Squire sb.

Forms: α. 3–7 squier (4 -are, 5 -ere), 3–6 squyer (4 sqyer, squyȝer, 5 sqvyȝer), 4–5 squyere (4 -eer), squyar; 4–5 sqwyer (5 sqwier), sqwyar (5 Sc. sqwhyare), 5–6 sqwyere; 4 scwyer, scwier, scoyer, skwier, skuyer (4–5 -ere), 5 skyer; 4 suier, 4–6 swyer, 5 swier(e, -ar. β. 4 squeyer, 4–5 squeer; Sc. 5 squear, sqwear, squere, 6 sqwere. γ. 5 swyr, 6 swyre; 5 squir, 5–6 squyre, 6– squire. δ. 7– ’squire. [ad. OF. esquier, escuier, etc., whence also the later form ESQUIRE sb.¹]

  1.  In the military organization of the later middle ages, a young man of good birth attendant upon a knight (-ESQUIRE 1 a); one ranking next to a knight under the feudal system of military service and tenure.

  α.  c. 1290.  Beket, 2427, in S. Eng. Leg., 176. For-to honouri þis holi man þer cam folk i-novȝ;… Of Eorles and of barones and manie kniȝtes heom to; Of seriaunz and of squiers.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7801. He let gadery is kniȝtes & is squiers al so.

13[?].  K. Alis., 6022. Theo kyngis ost … amounted fyve hundrod thousand Knyghtis…, withowte pages and skuyeris.

13[?].  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 824. Knyztez & swyerez comen doun þenne.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 362. Fro þe hiȝest knyȝte … to þe lowest sqwyer þat by wai of office of his state beriþ þe swerde.

1414.  Rolls of Parlt., IV. 58/2. The freest Knight or Squyer of the Rewme … may be put in prison.

c. 1425.  Eng. Conq. Irel. (1896), 8. He hade purueied hym of xxx^ti knyghtes and lx skyers.

c. 1530.  Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., 134. He was served rychely with many goodly squyers, who dyd nothing elles but … served hym alwayes.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., II. 296. The Lord James Audeley with the ayde of his foure squiers, fought alwayes in the chiefe of the battayle.

  β.  a. 1400.  R. Gloucester’s Chron., 3878 (Harl. MS. 201). Boþe kynges and dukes, and erles echon, Barons and knyȝtes, squeers monyon.

c. 1440.  Ipomydon, 320. And euery man sayd to other there, ‘Will ye se be proude squeer, Shall serue my lady of þe wyne?’

1474.  Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 69. For certane expensis maid … vpon the squere, the were man of the King of Denmarkis.

1490.  Exch. Rolls Scotl., X. 663. Our traist and velebelovit cosingis and counsailouris, clerkis, and squearis.

  γ.  1449.  Paston Lett., I. 87. He harde sey of j. swyr of ij. c. marc be ȝere that [etc.].

c. 1450.  Merlin, xiii. 191. Thei were wele armed, and hadde on hattes of stile as squyres vsed in tho dayes.

1515.  Scottish Field (Chetham), 484. Many swyres full swiftelie were swapped to the deathe.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., 16 b. Owen Glendor a squire of Wales, perceiuyng the realme to be vnquieted,… entised and allured the wilde and vndiscrite Welshmen.

1595.  Shaks., John, I. i. 177. Goe, Faulconbridge…, A landlesse Knight makes thee a landed Squire. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., II. iii. 128. A Hilding for a Liuorie, a Squires Cloth, A Pantler.

1682.  Burnet, Rights Princes, v. 147. Those of the better sort in the provinces, that were bound to come and serve as Auxiliary Troops, which was the Original of the Titles of Squires and Gentlemen.

1788.  Gibbon, Decl. & F., lviii. VI. 65. Each knight was attended to the field by four squires or archers on horseback.

1814.  Scott, Lord of Isles, I. xxix. Where squire and yeoman, page and groom, Plied their loud revelry.

1859.  Tennyson, Merlin & V., 322. I once was looking for a magic weed, And found a fair young squire.

  † b.  Placed after the surname as a designation of rank. Obs.

  Chiefly in formal documents.

1382.  in Riley, Mem. Lond. (1868), 456. [The said William Soys was attached to make answer to] Walter Begood, Squyer.

c. 1440.  Brut, II. 370. To hym come Iohn Standisch, Squyer.

c. 1460.  Eng. Reg. Oseney (1913), 138. Come John Wilcotys, squier, and all his tenauntes of þe Moore Barton.

