{{short description|Colloquial term for a Scottish Poor Law tax}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} '''Buttock mail''' or '''buttock hire''' was the colloquial term for a Scottish Poor Law tax which was introduced in 1595. Enforced by the ecclesiastical courts who had responsibility for the moral behaviour of the laity, buttock mail was levied as a fine for sexual intercourse out of wedlock.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/buttock|title=Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: SND :: buttock}}</ref>
==Etymology== In the 17th century, and perhaps earlier when the law that became known as buttock mail was passed, buttock was a colloquial term for a prostitute. The term mail is an old Scots word meaning a monetary tribute or payment (a loanword from Scottish Gaelic ''màl''), from the same root as the word blackmail. Thus, the term buttock mail literally means a monetary payment related to prostitution, referring to its being a fine for fornication, or sex outside of marriage.<ref>{{Harvnb|Grose|Partridge|1931|p=64}}</ref>
==History== Ecclesiastical courts had existed since the Norman invasion. While secular courts were tasked with enforcing secular laws, the responsibility of the ecclesiastical courts was to enforce religious and moral laws. This included discipline of the clergy, enforcement of probate and wills, as well as enforcement of laws that kept the laity within moral bounds. These ecclesiastical courts were very powerful until the late 17th century, when the Glorious Revolution removed much of their power. The remaining jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts was removed in the 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Cannon | first = John | title = The Oxford Companion to British History | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2002 | isbn = 0-19-860514-5}}</ref>
Fornication was against the law, and punishments were enforced by these ecclesiastical courts.<ref>{{Harvnb|Jamieson|1825|p=166}}</ref> The normal punishment was a public confession through use of the Stool of Repentance, but payment of buttock mail commuted this sentence, allowing the convicted fornicator to avoid public humiliation.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Smith, Sydney | title = The Edinburgh review: or critical journal, Volume 3 | publisher = A. Constable | year = 1804 | pages = 206 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Gt2Wdbj2RGgC&dq=buttock+mail&pg=PA206|display-authors=etal}}</ref> The term buttock mail was in use from the 16th until the 19th century.<ref>{{Harvnb|Partridge|Simpson|1973|p=139}}</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== {{refbegin}} *{{citation |last1=Grose |first1=Francis |last2=Partridge |first2=Eric |title=A classical dictionary of the vulgar tongue |publisher=Beard Books |year=1931 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bl-ZETld7zcC&dq=buttock+mail&pg=PA64 |isbn=1-58798-247-1}} *{{citation |last=Jamieson |first=John |authorlink=John Jamieson |title=An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language ...: Supplement, Volume 1 |publisher=University Press |year=1825 |page=166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9w8oAAAAYAAJ&dq=buttock+mail&pg=PA166}} *{{citation |last1=Partridge |first1=Eric |last2=Simpson |first2=Jacqueline |title=The Routledge dictionary of historical slang |publisher=Routledge |year=1973 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0voNAAAAQAAJ&dq=buttock+mail&pg=PA139 |isbn=0-7100-7761-0}} {{refend}}
{{Poor Law}}
Category:Scottish Poor Laws Category:Economic history of Scotland Category:Taxation in Scotland Category:1595 establishments in Scotland Category:16th century in Scotland Category:17th century in Scotland Category:18th century in Scotland Category:19th century in Scotland Category:Social history of Scotland Category:Scots law Category:Prostitution in Scotland Category:Scots language Category:Ecclesiastical courts Category:Legal history of Scotland Category:History of taxation in the United Kingdom Category:Abolished taxes