Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1702-1737, 1790
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SIZE, n. Also syze, sise, syce, seise, seize.
Sc. †usage: a duty, in money or kind, levied on imported goods by the Crown or by burghs at their harbours and occas. by others, an impost. See Rec. Conv. Burghs Index 165. Also attrib. in size boll, -coal, -cod, -duty, -fish, -mett, -money, of articles or amounts payable as import duty; size-worthy, liable for duty.Sc. 1702 Advantages of Union 8:
A Size Cod being of twenty four Inches and upwards in length, from Tail to Shoulders.Sc. 1703 Acts Parl. Scot. XI. 57:
A priviledge of exacting nine fish out of every white fish boat of the Northferry every day that they passed by the castle for fishing. The last was called the Size fish.Ags. 1730 Arbroath T. C. Rec. MS. (28 May):
The shedull for uplifting the seise coalls or metts on the Great Coalls. Each five bolls to pay one boll. Item each twenty five bolls one Mett. . . . The Seize Coalls that comes not the length of a Seize Mett shall pay one shilling four pennies Scots the boll.Sc. 1733 P. Lindsay Interest Scot. 207:
A very great Discouragement that this Trade [coast-fishing] ought to be relieved of, viz. the Payment of a Duty of 10 Shillings of Size-money, payable by each Boat that is Size-worthy. This flowed originally from an Exaction of the Crown, of a certain Proportion of the Herrings taken by every Boat, for the Service of the King's Kitchin. Every Boat that catches 3000 Herrings, during the whole fishing Season, is Size-worthy, and liable in Payment of the Size-duty.Ags. 1737 Arbroath T. C. Rec. MS. (11 June):
For each Boll of Smiddy Coals and of Small Coall Charcoal or Cinders from Newcastle or other Ports in England and for each Boll of Salt imported to be payed by Freemen six pennys Scots with a Sise Boll for each hundred Bolls.Abd. 1790 Session Papers, Rae v. Bannerman (Nov. 1796) 12:
2 syce bolls, at 1s. 2d. per boll, being the price paid for the cargo.
