Extracts from the Records: 1581, Oct-Dec

1581, Oct-Dec

4 October 1581.

Statute for convening of the counsale.

For better convening of the counsale vpoun the ordinar dayes of Wednisday and Fryday in mair frequent assembly, it is statute and ordanit that the counsale bell begyn to ring ane quarter of ane hour before ten houris and to ring quhill the said ten houris be strikken, and quha swa beis absent at the ceissing of the said bell or hour, to pay xviijd., and for the haill day v s., without thai haif speciall licence grantit to thame be the provest or baillies, and ordanis him that sall be ostearius that owlk to collect the said vnlawes, keip the boxe and mak compt thairof, and delyuer the sam to the nixt ostearius of the nixt owlk.

6 October 1581.

Proclamatio, fornicatoures.

Statutes and ordanis for swamekill as thair is dyuers persounis of this burgh quha hes fallin in the filthy cryme of fornicatioun, for the quhilk thai haif nother satisfeit the maiestratis nor vnderlyin the discyplyne of the kirk, thairfore to wairn and charge the saidis persounis be oppin proclamatioun that thai compeir and mak thair satisfactioun to the saidis maiestratis, submitt thame selffis to the discyplyne of the kirk betuix this and the fourt day of Nouember nixt, with certificatioun to the saidis persounis gif thai failyie the said cryme being bypast, the paynis contenit in the actis of parliament maid anent fornicatoures sall be execut aganis thame with all rigour; forther that nane pretend ignorance of the guid ordour tane for suppressing of the said vice heirafter, certefeand all persounis, indwellares of this burgh, and vtheris resortand within the samyn quha may happin to fall in the said cryme, that fra the day and daitt heirof the paynis contenit in the said actis of parliament will be extremlie execut aganis thame.

11 October 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, Sym, Coninghame.

[The provost, bailies, and council] for caussis and consideratiounis moving thame, gevis and disponis to Peter Cvninghame, seruand to the laird of Lethingtoun, the sowm of ane hundreth pund quhilk wes apprehendit in the handis and possessioun of vmquhill James Grahame and pertening to the guid towne as escheitt throw being of the said James convict of thift before the saidis prouest and baillies and execute to the deid thairfore; and thairfore ordanis Jhone Sym, baillie of the yeir past, to delyuer to the said Peter the sowm of fourty ane pund of the said sowme being in his handis, and siclyke ordanis Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, to deliuer to the said Peter the rest thairof in his handis extending to the sowm of fyftie nyne pundis, and the sam sall be allowet to the saidis persounis in thair comptis, provyding alwayes that thai caus the said Peter to pay to the officiaris for thair travellis in apprehending and vpbringing of the said vmquhill James furth of Leyth the sowm of foure pund of the reddiest of the saidis sowmes.

13 October 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, hospitall, charge, maisteris of the hospitall.

Vnderstanding that the money collectit of the nychtboures for reparatioun of the hospitale wes nocht sufficient to repair the sam, for the quhilk caus and that the wark suld nocht lye idill and decay, Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, had lent to the maisteris of the said hospitale the sowm of ane hundreth pundis, thairfore ordanis the said sowme to be allowet to the said thesaurer in his comptis, and the saidis maisteris of the hospitall to be comptabill thairfore.

20 October 1581.

Proclamatio, hostillares.

The prouest, baillies, dene of gild, thesaurer, and [eight] of the counsale ordanis proclamatioun to be maid throw this burgh chairgeing all nychtbouris hostillares burgessis or indwellares of this burgh that sall resaue ony maner of persoun in lugeing with thame during this present parliament to signifie and gif vp thair names incontinent to the maiestratis, conforme to ane writting direct from the Kingis Grace commanding the sam vnder [the rest is blank].

Commissioneris to the parliament.

Electis, nominatis, and cheissis my lord provost, and Jhone Jhonestoun, collectour, commissionares for the guid towne in this parliament to begyn the xxiiij of October instant within this burgh, and ordanis ane commissioun to be direct heirvpoun vnder thair seill of caus in commoun forme.

21 October 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, Stewart, mase.

[The provost, bailies, council, and deacons of crafts] ordanis Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, to content and pay to Robert Stewart, maser to the guid towne, the sowm of fourty pund for dyuers consideratiounis moving thame and for helping and supporting him to by his abulyeamentis and claythis for the honour and decoratioun of the towne quhais mase he hes to beir at this present parliament.

27 October 1581.

Certane writtis of the towne, Stewartis, vnlaw, Nicoll, Guthre.

