Ledger sb. and a.

Forms: (5 legerd), 5–9 legger, 6 ledgar, leadger, lydger, -ear, ligear, -ier, legior, 6–7 lidger, liger, legier, 6–8 lieger, leager, 6–9 leger, leiger, 7 leidger, liedger, leeger, legar, lyger, leig-, lieg-, leag-, lidgier, ligyor, legyor, 6– ledger. [The senses represent Du. ligger and legger, f. liggen, leggen, LIE, LAY vbs. The Eng. forms lidger, ledger, cannot be direct adoptions of the Du. words, but may be formations on Eng. liggen, leggen, dial. forms of LIE, LAY vbs. + -ER¹, in imitation of these.]

  A.  sb.

  1.  A book that lies permanently in some place. † a. gen. Obs.

1538.  Wriothesley, Chron. (1875), I. 85. The curates should provide a booke of the bible in Englishe, of the largest volume, to be a lidger in the same church for the parishioners to read on.

  † b.  spec. A large copy of the Breviary. Obs.

1401.  in J. H. Wylie, Hist. Eng. Hen. IV., IV. 198. [Items of expenditure] 19 portos, 3 liggers.

1444.  in Dugdale’s Mon., VI. 1427. Duo portiphoria … alias nuncupata lyggers.

1481.  Churchw. Acc. Yatton (Som. Rec. Soc.), 112. To Iohn Brene writer on part of payment for the legger the x day of June … £iij. vj^s viii^d. Ibid. (1484), 115. Payd to the Scryvener for the legerd … xxj^s.

1496.  Will of Howneslowe (Somerset Ho.). Portiferium alias vocat Legger.

1530.  Abp. Warham, in Wills Doctors’ Comm. (Camden), 23. Omnes libros meos vocatos ledgers, grayles, et antiphonaria.

1691.  Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. 572. The said Archb. [Warham] left all his … Ledgers, Grayles and Antiphonals to Wykeham Coll.

  † c.  A record-book; a register. Obs.

1550.  Acts Privy Council (1891), III. 3. To … enter … all such decrees, determinacions, and other thinges … in a booke, to remaigne alwaies as a leger.

1553.  S. Cabot, Ordinances, in Hakluyt, Voy. (1589), 259. To put the same into a common leger to remain of record for the companie.

1605–47.  Habington, Surv. Worcs., in Proc. Worc. Hist. Soc., I. 33. I was suffered by a speciall frynd to see the Legers of the Church of Worcester.

1625.  Gill, Sacr. Philos., VIII. 136. Some Liger, or booke of record, wherein such memorable things were written … as might serue for remembrance to future ages.

1666.  Wood, Life, 25 June. Perused the evidences of Queen’s Coll., and afterwards a leiger, or transcript of all the evidences.

  d.  Comm. The principal book of the ‘set of books’ ordinarily employed for recording mercantile transactions.

  Its distinctive feature is that its contents consist of ‘debtor-and-creditor accounts.’ Usually each person (or firm) with whom the trader has business relations has an account in the ledger, headed with his name, and showing the sums charged to his debit on the left page or half-page, and on the right those credited to him. In the system of ‘double entry’ the ledger includes other accounts of similar form to these, but headed with the designations of certain branches or subdivisions of the trader’s own business.

1588.  J. Mellis, Briefe Instruct., C iv b. After you haue thus sette euery parcell orderly in your Iournal, then it behoueth you to take out the said parcelles, and compile and indite them into the third booke, called the Leager, which commonly is made of double so many leaues as is the Iournall.

1662–3.  Pepys, Diary, 7 Jan. So to my office all the morning, signing the Treasurer’s ledger.

1679.  R. Chamberlain, Accomptant’s Guide. Pref. At the end of the Leager there is a ballance of the Leager.

1745.  De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman (1841), II. xxxii. 43. It is usual to mark the ledgers alphabetically thus—Ledger No. A.

1783.  Burke, Rep. Affairs Ind., Wks. XI. 291. The journals and legers of the Treasury.

1838.  Dickens, Nich. Nick., xvi. He had a thick ledger lying open before him.

1873.  Hamerton, Intell. Life, X. viii. (1875), 379. The mind is like a merchant’s ledger, it requires to be continually posted up to the latest date.

  fig.  1809–10.  Coleridge, Friend (1818), III. 315. An improved system of book-keeping for the ledgers of calculating self-love.

  2.  A horizontal timber in a scaffolding, lying parallel to the face of the building and supporting the putlogs. (Cf. ligger.)

1571.  Stanford Churchw. Acc., in Antiquary, XVII. 170/1. It. for iiij^e prays & a hundreth lydgers xijd.

1703.  T. N., City & C. Purchaser, 231. In Building of Scaffolds … the Ledgers … are those pieces that lie Parallel to the side of the Building.

