Marguerite's Pelican Scroll, in Scots

I was so very pleased to do a Scots Pelican text for +dervish spin , who shares my love of wordplay.  The text is in very late 15th century/early 16th century Scots.  Definitions in the footnotes are based on the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue and Black's Law Dictionary.


Brion, by rycht off armes kynge off the Est, and Anna, by the same rycht Quhene, to the justiciaris[1], schireffis, prouosts[2] and thir baillieis[3] and the reste of owr ministeris and faithfull subgectis to quhom thaise present lettiris sall cume, greitings.  Know that it is the intencioun of owr will that Marguerite inghean Lochlainn sall be and heirby is raisit and eleuaitit to the Ordoure off the Pellican, with all richtis, privelegis, frensches[4], essys[5], and fredwmys[6] appertinent thairvnto, to hawe and to hold the saim freelie, fully, paisibilly and withoutin perturbacion or distroubelance[7].  So we ordour yhow, and eche of yhow, firmlie and vnder threit off the appropriat penaltie, that yhow schold not imputt[8] ony wrang, greifance or injustis or impose ony impediment or vexacione on the forsayde Marguerite in the exercese off the said-foure richtis, privelegis and frensches, essys, and fredwmys, or permitt thais thingis to be imposit on hir in keipyng with the tenore off owr grant and intencioun declarit abuf. In testymony off quhiche matere we ordainyt thais owr letteris to be made patent and proclaimit in owr councel at Bergental on the thryd day off December in the fiftie-fyrst yhere off the Societe.


[1] Justiciars - one of two or three chief ministers of the Kings of Scotland.

[2] Provosts - in medieval Scotland, the head of a municipal corporation or burgh; the chief magistrate of a town.  However, it was amusing in the SCA context to tell several Masters of Defense that their provosts are now responsible for keeping Marguerite from being harassed or annoyed.

[3] Baillie - in medieval Scotland, a town magistrate.

[4]  Franchises - recognized legal freedoms or immunities.

[5]  Assizes - in context, the right to convene persons to conduct judicial-type inquiries.  Given that Marguerite's salons on SCA issues were one of the services specifically cited as a reason for her Pelican, giving her the official right to convene persons to conduct inquiries seemed particularly appropriate.

[6]  Freedoms - precisely what it says on the tin, albeit in cool Scots spelling.

[7]  Distroubelance - one of my new favorite words ever.  Defined by DOST as "disturbance, troubling, molestation."

[8] Imput - to impose upon, used both in the negative and the positive.