Scot and lot

Scot and lot

Scot and lot (0. Fr. "escot", AS. "sceot", a payment; lot, a portion or share) is a phrase common in the records of English medieval boroughs, applied to those householders who were assessed for a tax (such as tallage) paid to the borough for local or national purposes.

They were usually members of a merchant guild.

Previous to the Reform Act of 1832 those who paid scot and bore lot were often entitled to the franchise. The expression used today originated from this time period. Members that did not pay their taxes "got off " ".

The phrase is preserved in the Disorderly Houses Act of 1751, which empowers inhabitants of a parish or place paying scot and bearing lot therein (i.e. ratepayers) to require the constable of the parish to prosecute disorderly houses.

See D. P. Fry, "On the Phrase Scot and Lot", in "Trans. Philological Society" (1867), pp. 167-197; C. Gross, "Gild Merchant", i. c. iv.; Pollock and Maitland, "Hist. Eng. Law", p. 647.

References

*1911


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  • Scot and lot — Scot Scot, n. [Icel. skot; or OF. escot, F. [ e]cot, LL. scottum, scotum, from a kindred German word; akin to AS. scot, and E. shot, shoot; cf. AS. sce[ o]tan to shoot, to contribute. See {Shoot}, and cf. {Shot}.] A portion of money assessed or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scot and lot — (del francés clásico escot, anglosajón sceot, es un pago; un lote, una porción o impuesto) es una frase común en los documentos ingleses de origen medieval.[1] Se solía emplear en aquellos impuestos de carácter urbano (como el tallaje). Se… …   Wikipedia Español

  • scot and lot — 1. Brit. Hist. a municipal tax assessed proportionately upon the members of a community. 2. pay scot and lot, to pay in full; settle finally. [1275 1325; ME, rhyming phrase; see SCOT, LOT] * * * …   Universalium

  • Scot and Lot — ♦ A traditional expression for borough dues; those paying scot and lot were normally householders paying their full dues and thus ranking as members of the town community. (Reynolds, Susan. An Introduction to the History of English Medieval Towns …   Medieval glossary

  • scot and lot — A customary contribution laid upon all subjects according to their ability; duties the payment of which was a prerequisite to the right to vote. In the frame or Code for the province of Pennsylvania, compiled by William Penn, it was provided that …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • To pay scot and lot — Lot Lot (l[o^]t), n. [AS. hlot; akin to hle[ o]tan to cast lots, OS. hl[=o]t lot, D. lot, G. loos, OHG. l[=o]z, Icel. hlutr, Sw. lott, Dan. lod, Goth. hlauts. Cf. {Allot}, {Lotto}, {Lottery}.] [1913 Webster] 1. That which happens without human… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scot and lot — A tax, i.e. *scot, levied on members of a borough in varying proportions or shares, i.e. lot. Behind it was the idea that those who shared in the obligations and responsibilities by paying tax would also share in the privileges. It was a mark of… …   Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases

  • scot and lot — historical a tax levied by a municipal corporation on its members. → scot …   English new terms dictionary

  • scot and lot — noun Date: 15th century 1. a parish assessment formerly laid on subjects in Great Britain according to their ability to pay 2. obligations of all kinds taken as a whole …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • scot and lot — tax that is paid according to one s ability …   English contemporary dictionary

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