Also 6–7 factour. [ad. Fr. facteur, ad. L. factor, agent-n. f. facĕre to do, make. Some of the obs. senses are immediately from L.]
I. A doer, agent.
† 1. One who makes or does (anything); a doer, maker, performer, perpetrator; an author of a literary work. Obs. or arch.
1563. Mirr. Mag., Hastings, xxxi.
| And while on Earth they walke, disguised deuils, | |
| Sworne foes of vertue, factours for all euils. |
1598. J. Dickenson, Greene in Conc. (1878), 116. Where vertue hath one affecter, vice hath many factors.
a. 1635. Corbet, Poems (1807), 18.
| Their plays had sundry grave wise factors, | |
| A perfect diocess of actors. |
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., III. (1702), I. 141. An avow’d Factor and Procurer of that odious Judgement.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., xiii. 321. We find him next trying, with loathsomest subterfuge, to fasten upon the factor of his monster-crime its responsibility and retribution.
† 2. A partisan, adherent, approver. Obs. [So in med. Lat.; Du Cange regards it as a corruption of the synonymous FAUTOR; but cf. L. facere cum aliquo to take a person’s side.] In the latest examples with mixture of sense 1 or 3.
1502. Arnolde, Chron. (1811), 177. Alle the whiche done asken or byleuen in whichcrafte and sorsery of what sumeuer kinds they ben and and their facturs and felowis.
1542–7. Boorde, Introd. Knowl., xvi. (1870), 165. Martyn Leuter & other of hys factours, in certayne thynges dyd take synistrall opinions.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. ii. 400. The most rigid of modern Factours for the Independent congregations would draw their files out of the army of our Nationall Church, and set up a congregation wherein Christ shall reigne in Beautie and Puritie.
1685. Stillingfl., Orig. Brit., Two very busie Factours in the Arian Cause, freely own the malitious Intrigue that was carried on in the prosecution of him.
1715. Bentley, Serm. x. 365. What is he but a vile Factor to Libertinism and Sacrilege?
3. One who acts for another; an agent, deputy, or representative. Now rare.
1485. Caxton, Charles the Grete, iii. (1881), 16. The kyng made none other ansuer but sente anone Aurelyen his factour to agabondus for to haue the goodes longyng to the quene Clotildis.
1551. Edward VI., Letter, in Udall’s Royster D. (1847), p. xxx. note. Lycense to … Nicholas Udall and to his factors and assignes to prynt … the worke of Peter Marter.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1684), III. 643. They … Authorised … the Vicechancellor, to be the common Factor for the University.
1631. Gouge, God’s Arrows, IV. xv. 397. Parker was a kind of factor for English Seminaries and Nunnes beyond sea.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Sat. Quack, Wks. 1730, I. 63.
| Death’s busy factor, son of desolation, | |
| Thy country’s curse, and grievance to the nation. |
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., V. i. (1869), II. 298. These judges were a sort of itinerant factors, sent round the country for the purpose of levying certain branches of the king’s revenue.
1862. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), IV. xxxiii. 104. The jealousy of the emperor was peculiarly sensitive in regard to every act and word of his factor at Alexandria.
fig. 1601. Dent, Pathw. Heaven, 72. All other vices are but Factors to Couetousness, and serue for Porters to fetch and bring in her liuing.
1673. S. C., Art of Complaisance, viii. 70. Whilst reason and honesty, are too oft made factours to their avarice.
4. Comm. One who buys and sells for another person; a mercantile agent; a commission merchant. Also in comb., as corn-, cotton- produce-, wool-, etc. factor.
At the present time, a factor is distinguished from an ordinary agent or broker, in having actual possession of the goods he deals in, and trading in his own name.
1491. in Arnolde, Chron. (? 1503), 40/1. Shall ressayue the said v. C. frank of ye said J. de castro and alonso or of any of them or of theyr factors.
1523. Act 14–15 Hen. VIII., c. 1. No person … shall sell … to any marchaunt … or to any of his … factours … any maner of brode white wollen clothes.
c. 1592. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, I. i. Bid my factor bring his loading in.
1683. Lond. Gaz., No. 1852/8. A Factor … for Norwich Hose or Stockings.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. x. 113. Send Factors all over India to carry on trade.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman, xlviii. (1841), II. 212. The buyers of cheese, butter, corn and malt, are called factors.
1850. W. Irving, Mahomet, v. (1853), 26. Mahomet … was employed by different persons as … factor in caravan journeys to Syria.
