Now Hist. Forms: 1 (9) socn, 3 socne, sockne, 6 socon(e; 4 so(o)kne, sokene, 5 sokyn, 5– soken. [OE. sócn, = ON. and Icel. sókn (Norw. sokn; Sw. socken, Da. sogn parish), Goth. sōkns search, enquiry (cf. OHG. sôhni), f. sōk- stem of OE. sécan, ON. sǽkja, etc., to SEEK. See also the comb. CHURCH-SOKEN.]
† 1. An attack or assault. Obs. rare.
Beowulf, 1777. Ic þære socne singales wæʓ modceare micle.
† 2. Resort to, or visiting of, a place; habitual going or haunting. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 508. Ða towende se biscop þæt weofod, and þa dwollican socne mid-ealle adwæscte.
a. 1023. Wulfstan, Hom. (1883), 134. We … ure synna … ʓeorne betan mid … ælmessan & mid ciriclicere socne.
c. 1205. Lay., 2365. Þat inne swiðe feire stude from socne þes folkes.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 261. Heo þouȝte, for heo was so i-knowe,… Þe lasse sockne heo hadde [= would have] of hire folie.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 463/2. Sookne, or custome of hauntynge…, frequentacio, concursus.
† b. spec. Resort of tenants or others to a particular mill to have their corn ground; the right of the mill to such custom. (Cf. SOKE1 3.) Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 67. Gret soken hath this meller, out of doute, With whete and malt, of al the lond aboute.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 9 b. That maner of grynding is called loue Socone, and the lordes tenauntes be called bonde socon.
1591. Knaresborough Wills (Surtees), I. 175. Dareley mylne, with the soken and suite there to belonginge.
† 3. Right of prosecution, legal investigation, or jurisdiction. Cf. SOKE1 1. Obs.
a. 1012. Laws of Æthelred, III. xi. Nan man naʓe nane socne ofer cynges þeʓen buton cyng sylf.
a. 1066. in Kemble, Codex Dipl., IV. 200. Swa ðæt nan scyrʓerefe oððe motʓerefe ðar habban æni socne oððe ʓemot buton ðes abbudes aʓen hæse.
[1114–8. Laws Hen. I., XIX. 2 (Liebermann). Omnium terrarum, quas rex in dominio suo habet, socnam pariter habet.]
1155. in Anglia, VII. 220. Þæt ic hæbbe heom ʓeunnon … saca & socne … ofer heore aʓene men.
† b. (See quot.) Obs.–1
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 95. Soka, sute of court, and þefor comeþ Sokene, but Sokene oþerwhile is forto aske lawe in þe gretter court.
4. = SOKE1 2.
c. 1030. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1912), Jan., 15. Ðis is seo socn into Scyre-burna, mid folc-rihte.
c. 1133–54. Libertas Lond., 4. Donec custos illius socne, in qua manserit, de recto tenendo uicecomiti defecerit.]
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 78. Rondulf þe Reue of Rotelondes sokene. Ibid. (1393), C. III. 111. Bette þe budele of banneburies sokne.
1465. Paston Lett., II. 204. Yt ys told me that ȝong Heydon reysyth mych pepyl in the sokyn.
1485. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 284/1. The Castell, Mannor and Lordshipp of Kimbalton, with the Sokyn of the same.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 535. About Venice and all that tract, the Willowes serue the turne and none else, by reason that the whole soken standeth so much vpon water.
a. 1670. in T. Blount, Law-Dict., s.v. Rime,
| In the Countrey hard was we, | |
| That in our Soken shrews should be. |
1861. Hook, Lives Abps., I. v. 245. By his right of lord of the socn he could try and execute thieves found upon any of his estates.
1874. Stubbs, Const. Hist. (1875), I. v. 80. The lord of a soken and patron of hundreds of servants and followers.