[In presence of the provost, bailies, and council] comperit William Stewart, eldare, and producet and delyuerit to thame the writtis and lettres vnderwrittin concerning the guid towne quhilk he had in his handis the tyme he wes clerk deputt, viz.: Ane obligatioun or promeis maid to the guid towne be vmquhill Marie, Quene Dowarier, Regent of this realme for the tyme, of the sowme of j^c lxvj li. xiij s. iiijd. and that of the rest of j^m li. lent be the towne to Monsier Dosall; Item, ane decreitt obtenit be the towne aganis Leyth vnder the subscriptioun of maister James Fowlis of Colintoun, clerk of register, chairgeing Leyth to desist fra bying of pryssis, etc.: Ane licence gevin be the Quenis Grace to the towne to chaynge the merketis to quhat place of this burgh thai think expedient; Item, lettres of the lordis chairgeing all skipperis, maisteris, and marineris of schipis als weill strayngeris as vtheris that thai tak away na greitt coill vsit for the commoun fyres furth of the realme, at ony tyme heirafter; Lettres for strikking vp of duris in Leyth for nocht selling of thair victuall bot keiping of thame to ane derth; maister Robert Rychertsoun, thesaurers deschairge of the sowme of xij^c li. for license to remane at hame fra Fawlay raid; Ane decreitt aganis the inhibitantis of Leyth subscryuit be maister Thomas Marioriebankis, clerk of register, decerning thame to desist and ceis fra pakking, peilling, bying, or selling of walx, wyne, or vther staipill guidis within Leyth or ony vther pairtis within the townis fredome, vnder the payne of j^c merkis ilk persoun, etc., and in speciall ane decreitt aganis vmquhill Jhone Wycht for payment of j^cmerkis for contravening of the decreitt foresaid; Lettres of arreisting of westland heiring and vther fisches transportit be westland men to Leyth for careing out of the realme in schipis, quhilkis lettres thai delyuerit to maister Alexander Guthrie and ordanit to be registrat in the register buik and putt in the chairterhous, and in respect heirof and of the said Williams guid seruice thai remittit to him his vnlaw of fyve pund for breking of the statutes in selling deir wyne, and ordanit James Nicoll quha poyndat thairfore, as baillie for the tyme, to rander the poynd, and promieissis to se James satisfeit and relevit thairof, in respect that as he declairit he had debursit the said vnlaw.

Precept, collectour, Ker, baillies.

Ordanis Jhone Jhonestoun, collectour, to pay to Robert Ker, baillie, the sowm of fourty sex schillingis aucht d. debursit be him in the townis effairis in defence of the pley of the Grenesyde.

Dury, minister, Cathcart.

It wes desyrit of thame [the council] be Jhone Cathcart of Carriltoun, that license micht be grantit be thame to Jhone Dury, minister, to pas in the westland for making of amity and reconciliatioun of dyueris deidly feidis standing in thais pairtis; for ansuer thairto, they referrit the said mater to the kirk of this burgh, and declairit gif thai fand the sam expedient, the said provest, baillies, and counsall wuld consent thairto.

3 November 1581.

Proclamatio, flescheouris, skynis and hydis.

[The bailies and council] ordanis the actis maid of before anent the flescheouris and anent the selling of skynis and hydis to be proclamit and publist throw this burgh as followis: That all maner of flescheoures fremen and of the land merkett in this burgh in all tyme cuming bring and present all thair flesche sic as beif, mwttoun, veill, or siclyke bestiall to be sawld in option merkett and nocht hurdit in thair buithis to derth the merketis, and that the said flesche haif the hyde stikking with the carcage and the skyn with the bowlk or layit hard bye quhair the samyn hingis or lyis, vnder the payne of escheitt of the said carcages. Siclyke that the said flescheoures flay all thair scheip in tyme cuming vp throw the haill craig to the lugis swa that the lug stik with the skyn, and nother pluk the woll of the halis wambe nor vther pairt nor yitt to diminische the skyn or hyde be cutting of ony sic pairt as thai call the tarleyer, vnder the payne of confiscatioun of the said skynis and hydis to the townis vse and pvnesing of the auner or sellare in thair body and guidis at the will of the maiestratis for thair falsett. Item, that nane of the saidis skynis or hyddis be hid in houssis or sawld thairin, bot to be brocht to the oppin mercattis thair to be sawld and in na vther place, vnder the payne of escheitt of the samyn, and als that na merchantis and vtheris that lykis to bye ony skynnis or hydis fra the flescheoures gif arles or avance money to thame, or by thair slawchter skynis or hyddis before hand, or yitt pas to the saidis flescheoures houssis to by ony thairof, but that thai suffer the samyn to be brocht to the commoun and oppin merkett thair to be indifferently sawld as said is, vnder the payne of fyve pund to be tane of the saidis merchantis sua oft as thai failyie.

