Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
MODIFY, v. Also †modifie. Sc. usage: to specify in definite terms, of a payment, fine, etc., to assess at a certain or precise amount; specif. to determine the amount of a parish minister's stipend. Now only hist. Hence modification, the process of assessing a minister's stipend. See also Locality, 2. [Sc. ′modɪfi]Sc. 1700 R. Young Annals Elgin (1879) 708:
Upon payment making of such money to town and crafts as they shall modify.Sc. 1722 W. Forbes Institutes I. ii. 53:
When a Minister's Stipend is only modified, it affects the whole Tithes out of which it is modified, and may be exacted from any Intrometter, whose Tithes will go so far.Sc. 1727 Session Papers, Petition Rev. J. Monro (31 Jan.):
By the above Narrative, your Lordships see, that it is now going in Four Years since my Process was begun, and near Two since my Modification was decerned.Sc. 1734 J. Spotiswood Hope's Practicks 107:
The lowest Stipend is appointed to be 800 Merks, or eight Chalders of Victual. — The Decreets to this Effect, were, in our Practice, formerly called Decreets of Plat; but now they have the Name of Decreets of Modification.Sc. 1751 Caled. Mercury (7 Jan.):
A Petition having been presented to the Court, in the name of Auchenbathie's Relict and Children, craving an Assythment, the Lords remitted the Modification of the same to the Barons of Exchequer.Sc. 1752 J. Louthian Form of Process 118:
May it therefore please your Lordship . . . to modify the Sum for which your Petitioners are to find bail.Ayr. 1766 Ayr Presb. Reg. MS. (19 March) 207:
The sums modified by decreet of date Feb: 27th last for the schoolmaster's salary and Repairs of the School house.Sc. 1808 A. Cormack Teinds (1930) 158:
No stipend which shall be augmented or modified by a decree after the passing of this Act shall be again augmented or modified until the expiration of twenty years from and after the date of such decree of modification thereof.Sc. 1831 A. Paterson Compendium Laws Ch. Scot. 410:
It is now appointed that every stipend shall be modified wholly in victual, even although a part or the whole of it had been previously modified in money.Sc. 1874 G. Outram Lyrics 60:
The Court on this occasion Of solemn consultation . . . Thus modify: . . . One chalder in addition, Of Oats, would seem sufficient: And an increment To that extent We therefore modify.Sc. 1896 W. K. Morton Manual 21:
On cause shown, the Court of Teinds grant a Decree of Augmentation of so many chalders of victual, and Modify the stipend at the increased amount.
