A Scottish magistrate or chief officer of a city or town, similar to an English bailiff; also a Scottish feudal official.
From Old French 'bailli,' derived from 'bailler' (to deliver or administer). The term became specifically Scottish, where it retained its medieval meaning longer than in England.
Scottish bailies wielded real power well into modern times—they weren't just administrators but could order arrests, settle disputes, and collect taxes, making them figures of genuine authority in their communities.
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