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Historical Scottish Heraldic Rank Terminology
Draft Edition

Below are various useful links regarding pre-17th century Scottish heraldic rank terminology, primaily from the DOST section of the Dictionary of the Scots Language(x). (These terms are in the Scots language.)

Ranks

There were five ranks in the Scottish system, listed below from highest ranking to lowest ranking.

King of Armis or King at Armis (= English <King of Arms>)

There was only one king of arms in Scotland, namely Lyon King of Arms.

DOST-DSL s.v. King, sense 1.f., King of Armis(x)

DOST-DSL s.v. Lion, sense 3.(x)

Herald [of/at Armis] (= English <Herald>)

All those of the rank of herald appear to have had heraldic titles, e.g. "Rothesay Herald".

DOST-DSL s.v. Herald(x)

Pursevant [of/at Armis] (= English <Pursuivant>)

All those of the rank of pursuivant appear to have had heraldic titles, e.g. "Bute Pursevant".

DOST-DSL s.v. Pursevant(x)

Macer [of/at Armis]

Macers do not appear to have had heraldic titles.

DOST-DSL s.v. Macer, sense 1.a.(x)

Mesinger [of/at Armis]

Messengers do not appear to have had heraldic titles.

DOST-DSL s.v. Mesinger, sense 1.b.(x)

Kinds

Within the various ranks (below king of arms), an officer of arms could be either "ordinary" or "extraordinary".

Ordinar (= English <Ordinary>)

DOST-DSL s.v. Ordinar, sense 1.c.(x):
Sense 1.[a.] = "1. Belonging to the regular or usual order; according to the established rule; occurring in the fixed or customary sequence; regular, normal, customary, usual."
Sense 1.c. = "c. Of one holding an office or engagement: Having a regular or permanent appointment, not temporary or occasional or otherwise irregular."
From 1587: "Lyoun King of armes and his brether the ordinar heraulds" [1587 Acts III. 449/2.] (emphasis added)
From 1561: "Ane lettre … makand him ane of his hienes massour ordinar" [1561 Reg. Privy S. MS. XXX. 44 b.] (emphasis added)

Extraordinar (=English <Extraordinary>)

DOST-DSL s.v. Extraordinar(x):
Sense 1. = "1. adj. Out of the ordinary or usual course; not of the ordinary kind or class."
Sense 2. = "2. Additional to the ordinary amount or number; extra."
Sense 4. = "4. n. An unusual or additional amount, thing, or person."

DSL-DOST s.v. Pursevant(x):
From 1569: "His hienes umquhile derrest fader and moder … providit … Thomas Barry … to the first ordinar place of pursevant that sal happin to vaik and in the mene tyme ordanit him to be callit Ettrik pursevand extraordinar" [1569 Reg. Privy S. VI 139/1] (emphasis added)
From 1584: "Ane cataloge of … heraldis, extraordinar maseris, maseris, pursevantis and messingeris" [1584-5 Reg. Privy C. III 720.] (emphasis added)
From 1587: "How of late 3eiris thair is enterit in the office of armes sindry extraordiner maseris and pursevantis and a verie greit nowmer of messingeris" [1587 Acts III 449/2.] (emphasis added)

Acts of Parliament Regarding Heralds and Heraldry

Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, 1587

Apparently only partially quoted in the The Officers of Arms Act of 1587(x) sub-section of the Acts on Authority(x) section of the Documents on the Lord Lyon(x) page of the Heraldica(x) web site.

Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, 1592

Fully quoted on the Acts of Parliament and Council Relating to Administration of Armorial Bearings: 1592, C. 125; fol. edit. C. 29 (Jac. VI)(x) page of The Heraldry Society of Scotland(x) web site.

Partially quoted in the The Lyon King of Arms Act of 1592(x) sub-section of the Acts on Authority(x) section of the Documents on the Lord Lyon(x) page of the Heraldica(x) web site.

Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, 1672

Quoted on the Acts of Parliament and Council Relating to Administration of Armorial Bearings: 1672, c. 21; fol. edit. C. 47 (Car. II)(x) page of The Heraldry Society of Scotland(x) web site.

Quoted in the The Lyon King of Arms Act of 1672(x) sub-section of the Acts on Authority(x) section of the Documents on the Lord Lyon(x) page of the Heraldica(x) web site.

Glossary

Scots

Scots is a language closely related to English. There are many terms, some more respected than others, used for the modern Scots language and/or specific dialects of Modern Scots, including <Broad Scots>, <Lallans>, <Lowland Scots>, <Aberdonian>, <Doric>, <Glaswegian>, and many others. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Scots speakers themselves called their language <Inglis>, while in the 16th century they took to calling it <Scottis>.

Some linguists consider Scots to be a separate language from English, others consider it a dialect of English. Since the categorization of independent language vs. dialect is a subjective one (and often based on non-linguistic considerations), there is no "one true answer". I choose to refer to Scots as a language for several reasons, including that I simply find it makes it easier to talk about and explain the linguistic situation in both modern and medieval Scotland.

Note that the word <Scots> has several other, more common, meanings in addition to referring to the Scots language, including, as an adjective, the meaning "Scottish" and, as a noun, the meaning "more than one Scottish person".

Notes

Bibliography

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