1891. P. O. London Directory, 1689/3. Corn and flour factors. See also … Malt factors … Hop factors … Seed factors.
b. One of the third class of the East India Company’s servants. Obs. exc. Hist.
[1600. Min. Crt. Adventurers, 23 Oct., in Cal. State Papers, E. Indies (1862), 109. Thos. Wasse to be employed as factor. Ibid., 18 Nov. ibid., 111. Three principal factors to have each 100l. for equipment … four of the second sort to be allowed 50l. … four of the third sort 50l. … and four of the fourth and last sort 20l. each.]
1675–6. in J. Bruce, Ann. East-India Co. (1810), II. 375. We do order, that … when the Writers have served their times they be stiled Factors.
1781. Ld. Cornwallis, Corr. (1859), I. 378. We … have a council and senior and junior merchants, factors and writers, to load one ship in the year.
1800. Wellington, in Owen, Desp., 719. Writers or factors filling the stations of registers.
c. At Birmingham and Sheffield: A trader who buys hardware goods from the workman or ‘little master’ by whom they are made, usually causing his own trade-mark to be stamped upon them.
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, II. 13. The operatives pressed between reduced prices and want of work, betook themselves to the factors. The factor … advanced to the workman a small sum to purchase the requisite tools.
d. attrib.
1858. H. Vaughan, Address River Usk, Pref. 18.
| The factour-wind from far shall bring | |
| The odours of the scatter’d Spring. |
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), I. 304. Certain Merchant-Adventurers in the Letter-Trade, who in Correspondence with their Factor-Bookseller, are enter’d into a notable Commerce with the World.
1880. Browning, Dramatic Idyls, 2nd Ser., Clive, 91. This fell in my factor-days.
5. One who has the charge and manages the affairs of an estate; a bailiff, land-steward. Obs. exc. Sc.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., II. viii. (1634), 187. If any idle Factor or Bayliffe doe devoure his masters substance.
1640–1. Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855), 17. That he retein in his own hand his factor’s fie.
1683. Pennsylv. Archives, I. 54. Wm Pickering of yr Province factor … to one Growden.
1722. Wodrow Corr. (1843), II. 672. Call for as many copies as you want … from Mr. M‘Ewens factor.
1804. J. Bristed, Pedestrian Tour, I. 230. Lord Kinnaird’s factor, or bailiff-steward.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes (1858), 326. The Steward, Factor as the Scotch call him, used to send letters and threatenings, Burns says, ‘which threw us all into tears.’
1885. Act 48 Vict., c. 16 § 11. It shall not be lawful for any assessor … to be employed as a factor for heritable property or land agent.
b. A person legally appointed to manage forfeited or sequestered property. Sc.
1690. Acts of Sederunt, 31 July. The factor shall be lyable for annualrent of what rents he shall recover.
1753. Trial of James Stewart, 153. The sole offence taken at Glenure, was his acting in the quality of factor on the forfeited estate of Ardshiel.
1885. R. Bell, Hand-bk. Law Scot., § 1480. To take measures for the preservation of the estate … by the appointment of a judicial factor.
c. U. S. Law. (See quot.)
1878. Drake, Attachm. (ed. 5), § 451. In Vermont and Connecticut, he [the garnishee] is sometimes called a factor, and the process [of garnishing], factorizing process.
II. 6. Math. One of two or more numbers, expressions, etc., which when multiplied together produce a given number, expression, etc. Also, common, primary, prime factor, for which see the adjs.
1673. Kersey, Algebra, I. iv. (1725), 15. The Quantities given to be multiplied one by the other are called Factors.
1780. Hutton, in Phil. Trans., LXX. 408. For that zy may be positive, the signs of the two factors z and y must be alike.
1855. H. Spencer, Princ. Psychol. (1872), II. VII. i. 305. Error in either factor must involve error in the product.
1881. Maxwell, Electr. & Magn., I. 1. Every expression of a Quantity consists of two factors or components.
7. transf. An element which enters into the composition of anything; a circumstance, fact, or influence which tends to produce a result.
1816. Coleridge, Lay Serm., 339. The reason … is the science of the universal, having the ideas of oneness and allness as its two elements or primary factors.
1845–6. Trench, Huls. Lect., 1st Ser. i. 14. This Book … is so essential a factor in the spiritual life of men.
1878. Gladstone, Prim. Homer, 77. The first factor in the making of a nation is its religion.
