Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
UMBOTH, n. Also umbooth, umbith, umbuth, -bud (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), Sh. 1973). Used attrib. in umboth duty (Sh. 1716 P.S.A.S. XIX. 235), -land, -teind, -tythe, in reference to the lands belonging orig. to the Bishops of Orkney in Shetland and the teinds or tithes payable out of these which were shared equally by the Bishop and the parochial clergyman. When the Bishop's lands were alienated to the Crown and finally to the Earldom of Zetland, the umboth payments were sim. transferred. [′ʌmbɔθ in formal usage; colloq. ′ʌmbəd]Sh. 1730 Old-Lore Misc. VI. iii. 134:
Your leters to me most serve to prove that you have actually received payment of the umboth teiths of Papa.Sh. 1733 T. Gifford Hist. Descr. Zetland (1879) 56:
That rent called Umboth duty, that is the bishop's rents of Zetland. There are also in each parish some lands belonging to these Umboths, called Bishops lands, or Umboth lands. The Umboth tythes are for the most part a rental tythe, payable in butter and oil, and in some places money.Sh. 1772 A. C. O'Dell Hist. Geog. Sh. (1939) 239:
These [lands] coming to the Crown by exchange with Bishop Law, were henceforth called Kings Umbooth lands.Sh. 1809 A. Edmonston Zetland I. 163:
The corn teind is divided between the minister and the proprietor of the crown rents, and the share of the latter is denominated umbith or umboth duty.Sh. 1904 G. Goudie Antiq. Sh. 191:
Umboth duty is charged only in two parishes.
