Sumpter

sb. arch. Forms: 4–7 sompter, 4, 8 sumter, 5 sometour, 6 sumtar, 7 som(e)ter, 4– sumpter. See also SUMPTURE². [a. OF. som(m)etier Pr. saumatier (cf. med.L. saumaterius):—pop.L. *sagmatārius, f. sagmat-, sagma SUM sb.²: see -ER².]

  † 1.  The driver of a pack-horse. Obs.

c. 1320.  Brasenose Coll. Muniments, 52. 49 (MS.). Robert the Sumpter.

13[?].  K. Alis., 6007 (Laud MS.). Dryuers Gyoures, & Sumters [v.r. sumpteris].

c. 1420.  Sir Amadace (Camden), xxx. His sometour and his palfray-mon bothe.

1523.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xviii. 21. Incontinent were sent thither horses and sompters, to fetche thens some purueyance.

1601.  F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 87 (1876), 52. Al palfreours & somters of the kinges house.

  2.  A pack or baggage horse; a beast of burden.

1570.  Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), I. 302/1. Thus the Byshop … prouideth out of euery Citie in England ij. palfreys and ij. sumpters.

1577.  Holinshed, Chron., II. 718/2. He gaue right great … giftes, lading his sumpters with plate and threasure.

a. 1625.  Fletcher, Noble Gent., V. i. You should have had a Sumpter … where now you are fain, To hire a Rippers mare.

1697.  Collier, Ess. Mor. Subj., II. (1703), 147. He may, like a sumpter, carry things of value, but he never wears them.

1700.  Dryden, Iliad, I. 74. Then … he … Feather’d Fates among the Mules and Sumpters sent.

1849.  Alford, Gk. Test., Matt. xxi. 6, 7. The Lord sat on the foal,… and the mother accompanied, apparently after the manner of a sumpter.

  fig.  1605.  Shaks., Lear, II. iv. 219. Returne with her? Perswade me rather to be slaue and sumpter To this detested groome.

  † 3.  A pack, saddle-bag. Obs.

1570.  Levins, Manip., 76. A Sumpter, sarcina.

1611[?].  Beaum. & Fl., Cupid’s Rev., V. i. I’ll have a horse to leap thee, and thy base issue shall carry Sumpters.

1652.  Cotterell, trans. Calprenède’s Cassandra, III. (1676), 54. [He] commanded Cloaths of the Macedonian fashion to be taken out of his Sumpter.

1666.  Lond. Gaz., No. 106/4. His Mules with their Sumpters covered with Scarlet, Embroidered with Gold.

1681.  W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen. (1693), 198.

  4.  attrib. (often equivalent to pack-; see PACK sb.¹ 14). a. in sense 1, as sumpter boy, man.

1392–3.  Earl Derby’s Exp. (Camden), 255. Pro expensis de somptermen.

c. 1420.  Sir Amadace (Camden), xxviii. Thenne his sometour-mon before was dyȝte.

14[?].  Lat.-Eng. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 586. Gerolotista, a sompturman.

1588.  Kyd, Househ. Philos., Wks. (1901), 270. He must needs be chargde with sompter men.

1601.  F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 96 (1876), 56. That none of the kinges meignee … charetters or sompter boy … keepe his wife at the court.

1627.  J. Taylor (Water P.), Armado, C 4 b. Sumptermen, Littermen and Coachmen.

1725.  MSS. Dk. Portland (Hist. MSS. Comm.), VI. 81. Samll. Jackson, the sumpter man.

  b.  in sense 2, as sumpter animal, ass, beast, camel, dog, horse, mule, pony; hence (= baggage-) sumpter canoe, car.

14[?].  Lat.-Eng. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 582. Falerarius, a sompterhors.

1502.  Privy Purse Exp. Eliz. York (1830), 14. Six tapettes for the sompter horses.

1577.  Harrison, Descr. Brit., III. viii. The auncient vse of sommers and sumpter horses is in a maner vtterly relinquished.

1579–80.  North, Plutarch (1676), 430. They overthrew their carriages and sumpter Moyls.

1602.  ? Donne, To Sir N. Smyth, 133. That Scot … who, at his coming up, had not A Sumpter-dog.

1707.  Mortimer, Husb. (1721), I. 225. Two Mules that were Sumpter-Mules to a Colonel in Flanders.

1758.  Mrs. Delany, Lett. to Mrs. Dewes, 1 Oct. A train of two chaises and two cars with us … and our sumpter-car.

c. 1760.  Smollett, Ode to Indep., 95. So moves the sumpter-mule, in harness’d pride.

1764.  Harmer, Observ., XI. v. 222. A sumpter camel, which carries his treasure.

1821.  Southey, Exped. Orsua, 191. The sumpter beasts, who were partly laden with powder.

1832.  R. & J. Lander, Exped. Niger, III. xix. 159. Besides our convoy, we had a sumpter-canoe in company.

1863.  Baring-Gould, Iceland, 166. The horses tripped over swamps which would have engulphed the sumpter pony.

1873.  Tristram, Moab, iii. 45. The rest … kept a sharp look-out on the sumpter animals.

1879.  Walford, Londoniana, II. 33. From the knightly charger to the humble sumpter-horse.

  c.  = Covering or carried by a sumpter animal, as sumpter cloth, saddle, trunk.

1569.  Wills & Inv. Richmond (Surtees), 219, iiij^or hackney sadles … One sumtar sadle.

c. 1575.  J. Hooker, Life Sir P. Carew (1857), 177. ij sompter clothes.

c. 1653.  in Verney Mem. (1907), I. 535. Yalowe haire sumpter trunkes.

1666.  Lond. Gaz., No. 97/2. Thirty seven Mules with their Sumpter-Cloaths nobly embroidered with Gold.

1715.  Lady G. Baillie’s Househ. Bk. (S.H.S.), 187. For 2 sumter trunks £4 0 0.

1760–72.  H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), II. 52. I have seen an ass clothed in a very gorgeous sumpter-cloth.

1818.  Scott, Br. Lamm., ix. Without the saddle being decored wi’ the broidered sumpter-cloth.

1852.  Burn, Naval & Milit. Dict., II. (1863), 277/1. Sumpter-saddle, bât, selle de somme.

  Hence † Sumpter v. trans., to put on one’s back; to wear.

c. 1590.  Trag. Rich. II. (1870), 7. For your sakes … For once Ile sumpter a gawdye wardropp.