Obs. Forms: 3–4 baillie, bailye, balye, 4 baili, -y, balie, bayly(e, beylie, 4–5 baly, baillye, 5 bailly, bayllye, 4–8 bailie. [ME. baillie, a. OF. baillie (= Pr. bailia, It. balia):—late L. bājulīa, f. bājulus officer, bailiff (It. bailo, balio, Pr. baile, OF. bail), with Romanic -i·a of office. In med.L. ballia, balia, baylia, bayllia, from the modern langs. In Eng. the old spellings are mixed up confusedly with those of BAILIE (F. bailli) and BAILEY (F. baille).]

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  1.  The jurisdiction, authority, charge or office of a BAILIE or BAILIFF, in the original sense; jurisdiction or charge committed to an officer, delegated authority; stewardship.

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c. 1305.  Fall & Passion, 22, in E. E. P. (1862), 13. God ȝaf him a gret maistre … of paradis al þe balye.

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c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron., 280. Þise tuo had baly of þis londes tueye.

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1388.  Wyclif, Luke xvi. 2. Ȝelde reckynyng of thi baili, for thou miȝte not now be baili.

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c. 1400.  Gamelyn, 709. Now is thy brother scherreue, and hath the baillye.

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1553–87.  Foxe, A. & M., I. 623/1. Then it shall be said to us … yeld reckoning of thy baily.

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1738.  Hist. Crt. Excheq., i. 3. There were two Sorts of Jurisdictions, the Fieffal and Bailie…. This was the ordinary Jurisdiction which from the Bailees in Normandy was here delivered over to the Sheriff in every County which thence was called his Bailywick.

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  2.  gen. Jurisdiction, authority, control, charge.

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a. 1300.  Cursor M., 9551. Þis ilk king … A seruand had in his baili [v.r. bayly, baily].

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c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 4335. He haueþ · on ys baylye x. þousant knyȝtes … To don al at ys wille.

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c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 4302. Whanne Jelousie Hadde Bealacoil in his baillie.

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c. 1450.  Merlin, vii. 111. His seal, whiche that Vlfin hath yet in his kepynge in his bailly.

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c. 1460.  Towneley Myst. 207. Thou art here in our baly withoutten any grace of skap.

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1475.  Caxton, Jason, 60 b. Whan the quene Ysiphile sawe that she had Jason in her bayllye.

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  3.  The district under the jurisdiction of a BAILIFF or BAILIE; a bailiwick.

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[1292.  Britton, I. ii. § 9. Aylours qe en sa baillie (Elsewhere than in his bailiwick).]

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c. 1314.  Guy Warw., 249. Wold God … That he were here in mi beylie.

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c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., A. 315. Þou schal won in þis bayly.

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c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron., 61. Þe duke Siward had taken in his balie Machog.

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