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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PRESENT, v., n. Also prasent (Abd. 1875 G. McDonald Malcolm ix.), praisent (Dmf. 1933 J. L. Waugh Thornhill 176), preesent (Gall. 1947 A. McCormick Galloway 55). Sc. form and usages:

I. v. 1. As in Eng. Deriv. presentation, the act of presenting, specif. in Sc. Law (1) of the sovereign: the granting to a Donatory, q.v., of heritage acquired by the Crown by escheat, as ultimus haeres, etc. Phr. letters of presentation, the writ by which this gift is intimated to the superior; (2) in phr. bond of presentation, a written obligation “binding the obligor to ‘present' to the proper officer a person liberated from custody for debt on his undertaking” (Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 13), the bond or security entered into by a person procuring the (temporary) release of a prisoner for debt, a bail-bond.(1) Sc. 1753 Bankton Institute iii. i. § 51:
When lands or other heritable rights forfeited, held of subject superiors, the king of old was in use to grant presentation of the same to such a donatary.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles iii. x. § 2:
If the lands, to which the King succeeds, be holden immediately of himself, the property is consolidated with the superiority, as if resignation had been made in the Sovereign's hands. If they are holden of a subject, the King, who cannot be vassal to his own subject, names a donatory, who, to compleat his title, must obtain decree of declarator, in which a general citation against all and sundry is sufficient; and thereafter he is presented to the superior, by letters of presentation from the King under the quarter-seal, in which the superior is charged to enter the donatory to the lands, with all the rights competent to the former vassal.(2) Sc. 1704 Morison Decisions 1808:
Being apprehended by caption, he, to relieve himself out of the messenger's hands, grants a bond of presentation, wherein Alexander Bruce, his son, is cautioner with him.Sc. 1742 Steuart Letter-Bk. (S.H.S.) 432:
I likeways sent him . . . my pretestation against Alexr. Clerk, his Agent, at getting up my last bond of Presentation, with orders to oppose anie process against Lord Lovat.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 107:
Bond of presentation is an obligation granted for behoof of a person in custody on a legal warant, in order to obtain his temporary liberation. The obligant in such a bond becomes bound to present the person so liberated, to the officer holding the warrant, at a particular day and place. A failure to produce the debtor in terms of this obligation will subject the granter of the bond in fulfilment of the obligation, for the non-performance of which the apprehension had taken place.

2. Specif. in Sc. Presbyterian usage: (1) to put forward the name of a licensed probationer or minister of the gospel to the presbytery in order that he may be approved for admission to a parish. Hence presentation; presentee, the one thus presented. Such nomination was reserved after 1690 to the leading members of the congregation, but in 1712 was restored to patrons, gen. the chief landowner in the parish (see Patron, n.¹), but in the Free Churches, and in the Established church after 1874, the method of call by a majority of the communicant members of the church is now the regular procedure.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles i. v. § 7:
The right of presenting incumbents was by 1690, c. 23 taken from patrons, and vested in the heritors and elders of the parish, upon payment to be made, by the heritors to the patron, of 600 merks; but it was again restored to patrons . . . with the exception of the presentations sold in pursuance of the former act.Ayr. 1821 Galt Annals i.:
When she heard that the Laird of Breadland had given me the presentation of Dalmailing.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 594:
A license to preach, obtained without the bounds of the Church of Scotland, disqualifies a presentee to a parish.Sc. 1840 D. Sage Memorabilia (1889) 8:
The Earl of Cromartie . . . neglected the issuing of the presentation within the prescribed term. The presbytery, availing themselves of the jus devolutum, presented Mr. Roderick Mackenzie.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xviii.:
Ye maun recolleck 't a' the names pitten to the call in fawvour o' the presentee, was only forty-five; an' nae fyouer nor auchty-nine heids o' families exercees't their veto against 'im.Sc. 1883 J. Macpherson Presbyterianism 140:
So soon as a probationer, one who has received Presbyterial licence, is presented as under call to the vacant charge.Sc. 1914 J. Mackay Church in Highlands 249–53:
In 1809 a presentation to the parish of Fearn was issued in favour of Hugh Ross . . but a large majority of the parishioners were opposed to his settlement. . . . The presentation of the patron was regarded as the essential thing, and, indeed, proposals had been made to dispense entirely with the call.

(2) to offer a child for baptism (Sc. 1966).Ayr. 1720 Ayr Presb. Reg. MS. (21 Dec.) 74:
Parents or sponsors speaking with their Ministers and the elder of their proportion being present before presenting children to baptism.Sc. 1940 Bk. Common Order Ch. Scot. 90:
Then the Minister shall say to those who present the Child: In presenting this child for Baptism, do you receive the doctrine of the Christian Faith whereof we make confession?

II. n. 1. As in Eng. Phr. to gie (bring, receive, etc.) in a present, to give (etc.) as a present, to make a present of. Gen.Sc. A survival of the usage†to bring (something) to another in present, from O.Fr. en present, id., sc. as a gift. See In.Sc. 1717 Ho. Bk. Lady G. Baillie (S.H.S.) 53:
For rubans to give in presents.Sc. 1746 Lyon in Mourning (S.H.S.) II. 8:
She was to give these few shirts in a present to Donald Roy MacDonald.Sc. 1831 Scott Journal (1 Dec.):
I have got in a present from Frere the prints of the Siege of Malta.Slk. 1831 Hogg Tales (1874) 191:
See what I hae brought ye in a present.Sc. 1929 R. Masson Use and Abuse Eng. 43:
A silver soup divider that I got in a present from Jemima.

2. A white speck on the finger-nail, commonly believed to presage the arrival of a gift (Ork., ne. and m.Sc. 1966).ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 26:
White spots on the nails are called “presents”. The nearer the spots are to the points of the nails, the nearer are the gifts.

3. A form of payment of rent for land, made in cash. In the Campbell estates in Argyll called also Duke [of Argyll]'s presents.Arg. 1717 Carskey Jnl. (Mackay 1955) 51:
And is to pay of yearly Rent teind dry multer and Silver present fifty mrks.Wgt. 1739 Caled. Mercury (14 Aug.):
The Lands of Barmore and Barbrae . . . extending in Silver Rent and valued Presents to the yearly Rent of £843. 3s. 8d. Scots.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles ii. vi. § 16:
Rentals . . . were a sort of liferent-tacks . . . granted, either to the lineal successors of the ancient possessors, or to those whom the landlord designed to favour as such, for an easy or favourable tack duty. These tacksmen had the name of kindly tenants or rentallers; and at their entry they paid a certain sum, as a present to the landlord for their right.