1703.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 251. Timber, or short Poles … from the Leggers into their Brickwork.

1823.  P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 303. A frame of wood, braced with strong pieces of timber, and secured by ledgers and feet.

1883.  Law Times Rep., XLIX. 139/1. The scaffolding was constructed of five … uprights and one ledger, this ledger being only two boards wide instead of five.

  3.  A flat stone slab covering a grave.

c. 1510.  Contr. for tomb Hen. VII., in Britton, Arch. Antiq. (1809), II. 21. 100 foote of blacke towchestone is sufficient for the legger and the base of the said tombe.

1852.  J. L. Chester, Westm. Abbey Reg. (1876), 514, note. Buried in the North Cloister of Westminster Abbey, under a black marble ledger, close to the North wall.

1883.  Kerry, St. Lawrence, Reading, 136. The old ledger on which Barton’s brass was laid.

1890.  Archæol. Jrnl., XLVII. 100. A ledger in the chancel at Burton commemorates Sir William Goring.

  4.  The nether millstone. Now dial.

a. 1530.  Heywood, Play Weather (Brandl), 743. Fere not the lydger, be ware your ronner … Perchaunce your lydger doth lache good peckyng.

1686.  Plot, Staffordsh., 170. The Mole-cop-stone being always the runner, and the Darbyshire stone, the Legier.

1825.  J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 451. The bed of masonry which supports the legger.

  5.  Angling. Short for ledger-bait (see 8).

1653.  Walton, Angler, vii. 149. You may fish for a Pike, either with a ledger, or a walking-bait; and you are to note that I call that a ledger which is fix’d, or made to rest in one certaine place when you shall be absent.

1859.  S. C. Hall, Bk. Thames, 278. The usual practice is to fish for barbel with the ledger.

1882.  Daily Tel., 28 Oct., 3/4. The only chance is to fish with a leger on the submerged banks in the eddies for roach.

  6.  An ordinary or resident ambassador; also, a papal nuncio. Obs. exc. Hist. in form lieger.

1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII. (1809), 724. The Viscount Rochforth retorned into England & so did the Bishop of Bathe shortly after leavyng Sir Anthony Broune behind for a Ligier.

1563–87.  Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 260/1. The realme was neuer lightlie without some of the popes ligiers with all violence exacting and extorting continuall provisions, contributions, [etc.].

1577–87.  Holinshed, Chron., III. 896/2. The bishop of Bath … laie there for the king as legier.

1599.  Hakluyt, Voy., II. 165. William Harborne was sent first Ambassadour unto Sultan Murad Can—with whom he continued as her Majesties Ligier almost sixe yeeres.

1605.  Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxiii. § 20. A Nuntio of the pope, returning from a certayne Nation, where hee serued as Lidger.

1630.  M. Godwyn, trans. Bp. Hereford’s Ann. Eng. (1675), 39. Prat, Leiger here for the Emperour,… without leave withdrew himself from court.

a. 1639.  Spottiswood, Hist. Ch. Scot., VI. (1655), 351. By a letter sent from Mr. Archibald Douglas that stayed as Lieger in England, he found him not well disposed in the businesse.

1655.  Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. § 22. A Nuncio differed from a Legate, almost as a Lieger from an extraordinary Ambassadour.

1855.  Costello, Stor. Screen, 3. I was then—as I am now—the lieger of the house of Nidau.

  7.  transf. and fig. a. A (permanent) representative; a commissioner; an agent; also, an ‘ambassador of the Gospel.’ Obs. or arch. in form lieger.

1603.  Shaks., Meas. for M., III. i. 59. Lord Angelo hauing affaires to heauen Intends you for his swift Ambassador, Where you shall be an euerlasting Leiger.

1607.  Dekker, Knt.’s Conjur. (1842), 34. The poxe lyes there as deaths legyer.

1611.  Barksted, Hiren (1876), 87. But sighes he sends out on this embassie, Liegers that dye ere they returne againe.

1619.  Hutton, Follie’s Anat., A 7. He … like a ledger at the Tables end Takes place for an inuited friend.

1627–77.  Feltham, Resolves, I. xii. 19. Every good man is a Leiger here for Heaven.

1651.  Jer. Taylor, Clerus Dom., 20. God sent at first Embassadours extraordinary and then left his Leigers in his Church for ever.

1664.  Butler, Hud., II. iii. 140. Has not this present Parliament A Ledger to the Devil sent, Fully empowr’d to treat about Finding revolted Witches out?

1671.  Flavel, Fount of Life, viii. 23. The Mediator that made it, lies as a Lidger in heaven to maintain it for ever and prevent new Jars.

