Plural of dempster; judges or arbiters in medieval Scottish courts, or officials who executed legal decisions.
From Middle English and Scottish English 'dempster,' from Old French 'demptour,' related to Latin 'damnare' (to judge/condemn). The term evolved in Scottish legal tradition to denote court officials with judicial authority.
Medieval Scotland had its own unique legal system, and dempsters were the equivalent of judges—they weren't just deciding cases, they were actively carrying out sentences, making them fearsome figures in their communities.
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