 S. R. Crockett The Grey Man xlix.:
Those who were chosen assize-men were mostly landward gentlemen of stout hearts . . . not mere bodies of the Luckenbooths.
2. Used in the following combs. in connection with fixing of imposts, etc.
(1) Assize-fish.Sc. 1911 S.D.D.:
So many fish for each boat for liberty of anchorage.
(2) Assize-herings, assise herings. “A royalty of one thousand herrings due three times a year during the season to the Kings of Scotland from each boat engaged in the herring fishing” (N.E.D.). Now obs. and hist.Sc. 1705 Hume Brown (ed.) Ld. Seafield's Letters (1915) 67:
The Commissioner hes a lease of the assise herings for nine years yet to run. I know not to what time he proposes it now.
