Obs. exc. Hist. Forms: 4–6 blaunch(e, 4– blanche, 6– blanch; Sc. 7 blensch, blenshe, 7– blench. [a. OF. blanche, fem. of blanc white; see BLANK. Occurring originally only where the fem. would be used in French.]
† 1. White, pale. Chiefly in specific uses, as blanch fever, blanch powder, blanch sauce. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 40 (Mätz.). He wedded þe dukes douhter, faire Emme þe blaunche.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 916. And some þow seydist had a blaunch feuere.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 9. Thanne cometh the blanche fever With chele.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum, 28. Blaunche sawce for capons.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, in Babees Bk. (1868), 122. Aftur sopper, rosted apples, peres, blaunche powder, your stomak for to ese.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 17. Affayted with the blanche feures.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health (1636), 125. A very good blanch powder, to strow upon rosted apples.
2. Her. White, argent.
1697. Lond. Gaz., No. 3287/4. Robert Dale, Gent., Blanch-Lion Pursuivant.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, IV. xxx. For who … Saw the blanche lion e’er fall back?
3. Blanch, Sc. blench; more fully blanch farm, blench ferme [OF. blanche ferme]; according to Spelman and Coke, Rent paid in silver, instead of service, labor or produce; in Scottish writers extended to a merely nominal quit-rent, not only of money, as a silver penny, but of other things, as a white rose, pair of gloves, pair of spurs, etc., paid in acknowledgement of superiority.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 36. Frie tennents, haldand their lands, be blenshe ferme.
[1627. Spelman, 232. Firma alba, ea est quae argento penditur, non pecude.]
1642. Coke, Inst., II. 19. Redditus albi, White rents, blanch farmes, or rents, vulgarly and commonly called quit rents … called white rents, because they were paid in silver, to distinguish them from work-days, rent cummin, rent corn, [etc.].
1768. Blackstone, Comm., II. 42.
1864. Glasgow Daily Her., 24 Sept. Changing the tenure of the castle … to free blench farm, for payment of a penny silver, if asked only.
1602. K. Jas. I., Law Free Mon., in Life (1830), I. ix. 294. The King changeth their holdings from tack to feu, from ward to blanch, [etc.].
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 21. Gif anie man hes lands haldin in frie soccage (in blensch or few).
1670. Blount, Law Dict., s.v., To hold Land in Blench, is, by payment of a Penny, Rose, Pair of Gilt Spurs, or such like thing, if it be demanded; In name of Blench.
1799. J. Robertson, Agric. Perth, 45. The blanch, feu, and other casualties of superiority payable to the crown.
1814. Scott, Wav., III. 8. The holding of the Barony of Bradwardine is of a nature alike honourable and peculiar, being blanch.
1868. Act 31–32 Vict., ci. § 6. The lands are … to be holden of the grantor in free blench.
b. as adv. = In blench.
1828. Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), I. 254. A grant of land … either for military service or to be held blench for the payment of a nominal feu-duty.
1860. J. Irving, Dumbartonsh., 386. The coronatorship of the County to be held blench of the crown for one penny.
c. So blanch duty, blanch holding, blanch kane; blanch holden adj.
1634–46. Row, Hist. Kirk (1842), 345. All blench holden lands.
1723. W. Buchanan, Fam. Buchanan (1820), 245. Payment of four pennies of blench-duty if demanded.
1753. Scots Mag., XV. 49/1. To change all ward holdings of the principality of Scotland into blanch holdings.
1754. Erskine, Princ. Sc. Law (1809), 150. Blanch-holding … is that whereby the vassal is to pay to the superior an elusory yearly duty, as a penny money, a rose, a pair of gilt spurs, &c. merely in acknowledgment of the superiority, nomine alba firmæ.
1872. E. Robertson, Hist. Ess., 137, note. The obligations … commuted for a money payment, known as Blanche Kane.
