Obs. Also 5 somon-, 6 sommon-; 5 -ycion, 6 -icion, -ycon, -itioun. [ad. med.L. summonitio, -ōnem, n. of action f. summonēre to SUMMON.] A summons.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 598. To somon hem, by good somonyciouns, that thei be than before the forsaid Iames and Iohn.
1502. Arnolde, Chron., 82 b/2. Our letters patentis of our Sommonicion of the dett.
1531. in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford (1880), 99. After lawfull summonycon made by the bedylls or other offycers.
c. 1575. Balfour, Practicks (1754), 305. Ane persoun beand summoundit … gif he, the time of the making of the said summonitioun,… do require ane copie fra the persewar [etc.].
1593. Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 364. The plea or Quare impedit, when the Bishop refuseth the Patrones Clearke as well for the summonitions, as for the returne, is mentioned in the Statute of Marlebridge.
1765–8. Erskine, Inst. Law Scot., IV. i. § 4. Where mention is made of the word summons, or summonition, in the old books of our law … that term is to be understood, not of the warrant of citation, but of the citation given upon the warrant.
b. attrib. (see quot.).
a. 1816. Bentham, Offic. Apt. Maximized, Introd. View (1830), 18. Summonition mandate will accordingly be seen taking place of sub-pœna.
