Sc. and Irish. Variant of SOUM sb.2; see also quots. 1744, 1780.
[1526. in Sir A. Agnew, Hist. Hered. Sheriffs Galloway (1864), 158. The pertinents—viz., eight sums of cows, one mare,… with their sequels.]
1621. Sc. Acts, Jas. VI. (1816), IV. 612/2. Act declairing summes Grasse gevin to þe Ministeris for þr gleibis to be teyndfrie.
1744. Smith & Harris, County of Down, 134, note. A Sum of Cattle in these Parts is what they call a Collop in other Parts of Ireland, consisting of one full grown Cow or Bullock, of three Years old, or a Horse of that Age;… in some places a Horse is reckoned a Sum and half. Eight Sheep make a Sum.
1780. A. Young, Tour Irel., I. 284. Keeping a cow is a sum; a horse a sum and an half;… a barrel or potatoe setting … all these are sums.