1541.  Knaresborough Wills (Surtees), I. 81, note. Thomas Middleton, squier, and John Pullayne, gentleman, supervisors.

1586.  Brasenose College Muniments, 22. 7 Richard Pultenham Squier, prisoner in the King his Bench.

  c.  A personal attendant or servant; a follower. Also transf.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 148. Þei passen grete men in here gaye pellure … & tatrid squeyeres & oþere meyne.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Sompn. T., 535. Now stood the lordes squier at the bord, That carf his mete.

c. 1410.  Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), ii. Somtyme a gret hert hath an other felawe, þat is called his squyer.

1531.  Dial. on Laws Eng., O iiij. The same is to be holden of a Captayne, that he shall be bounde for the offence of hys squyers.

1640.  trans. Verdere’s Rom. of Rom., I. 104. They boorded the Pagans ship all three together, leaving their Squires in guard of their bark.

1831.  Macaulay, Biog. Johnson (1860), 122. Boswell importuned him to attempt the adventure and offered to be his squire.

1835.  W. Irving, Tour Prairies, 35. He must have the young Osage as a companion and squire in his expedition into the wilderness.

1887.  Ruskin, Præterita, II. 192. At Oxford, when it was thought becoming in a gentleman-commoner to have a squire to manage his scout.

  † d.  In contemptuous use. Obs.

  Cf. trencher-squire s.v. TRENCHER¹ 7.

1573.  Tusser, Husb. (1878), 62. Get trustie to tend them, not lubberlie squire, that all the day long hath his nose at the fire.

1596.  Nashe, Saffron Walden, Wks. (Grosart), III. 71. O scabbed scald squire (Scythian Gabriell) as thou art.

a. 1618.  Sylvester, Tobacco battered, 20, Wks. (Grosart), II. 267. Indian Tobacco, when due cause requires; Not the dry Dropsie, of Phantastick Squires.

  † e.  = APPLE-SQUIRE, Obs.

1610.  B. Jonson, Alch., Prol. No clime breeds better matter, for your whore, Bawd, squire, impostor,… Whose manners … feed the stage.

1617.  Middleton & Rowley, Fair Quarrel, IV. iv. When thou art dead, may twenty whores follow thee, that thou mayst go a squire to thy grave!

1622.  Breton, Strange Newes, Wks. (Grosart), II. 6/2. Other kinde of close mates there are,… and they are called Squiers, but they are onely of the order of the Apple.

  2.  Applied to personages of ancient history or mythology regarded as holding a position or rank similar to that of the mediæval squire.

  Freq., esp. in or after Biblical use, with the literal sense ‘shield-bearer’ or ‘armor-bearer.’

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 6279. King ne knight, suier ne suain, O þam come neuer a fote again. Ibid., 7717. Þe squier hight abysai, þat to þe tent com wit daui.

1382.  Wyclif, 1 Chron. x. 4. And Saul seyde to his squyer, Drawȝe out thi swerd.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 6221. [They] were gouernet by a gome,… A fyne squier & a fuerse,—Eufemius he hight.

c. 1450.  Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.), 132. Abymalech … saide thus til his sqwyere … out with thi swerde quod he and slee me hastily.

1483.  Caxton, Gold. Leg., 65 b/2. And his squyer wente to for hym & cryde ayenst them of Israhel.

1509.  Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps., Wks. (1876), 281. A squyer also of kynge Saul whan he sawe his lorde & mayster deed … slewe hymselfe.

1582.  Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 46. Then the squire emboldned dreadles thus coyned an aunswer.

1648.  J. Beaumont, Psyche, XX. lxxxi. Bacchus’s wrangling Squires, whose strange Contest Was, who should prove the best at being Beast.

1692.  Dryden, St. Euremont’s Ess., 358. Except Ajax,… there was no considerable Warriour, that had not his God upon his Chariot, as well as his Squire: the God to conduct his Spear, the Squire for the management of his Horses.

1720.  Pope, Iliad, XX. 565. The squire, who saw expiring on the ground His prostrate master.

  3.  † a. Squire of (or for) the body (or household), an officer charged with personal attendance upon a sovereign, nobleman, or other high dignitary. Obs. Cf. ESQUIRE sb.¹ 1 c.

  Used jestingly by Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., I. ii. 27.

1450.  Rolls of Parlt., V. 190/1. John Hampton Squier for oure body.

1477.  Exch. Rolls Scotl., IX. 101, note. Our lovit familiare squear of houshald Johne of Ballone.

1536.  MS. Rawl. D. 780, fol. 58 b. A new kay for the squyers of the bodys chambre.

1642.  Milton, Apol. Smect., Wks. 1851, III. 286. Some Squire of the body to his Prelat, one that serves not at the Altar only, but at the Court cupboard.

1706.  Phillips (ed. Kersey), Armiger,… a Title of Dignity, properly an Armour-bearer to a Knight, an Esquire, a Squire of the Body.

