Spur v.²

north. dial. Also 5 spirr, spyrr. [Special senses of spir, spur SPEER v.¹ Cf. ASK v. 20.]

  1.  trans. † a. To publish (the banns of marriage) in church. Obs.^–1

c. 1400.  York Manual (Surtees), p. xvi. Yet I spyrr y^e beynis off y^e forsayde N. and N.

  b.  In pa. pple. Of persons: To be proclaimed in church as having a purpose of marriage.

c. 1400.  York Manual (Surtees), p. xvi. N. and N. … hase bene spirred thre solemne dayes in y^e kirke.

1705.  Thoresby, Diary (1830), I. 460. There were also two-and-twenty couples spurred (to use the local word) in order to marry this day.

1828–.  in dial. glossaries, etc. (Yks., Lan., Der., Lincs.).

1852.  N. & Q., 1st Ser. VI. 329/2. ‘To be spurred up’ is to have had the banns published for three Sundays.

  2.  (See quot.) Obs.^–0

1674.  Ray, N. Co. Words, 44. To sparre … or spurre, to … cry at the Market.