Sc. and north. Also 6 steding, stedding, steiding, steden. [f. STEAD sb. + -ING1.]
1. A farm-house and outbuildings; often, the outbuildings in contrast to the farm-house.
1472. Munim. de Melros (Bannatyne Club), 591. Thare Kirkis takkis teyndis stedingis malingis manaris [etc.].
1541. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., VIII. 31. Item, gevin to Alexander Kempt to help him to plenys ane steding,… x li.
1549. Compl. Scot., xv. 123. I am exilit fra my takkis and fra my steddyngis.
1555. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 146. I geue to my son Thomas Rede all my steden in the hould toune.
1682. Lond. Gaz., No. 1682/1. [The Earl of Argyle] to have forfault [printed for Fault] … all and Sundry his Lands,… Tackes, Steadings [etc.] … to our Sovereign Lord.
1799. J. Robertson, Agric. Perth, 482. Here is the most elegant and the most compleat steading of offices in that part at least of the county.
1818. Scott, in Lockhart, Life (1839), V. 289. I should like to convert the present steading at Beechland into a little hamlet of labourers.
1861. Stephens & Burn, Farm-buildings, 5. The farmhouse should be situated so as to command a view of the fields of the farm, and also be near the steading.
1901. Scotsman, 28 Feb., 6/2. The steading at the farm … was completely destroyed by fire.
2. A site for a building.
1822. Galt, Provost, vi. 40. His wife’s brother, with whom he had entered into a plea, concerning the moieté of a steading at the town-head.
1824. Mactaggart, Gallovid. Encycl., s.v. Sted, Stedding o’ houses, the ground on which an onset is built.
