Legal Definitions - tocher

Tocher is a term originating from Scots law that refers to a dowry. Historically, a tocher involved the transfer of money, property, or other valuable assets from a bride's family to the groom or his family upon marriage. This transfer was often a significant part of the marriage agreement, intended to provide for the bride's financial security, contribute to the new household's wealth, or enhance the social standing of the marriage.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of a tocher:

• Imagine a marriage arranged between two prominent Scottish clans in the 17th century. The bride's father might agree to transfer ownership of a specific parcel of fertile farmland, along with its tenants, to the groom's family as her tocher. This land would then become part of the groom's family estate, demonstrating the bride's family's contribution to the union and strengthening the groom's economic position.

• Consider a merchant's daughter marrying into a respectable family in 19th-century Edinburgh. Her family might provide a substantial sum of money and a collection of valuable household goods, such as fine linens and silver cutlery, as her tocher. This financial and material contribution would help the newlywed couple establish their home and provide a foundation for their shared life, reflecting the bride's family's commitment to their prosperity.

• In a formal marriage contract drafted by a solicitor in 18th-century rural Scotland, the document might explicitly state that the bride's father pledges a certain number of cattle, a specified amount of grain from the harvest, and a cash sum to the groom's family. This detailed list constitutes the bride's tocher, legally binding the families to the agreed-upon transfer of assets as a condition of the marriage.