jan 1, 1555 - underbit

Description:

A north-country term for the cuts on the ears of farm animals which helped to determine their ownership. It was one of several marks which identified a black wether owned by John Grensyd of Sheriff Hutton: 1539 <i>a headles crose upon the nar fore shoulder a blot of tar on the tayll head and twyse under byt in the Far eayre and ret in the nar eayre and halteth on a hynder legg</i>: his black filly was <i>ret in the nar eayre and under byt in the same</i> (YAJ36/182). The OED separates the term from ‘underbitted’ but they shared the same meaning. In 1555 William Brerey of Pannal left to his daughter Alice <i>a browne rigged cowe, under bytted of bothe eyres</i> (SS104/69).

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