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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.

PURGE, v. Sc. usages:

1. As in Eng. Deriv. purgation, n., the act of clearing oneself from an accusation of guilt. Obs. in Eng. exc. hist. Phr. oath of purgation, a sworn declaration of innocence made to a church court esp. in cases of disputed paternity. Cf. Eng. canonical purgation.Sc. 1707 Acts Gen. Assembly 24:
If the person accused do offer his oath of purgation, and crave the privilege thereof, the presbytery may allow the same.Sc. 1755 Session Papers, Fowler v. Smith (30 July) 2:
The Defender's declining to take the Oath of Purgation, which the Practice of the Church requires where the Woman continues to abide in laying the Child to a particular Person.

2. Sc. Law usages: (1) to remove or clear off the effects of a legal prohibition by complying with the conditions neglect or defiance of which had incurred the prohibition (Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 71). Hence to purge an arrestment, -encumbrance, -inhibition, -irritancy, see quots. and Arreistment, Inhibit, Irritant. Deriv. purgeable, able to be cleared off or removed.e.Lth. 1703 Rec. Sc. Cloth Manuf. (S.H.S.) 337:
All arreistments either againest the said Thomas Deans or the above named persones from whom he had rycht being always first purged.Sc. 1733 Morison Decisions 13311:
Burnet had applied the price to purge incumbrances.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles ii. xi. § 8:
When payment is made by the debtor to the inhibiter, the inhibition is said to be purged.Sc. 1758 Session Papers, Little v. Chrystie (15 June) 3:
The Irritancy was not now purgeable by Payment.Sc. 1837 Tait's Mag. (Feb.) 101:
By purging the irritancy, as we call it — that is, by paying up the feu-duty in the Court, after you were summoned.Sc. 1838 W. Bell Dict. Law Scot. 801:
When a penal irritancy is incurred by the performance of a prohibited act, or by the failure to perform some act which is enjoined, an action of declarator of the irritancy must be raised; and, when the action comes into court, the defender may appear at the bar, and pay or perform, in terms of his obligation, whereby he will avoid the irritancy. This is called purging the irritancy.Sc. 1927 Gloag and Henderson Intro. Law Scot. 109:
The Court has an equitable jurisdiction to allow an irritancy to be purged when its exercise could be shewn to be oppressive, as where it was enforced without giving adequate notice that the debt was due.

†(2) to exonerate (a witness, etc.) from the suspicion of bias or self-interest by calling on him to clear himself by oath before giving evidence. Gen. in pass. in phr. purged of partial counsel, of a witness or the like: having taken an oath as to the disinterestedness and impartiality of the evidence he is about to give. See also Partial.Sc. 1707 Acts Gen. Assembly 21:
The Witnesses are solemnly to be purged of Malice, bribe or good deed done or to be done, and of partial counsel.Sc. 1722 W. Forbes Institutes I. iv. 212:
The Judge swears the Witness to be examined. Then asks him about his Age, and whether he be married or not, and purges him, that is, makes him swear, that he gave no partial Counsel in the Cause.Ayr. 1761 Ayr Presb. Reg. MS. (2 April):
The whole of Sir Adam Fergusson's Witnesses abovementioned being called compeared were solemnly sworn & purged of partial Council & Malice.Sc. 1829 Evans & Ruffy's Farmer's Jnl. (14 Sept.) 294:
The witnesses were sworn and purged according to the Scotch form.Sc. 1858 A. Polson Law & Lawyers 197:
Witnesses are brought into court upon a diligence, and before they can be examined, they must be purged.

3. Sc. Church usages: (1) of a church court: to investigate (an infringement of the moral law, etc.) with a view to applying the appropriate disciplinary measures to the offender. See also Scandal.Ags. 1740 W. M. Inglis Angus Parish (1904) 112:
The minister inquired if they knew of any scandals in the parish not yet purged.

(2) to check or verify the roll of communicants in a congregation by removing the names of lapsed members. Not now used.Sc. 1871 H. Moncrieff Pract. Free Ch. Scot. 15:
The Kirk-session may revise or purge the [communion] roll at any period.Sc. 1885 A. Edgar Church Life 117:
Purging the Roll.Sc. 1933 E. S. Haldane Scotland of our Fathers 146:
There was no roll of communicants; and thus, of course, the roll had not been “purged”, which is the expression used in Scotland for its verification.