dempster
(ˈdɛm(p)stə(r))
Forms: 4 demstere, demestre, -ter(e, demister(e, (demmepster, demaistre), 4, 7 demster, 6 demstar, 4, 8–9 dempster. See also deemster.
[ME. dēmestre, in form fem. of dēmere, deemer, judge: see -ster. The root-vowel was originally long: cf. the modern form deemster, used in the Isle of Man; but in general use it was shortened at an early date in consequence of the elision of the short vowel of the second syllable, and the collocation of consonants in demstre; whence the forms demster, dempster. Dempster is also a surname.]
† 1. A judge. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 5585 (Cott.) Prist and demmepster sai i [v. rr. demestre, demister, domesman]. Ibid. 7005 Aioth was þan þe dempster [v. rr. demester, demister]. Ibid. 22920 [He] sal cum befor þe demstere [v. rr. demestere, demistere, demester]. ? c 1320 Anticrist 550 Ffor drednes o þat demster. |
b. for deemster 2. (Isle of Man.)
| 1823 Scott Peveril xv, One of the dempsters at the time. |
† 2. In Scotland, formerly; ‘The officer of a court who pronounced doom or sentence definitively as directed by the clerk or judge’ (Jamieson).
| 1513–75 Diurn. Occurrents (1833) 117 [They] creatit baillies, serjantis, clerkis, and demstaris. 1752 J. Louthian Form of Process 57 The sentence is read by the clerk to the Demster, and the Demster repeats the same to the pannel. 1753 Stewart's Trial 283 The court proceeded to give judgment; which, being written down in the book, and signed by the whole judges, was read by the clerk, and, in the usual manner, repeated pronounced by the dempster to the pannel as follows. 1825 Jamieson Dict. s.v., As the repetition of the sentence after the judge has been of late years discontinued, the office of Dempster in the Court [Edinburgh] is also laid aside. |
Hence † ˈdempstery, demstary, the office of dempster.
| 1551 Aberdeen Reg. V. 21 (Jam.), The office of demstary. |