Precept, thesaurer, colsayes.

Vnderstanding that Jhonn Robertsoun, thesaurer, hes causit repair the brokin calsaye and hoillis at the Kirk of Feild port within the samyn, and at the new well, and mend the brokin places in Leyth Wynd, as alswa hes eikit and enlairgeit the lang calsay betuix this and Leyth and menditt sindry hoillis and brokin places of the samyn to the greitt weill of the towne and all our Souerane Lordis lieges, and yitt thair is na warrand grantit to him for the expenssis maid thairvpoun, fyndis the saidis warkis to haif bene maist necessar and proffitabill and thairfore ordanis the expenssis and chairges maid vpoun the samyn to be allowet to the said thesaurer in his comptis.

Precept, thesaurer, towne wall.

Ordanis Jhonne Robertsoun, thesaurer, to caus cast to the red to the new wall betuix the Blackfreir blokhous and the Cowgaitt Port, and fill vp the voyde and hoillis howkit vnder the said wall to the apperand ruine and decay thairof.

10 November 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, Smyth, gild officer.

Ordanis Jhonne Robertsoun, thesaurer, to pay to Jhone Smythe, gild officer, for his seruice and furnesing of candill at the last conventioun of burrowes within this burgh, the sowme of twa merk.

15 November 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, Warkman.

Ordanis Jhonne Robertsoun, thesaurer, to pay to Dauid Warkman, paynter, the sowm of twenty four merk for paynting of the ruif of the inner tolbuith of the lordis and aboue the chymnay thairof.

West linkis, Littill Londoun, Leyth.

Ordanis the thesaurer with [blank] to pas to Leyth on Tysday nixt and rowpe and sett the west linkis of Leyth and Littill Londoun to sic as will bid maist thairfore, and to collect and ingadder the few mailles and flesche stok maillis of Leyth and caus the sam be payit to the said thesaurer.

24 November 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, Ker, maseris, swescheouris.

The baillies, dene of gild, and [council] ordanis the thesaurer, Jhonne Robertsoun, to pay to Robert Ker, baillie, the sowm of sevin schilling sex penneis debursit be the said Robert in the townis effairis for copy of ane lettre, and the sam sall be allowit to the said thesaurer in his comptis: and siclyke fyndis the said thesaurer to haif debursit in the townis effairis and at command of the baillies the sowme of twenty schillingis to the maseris at the obteining of ane decreitt before the secreitt counsale be the towne aganis the constabill and his deputtis concerning the constabill fies at the parliament, and als ten shillingis gevin be him to the swescheouris the first day of the parliament.

13 December 1581.

Yule, fuilyie on the hie streittis.

Ordanis thair officiaris to pas and chairge Adame Yule, at the West Port, to remoue and tak away his middingis and fulyie lyand vpoun the calsay and hie streitt fornent the land of Orcherfeild, and mak the said gaitt frie thairof within xx dayes nixt efter the said chairge, vnder the payne of escheitt of the samyn and disponing thairvpoun at the will and plesure of the guid towne; and als ordanis all vtheris that hes any fuilyie vpoun the said streittis and commoun passages to be chargit in lyke maner to remoue the samyn vnder the paynes foresaidis.

20 December 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, javellour.

Ordanis Jhone Robertsoun, thessaurer, to pay to Androw Lindsay, javelour, the sowm of twenty schillingis for coillis and candill furnist be him extraordinarly in the last conventioun of burrowes.

22 December 1581.

Precept, thesaurer, hospitale, charge, Sclater.

[The provost, bailies, and council,] ordanis Jhonne Robertsoun, thesaurer, to pay to Androw Sclater ane of the maisteris of the new hospitale, the sowm of fourty pund debursitt be him for bying of sclaittis to the theiking and reparatioun of the said hospitale.

29 December 1581.

Statute, fermoreris of the mesures of Leyth.

[The provost, bailies, and council] vpoun consideratioun of the complaynt maid be Archibald Jhonestoun, fermorer to the guid towne of thair mettis and mesouris of Leyth, aganes Jhone Thomsoun, Dauid Waldy, Adame Thomesoun, and certane vtheris maltmen of Leyth, for bying and resaving of thair beir and vther stufe with thair awin mesouris and nocht metting the samyn with the townis commoun mesoures in defraud of the said fermorer; for ane generall ordour to [be] kepit in tyme cuming, statutes and ordanis that all victuallis resauet be the said maltmen or vtheris furth of the cuntrey and mett in Leyth, sall at the resaving pay to the said fermoreris and all vtheris fermoreris of the said mesouris the dewty and custome of mettage vsit and wont thairfore.