Obs. Forms: 5 streete, strete, 6 streate, streitte, streicte, streyte, strette. [Aphetic variant of ESTREAT sb.] = ESTREAT sb. 1 and 2. Also attrib. as streat-office.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 480/1. Streete catchepol bok to gader by mercymentys.
1451. Paston Lett., Suppl. 34. Blake was atte London on Thursday and herd no word of the stretes.
1467. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 400. Alle suche issues so forfet by defaute to be written out in stretys. Ibid. (1479), 421. Therupon the seide Toune clerk to make vp his Stretys vnto the Baillifs.
1507. in Sel. Cases Star Chamber (Selden Soc.), 257. He … retaynyth the Court Rolls … and also the Streittes of the same Courtes.
1538. in Reg. Priory St. Bees (Surtees), 486. All mercyamentes and fynys in ye strettes of ye graves marcyell in ye courtes of sanct Bees.
a. 1547. in J. R. Boyle, Hedon (1875), App. 73. The maiore or chamberlains or any other officer that hathe anye streictes, rentalles, or bookes. Ibid. (c. 1550), App. 85. All accyons that comes to your handes ye shall enttare and make owt your streytes of the same.
a. 1601. Sir T. Fanshawe, Pract. Exch. (1658), 93. He certifieth into the Clerke of the Streate office Yearly in the Exchequer, all the Kings moities recovered.