1791.  Cowper, Iliad, XXIV. 171. Mark me,—I come, a lieger sent from Jove [Gr. Διὸς δέ τοι ἄγγελος εἶμι].

  † b.  One who is permanently or constantly in a place; a resident. Obs.

1599.  B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., IV. iv. Hee’s a lieger at Horne’s ordinarie yonder.

1611.  Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., VII. xiv. (1623), 416. King Ethelred thus rid of these his vnlooked for guests, sought to remoue those leigers that lay in Cumberland.

1612.  Bp. Hall, Serm., v. 63. All Palestine … was but, as Jerome which was a lieger there reckons it, 160 miles long.

1650.  Fuller, Pisgah, 428. Seeing it is said of Anna … that she departed not from the Temple, it will be enquired whether any women were constantly Leigers to live therein. Ibid. (a. 1661), Worthies (1662), I. 4. Of these wonders, some were transient,… others Liegers and Permanent.

  † c.  Welsh ledger: ? ‘a jocular name for the cuckoo’ (Nares). Obs.

1607.  Middleton, Five Gallants, V. i. Your deuice here is a Cuckow sitting on a tree, the Welsh Lidger; good.

  8.  attrib. and Comb., as (sense 1 d) ledger-account, -clerk, -entry, -man; also ledger-like adj.; ledger-bait, a fishing bait that is made to remain in one place (also attrib.); so ledger-hook, -line, -tackle; ledger-blade, in a cloth-shearing machine, the stationary straight-edged blade, placed as a tangent to and co-acting with a spiral blade on a cylinder, and used to trim the nap and reduce it to a uniform length; ledger-millstone = sense 4; ledger-stone = sense 3; ledger-wall = foot-wall.

1727–41.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Book, The *ledger account of cash.

1653.  Walton, Angler, vii. 149. Your *ledger bait is best to be a living bait.

1740.  R. Brookes, Art of Angling, I. ii. 8. Ledger-Bait Angling is when the Bait always rests in one fixt and certain Place.

1839.  Ure, Dict. Arts, etc. 1323. The … fixed … or … *ledger blade.

1887.  Times, 10 Oct., 3/3. The prisoner, who was employed as a *ledger clerk and accountant … had been in the habit of misappropriating fees.

1682.  Scarlett, Exchanges, 37. A formal Journal, or *leidger Entry.

1849.  Freese, Comm. Class-bk., 97. Forms of Ledger-Entries.

1653.  Walton, Angler, vii. 153. Having given you this direction for the baiting your *ledger hook with a live fish or frog.

1846.  Hawthorne, Mosses, II. iii. (1864), 62. A folio volume of *leger-like size and aspect.

1882.  Ogilvie, *Ledger-line,… a kind of tackle used in fishing for barbel and bream.

1883.  Fisheries Exhib. Catal., 56. Spoon Baits, Paternosters, Ledger Lines.

1820.  Keats, Isabella, xviii. How was it these same *ledger-men could spy Fair Isabella in her downy nest?

1548.  Udall, Erasm. Par. Luke, xvii. 140. To be cast headlong into the sea with a great *lidger milstone tied about his necke.

1851.  E. Moore, in Fen & Marshland Ch., Ser. III. (1869), 65. Two stone coffins with the *ledger stones belonging to them.

1894.  Jessopp, Random Roaming, etc. 188. Certain rather handsome ledger stones that were lying in the chancel.

1867.  F. Francis, Angling, i. (1880), 51. There are many places … which can only be fished with *ledger tackle.

1872.  Echo, 5 Aug. Heavy leger tackle.

1881.  Raymond, Mining Gloss., *Ledger-wall.

  B.  adj.

  I.  In attributive use.

  † 1.  Ledger-ambassador or ambassador ledger: resident or ordinary ambassador. So ledger Jesuit. Obs.

1550.  Edw. VI., Jrnl., in Rem. (Roxb.), 258. That Sir Iohn Mason shuld be embassadour ligier.

1577–87.  Holinshed, Chron., Hist. Scot., 344/2. Monsieur Doisell, liger ambassador for the French King.

1606.  Proc. agst. Late Traitors, 32. Baldwin the Ligier Jesuite in Flaunders.

1615.  G. Sandys, Trav., 85. The Kings of England and of France haue here their Ledger Embassadours.

a. 1670.  Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1692), 120. The leiger Embassador of the Catholick King.

1755.  Carte, Hist. Eng., IV. 111. A duplicate of the order [was] sent to Sir Walter Aston, the lieger embassador.

1755.  Johnson, Leger, any thing that lies in a place; as, a leger ambassador.

  transf. and fig.  a. 1613.  Overbury, A Wife (1638), 286. Sleepe is Deaths Leiger-Ambassadour.