1825.  Scott, Betrothed, ii. Two squires of his body, who dedicated their whole attention to his service, stood at the Prince’s back.

  fig. and transf.  1649.  Fuller, Just Man’s Funeral, 17. A guiltie conscience, that Squire of the bodie, alwayes officious to attend a malefactour.

1665.  R. Head, Eng. Rogue (1874), I. ix. 71. From what Dunghil didst thou pick up this Shakerag, this Squire of the body?

  b.  transf. In various humorous or jocular phrases.

  † Squire of the gimlet, a tapster. † Squire of the pad: see PAD sb.² 2. † Squire of the placket, a pimp. Obs.

1611.  Cotgr., Escuyer trenchant, a caruer, or squire of the mouth.

1636.  Davenant, Wits, II. Squires of the placket, wee know you thinke us.

1679.  T. Jordan, Lond. in Luster, 20. And a Drawer that Hath a good Pallat Shall be made Squire of the Gimlet.

a. 1721.  M. Prior, Thief & Cordelier, ii. There the ’Squire of the Pad, and the Knight of the Post, Find their Pains no more balk’d, and their Hopes no more crost.

  4.  A man, esp. a young man, who attends upon, accompanies, or escorts a lady; a gallant or lover.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. i. 21. Archimago … eke himselfe had craftily deuisd To be her Squire, and do her seruice well aguisd.

a. 1625.  Beaum. & Fl., Wife for a Month, I. i. Has your young sanctity done railing, Madam, Against your innocent ’Squire?

1648.  J. Beaumont, Psyche, XXII. xlvi. Is not brave Phylax forc’d to be her Squire, And dance attendance on that Brat’s desire?

1664.  Cotton, Scarron., IV. (1715), 77. Turning strait his Eyes to Tyre, To look for Dido, and her Squire.

1676.  Wycherley, Pl. Dealer, II. E iv b. You are to pretend only to be her Squire, to arm her to her Lawyers Chambers.

  b.  Squire of dames or ladies, one who devotes himself to the service of ladies or pays marked attentions to them. † Also allusively, a pimp or pander.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., III. vii. 51. As for my name, it mistreth not to tell; Call me the Squyre of Dames, that me beseemeth well.

1619.  Fletcher, Mons. Thomas, I. i. Val. What, the old ’squire of Dames still! Hyl. Still the admirer of their goodness.

1624.  Massinger, Parl. Love, IV. iii. And how, my honest squire o’ dames? Ibid. (1631), Emp. East, I. ii. You are The squire of dames, devoted to the service Of gamesome ladies,… their close bawd.

1886.  Illustr. Lond. News, 9 Jan., 31/2. Such attentions as would have been considered marked even in a ‘Squire of ladies.’

1900.  R. H. Savage, Brought to Bay, vi. 105. It was no light-minded squire of dames who sat alone in the smoking-room.

  5.  Employed as a title and prefixed to the surname of a country gentleman, freq. forming part of his customary appellation. Now chiefly colloq.

  Orig. applied to those having the rank of a squire in sense 1: (cf. 1 b).

1645.  Symonds, Diary (Camden), 169. The King lay at Bisbury,… where Squire Gravenor (as they call him) lives.

1669.  W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 363. That great naturalist, Squire Boyl.

1712.  E. Cooke, Voy. S. Sea, 456. The principal Officers of the three Ships went ashore with ’Squire Hollidge.

1765.  Foote, Commissary, I. Wks. 1799, II. 14. Our ’Squire Wou’d-be is violently bent upon matrimony.

c. 1795.  ? Burns, Poem on Pastoral Poetry, iv. Squire Pope but busks his skinklin patches O’ heathen tatters!

1812.  Crabbe, Tales, xii. 1. ’Squire Thomas flatter’d long a wealthy aunt.

1857.  Hughes, Tom Brown, i. Here … lived and stopped at home, Squire Brown, J.P. for the county of Berks.

1882.  [see SQUIRESHIP 2].

  b.  A country gentleman or landed proprietor, esp. one who is the principal landowner in a village or district.

  Broom-squire: see BROOM sb. 6.

  γ.  1676.  Wycherley, Plain Dealer, Dramatis Pers., Jerry-Blackacre, a true raw Squire under Age,… bred to the Law.

1718.  Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett., 31 Oct. (1763), III. 129. I think the honest English squire more happy, who verily believes the Greek wines less delicious than March beer.

1771.  Smollett, Humph. Cl., I. 17. And in the mean time I hobbled after the squire.

1818.  Scott, Rob Roy, xiv. A bet or two … placed me on an easy and familiar footing with all the young squires, except Thorncliff.

1855.  Poultry Chron., II. 281/2. It was unanimously decided that ‘the squire,’ who also was member for the borough, should be asked to act as patron.

