Letters of fire and sword were a Scottish legal instrument. If a criminal resisted the law and refused to answer his citation, it was considered treason in the Scottish courts; and “letters of fire and sword” were sent to the sheriff, authorising him to use either or both these instruments to apprehend the contumacious party. [1]
Letters of Fire and Sword were issued against the following clans:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
public domain:
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 1898 edition page 464 entry Fire and Sword
Letters of fire and sword were a Scottish legal instrument. If a criminal resisted the law and refused to answer his citation, it was considered treason in the Scottish courts; and “letters of fire and sword” were sent to the sheriff, authorising him to use either or both these instruments to apprehend the contumacious party. [1]
Letters of Fire and Sword were issued against the following clans:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
public domain:
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 1898 edition page 464 entry Fire and Sword