1639.  Cade, Serm. necess. for Times, 10. Gods Lieger Ambassadour residing in our hearts.

1649.  Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., Pref. § 45. Christ having left his Ministers as Lieger Embassadours to signifie and publish the Lawes of Jesus.

  † 2.  Remaining in a place; resident; permanent; stationary Also fig. constantly in use; said, e.g., of a joke, ‘standing,’ ‘stock.’ Ledger side: the side on which something lies. Obs.

1547.  Injunct. Edw. VI., in Kitchin, Winchester Docum. (1889), I. 184. iiij legior bybles to be hadde continually within the Churche.

1642.  Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., IV. xxi. 354. How mercifull is he to such who not out of leigier malice, but sudden passion, may chance to shed blood.

1647.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb., V. § 146. This Petition, deliver’d publickly, and read … by their Leiger Committee.

1654.  Gayton, Pleas. Notes, I. viii. 28. Like a bruised Codling Apple a little corrupted on the Leiger side.

1655.  Fuller, Hist. Camb., 156. Their habits, gestures, language, lieger-jests, and expressions. Ibid. (a. 1661), Worthies, Kent (1662), II. 59. The great Soveraign, built at Dulwich, [in later edd. corrected Woolwich] a Lieger-ship for State, is the greatest Ship our Island ever saw.

1662.  Stillingfl., Orig. Sacr., II. iv. § 8. God had a kind of Leiger-Prophets among his people.

  3.  Mus. Ledger line, one of the short lines added temporarily above and below the stave to accommodate notes in a passage which cannot be contained by the usual five lines. They are numbered from the stave upward and downward, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., ledger lines above or below. Also ledger space, a space between two ledger lines or between the stave and the 1st ledger line.

  [The origin of this use is not clear; perh. the word may be the sb. used attrib. with allusion to sense A 2. The common statement that it represents the F. léger light, slight, is baseless.]

1700.  Playford, Skill Mus., i. 6. And then you add a Line or two to the five Lines, as the Song requires, those Lines so added being called Ledger-Lines.

1775.  Ash, Leg’erline,… a line above or below the five to receive an ascending or descending note.

1793.  Trans. Soc. Arts, V. 125. The ledger or occasional lines, drawn through the heads of the notes.

1818.  Busby, Gram. Mus., 20. The situation of G in the first ledger space, being higher than any within the stave, that note is called G in Alt.

1879.  C. J. Evans, Lett., in Musical Times, 1 June, 327/2. A ledger line has never been typographically either lighter in shade or thinner in substance than its accompanying stave lines.

  II.  In predicative use, esp. in to be, lie ledger. (In many cases the word may be taken either as sb. or adj.)

  4.  Resident in the capacity of ambassador, commissioner or agent. Obs. exc. arch.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 113. His Ambassadour that was ledger at Rome.

a. 1635.  Corbet, Poems (1807), 121. He was Natures factour here, And legier lay for every sheire.

1642.  W. Mountagu, in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), I. 300. The Committee that are to lie leiger there.

1647.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb., II. § 24. Those who … lay leiger for the Covenant, and kept up the spirits of their countrymen by their intelligence.

a. 1670.  Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1692), 29. One that lay lieger at London for their dispatches.

1826.  [see LEAGUER sb.¹ 4].

  † 5.  Lying or resting in a place; stationary; resident. a. of persons.

1600.  Fairfax, Tasso, I. lxx. 15. Returne not thou, but legier stay behinde.

1632.  Chapman & Shirley, Ball, V. i. Two or three English spies told us they had lain leger three months to steal away the Piazza, and ship it for Covent Garden.

1638.  R. West, To Mem. T. Randolph, 15, in R.’s Poems. For Humours to lye leidger they are seene Oft in a Taverne, and a Bowling-greene.

a. 1656.  Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 434. Astymedes remained Lieger at Rome, that he might know what things were transacted.

1660.  Milton, Free Commw., Wks. 1851, V. 438. They meet not from so many parts remote to sit a whole year Lieger in one place, only now and then … to convey each Man his bean or ballot into the Box.

  † b.  of things. Obs.

1577.  B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., 25. Wheate … yf the ground be to riche where it is sowen, it wyll growe to ranke, and lye leadge[r] vpon the grounde.

1611.  Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girl, III. i. 91. A name which Ide teare out From the hye Germaines throat, if it lay ledger there To dispatch priuy slanders against mee.

1639.  Fuller, Holy War, I. xx. (1640), 32. Shiloh, where the Ark was long leiger. Ibid. (1650), Pisgah, II. xiv. 300. These wise men perceiving this … to be no light constantly Leiger in the skies, conclude it an extraordinary Embassadour sent upon some peculiar service. Ibid. (a. 1661), Worthies, Lond. (1662), II. 223. A rusty Musket, which had lien long Leger in his Shop.