1875.  W. S. Hayward, Love agst. World, 2. The old squire held his head high among the aristocracy of the county.

  δ.  1711.  Addison, Spect., No. 112, ¶ 7. The Parson is always preaching at the ’Squire, and the ’Squire … never comes to Church.

1750.  Johnson, Rambler, No. 30, ¶ 6. I was looked upon in every country parish as a kind of social bond between the ’squire, the parson, and the tenants.

1783.  Crabbe, Village, II. 55. Here too the ’squire, or ’squire-like farmer, talk.

1826.  in Sheridaniana, 331. Sheridan was once on a visit to a great Norfolk ’Squire.

1841.  E. Miall, Nonconf., I. 242. Little ignorant puffy ’squires propose to blow themselves out to these dimensions.

  c.  In various slang uses (see quots.).

[1688.  Shadwell (title), The Squire of Alsatia.]

a. 1700.  B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Squire of Alsatia, a Man of Fortune, drawn in, cheated, and ruin’d by a pack of poor, lowsy, spunging, bold Fellows that liv’d … in White-Fryers. Ibid. The Squire, a Sir Timothy Treat-all; also, a Sap-pate…. A fat Squire, a rich Fool.

1785.  Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., Squire of Alsatia, a weak profligate spendthrift; squire of the company, one who pays the whole reckoning, or treats the company, called standing squire.

1834.  H. Ainsworth, Rookwood, IV. ii. I must insist upon standing Squire [later edd. Sam] upon the present occasion.

  6.  U.S. A Justice of the Peace; also, a lawyer or judge.

1817.  J. Bradbury, Trav. Amer., 320. He is not in the least danger of receiving a rude or uncivil answer, even if he should address himself to a squire (so justices are called).

1822.  J. Flint, Lett. fr. Amer., 143. Squire, the appellation designating a Justice of the Peace, or Magistrate, is commonly retained for life, although out of office.

1859.  Bartlett, Dict. Amer. (ed. 2), 442. Squire, the title of magistrates and lawyers. In New England it is given particularly to justices of the peace and judges. In Pennsylvania, to justices of the peace only.

  7.  Austr. (See quot.)

1883.  E. P. Ramsay, Food Fishes N. S. Wales, 10. The carnivorous Sparidæ include the Schnapper, Pagrus unicolor, the immature young of which are known respectively as the ‘squire’ and red bream.

  8.  attrib. and Comb. a. Appositive, in early use chiefly in senses related to 3 a, as squire beadle (see BEADLE 3), carver, fruiterer, priest, saddler; in recent use in sense 5 b, as squire-farmer, -parson, -priest.

  (a)  1601.  F. Tate, Househ. Ordin. Edw. II. (1876), 13. The squire fruiterer shal receve electuaries, confections, and other spiceries.

1615.  Caution-Book of Balliol Coll. (MS.), fol. 11. I John Bell in the University of Oxon Squirebedle.

1618.  Stow’s Surv., 184. M. Thomas Cure, Sadler, and Squire Sadler to Queen Elizabeth.

1643.  Plain English, 14. They … have … made good Squire Priests prophesie.

1686.  trans. Chardin’s Trav., 227. From whence other Officers carry’d em [sc. dishes] before the Squire-carvers.

  (b)  1850.  Thackeray, Pendennis, xxvi. The wine-merchants’,… solicitors’, squire-farmers’ daughters.

1863.  A. Blomfield, Mem. Bp. Blomfield, I. iv. 104. The treatment of the mere curate,… and of the independent squire-parson of good family.

1888.  Dowden, Transcripts, 189. The Chartist-peer, the lord-loving democrat, the squire priest.

  b.  Misc., as † squire-hart (see quot. and sense 1 c, quot. c. 1410); squire-errant, a squire who acts like a knight-errant; hence squire-errant vb., -errantry; squire-trap, a soft spot or piece of ground into which one may sink while riding after hounds.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 135. Vntill he see … the great Hart hauing … his little squier-hart to attend him.

1733.  Fielding, Don Quix. in Eng., III. i. The extreme difficulties … of knight-errantry … and of ’squire-errantry. Ibid., II. vi. I hate your squire-errants that carry arms about them. Ibid., III. ix. Ah, sir, I have been a squire-erranting to some purpose.

1859.  G. A. Lawrence, Sword & Gown, ii. 14. Old Heathfield, who, when he is up to his girths in a squire-trap, never halloas ‘ware bog,’ till five or six more are in it.

1861.  Whyte-Melville, Market Harb., 88. Miss Dove was fast luring him into a country which was very cramped and blind, full of ‘doubles,’ ‘squire-traps,’ and other pit-falls for the unwary.