Extracts from the Records: 1587, Jan-Mar

1587, Jan-Mar

4 January 1586–7.

Precept, awld gallows.

Ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, to caus red the rowme of the awld gallows, baynes, deid corssis and all.

11 January 1586–7.

Girs of the buriale.

Inrespect of the troblous tyme of the pestilence, remits and discharges to Jhonn Watt, smyth, the sowm of ten pund of the dewtie awand to the dene of gild for the girs of the buriall place the said yeir.

1 February 1586–7.

Statutes, cordiners.

Anent the supplicatioun gevin in before thame be William Huchesoun, deykin of cordiners of this burgh, for himselff and in name and behalff of the brether of the said craft, makand mentioun that quhair thair predecessoures of the said craft obtenit of awld dyuers guid and proffitabill priuelegeis for the weill of thair craft and all our Souerane Lords lieges, and hes bene in possessioun thairof quhill of laitt, be negligence and owersicht, the sam hes nocht bene putt to sic executioun as the necessitie thairof requyret, quhairby all things is grown to ane greitt abuse and thai grittumlie hurt and preiugeit be vnfriemen and be the insufficiencie of the ledder; attoure, it is specially provydit be the laitt decreitt of vnioun betuix the merchants and craftismen of this burgh that quhair any craft sall fynd or devyse any guid and proffitabill heids, lawes or articles, for weill of the craft and proffeitt of our Souerane Lords lieges, that thai suld propone the sam to thair lordschips to be allowit and authoriset be thame, according to the quhilks thai haif collectet certane heids and articles furth of thair awld priuelegeis and furth of the ancient lawes and statutes of this burgh, adding thair to sic vther heids as ar maist necessar for the commoun weill, help and support of friemen, and for guid ordour and pollicie amangs thameselffis, desyrand thairfore thair lordschips to wey and consider the said articles, and thai beand fund guid and proffitabill to allow and authorise the samyn and decerne thame to stand as perpetuall lawes in tyme cvming, with executioun to follow thairvpoun, and to grant to thame ane act of counsall vpoun the samyn, vnder the seill of caus, as is grantet to vther crafts of before, as the said supplicatioun proportet; quhilk with the said articles beand red and considerit, the said provest, baillies, counsell and deykins of crafts gaif commissioun to certane merchants and craftismen to intreat, confer and ressoun vpoun the saidis articles; quhilkis persouns haiffand convenit, ressonit and consultet thairvpoun, and reformet certane poynts and claussis thairof, maid report this day of the samyn to the saidis provest, baillies, counsall and deykins of craftis, quha cawset the said articles to be oppinly red, and beand avyset thairwith, after mature deliberatioun, fand the samyn guid, honest and proffitabill for the said craft and all our Souerane Lords lieges, and thairfore ratefeit and approuit the samyn, interponit thair authoritie thairto, and decernit and ordanet thame to be obseruet and keipet as pepetuall lawis in tyme cuming, in maner and vnder the paynes contenit thairinto, with reddy execution to follow thairvpoun, and hes grantet to the said deykin and brether and thair successouris this present act and ordinance thairof and ordanet the seill of caus to be appendet to the extract thairof; prouyding alwayes that gif any questioun sall aryse vpoun the said articles or any poynt or clause thairof, the interpretatioun, executioun, and mitigatioun of the samyn sall be at the discretioun and jugement of the provest, baillies and counsall of the said burgh for the tyme, according to the qualiteis and circumstances of the persouns, tyme, maner and places; of the quhilkis heids and articles, approuit as said is, the tenour followis:—First. Forswamekill as the predicessoures of the said provest, baillies, counsall and deykins, of guid memorie, diligentlie considering and vnderstanding vpoun the supplicatioun gevin in to thame be the maisters and hedismen of the said craft for the tyme, thair nichtbouris and conburgessis, that oure Souerane Lords lieges ar grittumelie skaithet and defrawdet be insufficient wark of ignorant persouns, lawborers bayth in blak wark and barket ledder, than daylie bocht and sawld within this burgh, als weill be fremen as vnfremen and owtlands men, on the wolk dayes als weill as on the merket dayes, the fredome and priveleges of burgessis destroyet thairthrow, contrar the commoun weill; for reformatioun thairof, be thair lettres patent, vnder thair seill of caus, limitt and ordanet certane persouns maisters and owrismen of the said craft, sworne in thair presens, quha suld euery merket day diligentlie serche, visie, and sie all maid wark and barket ledder cumand and presentet in the merket, and it that thai fand sufficient till mark it, and quhair thai fand fals feigngyeit wark or barket ledder the sercheris till bring it to prouest and baillies for the tyme, and at the will of thame till escheitt the stufe faltive and the persouns to pvneis as effeires, swa that the Kingis lieges be nocht dissavet and that na sic stufe be sawld on the merket day quhill the sercheris haif visit the samyn, nor yitt that nane be strikkin vp to sell quhill vij houris at somer and ix houris in wynter before none, vnder the payne of escheitt and pvnesing the persouns as said is; and that na owtlands folk dwelland without this burgh nor vnfriemen by any rwch hydes nor barket ledder within this toun bot on the merket day allanerly, vnder the payne abonewrittin; and, attoure, than for certane resonabill caussis moving thair lordships predicessouris, bayth for honesty of the said burgh and proffit of the said stufe, maid wark and vtheris pertening to the said craft, thay locat, limitt and ordanet the merket place for selling of thair wark and vther stufe foresaid in the merket day in the Kowgaitt fra the new well to the Grayfreiris allanerly; as at lenth is conteint in the said lettre off the daitt the sext day of December j^m V^c xiij yeiris; the quhilks being of sic antiquitie, and for ane commoun weill, the said deykin and brether desyret thair lordships to ratifie, approue, authoreis and allow in all poynts, and ordane the samyn to be obseruet, keipet and obeyit in all tyme cuming, and to mak, creatt and constitute the deykin and sex quarter maisteris of the said craft and thair successouris yeirly to be generall searcheouris for putting the samyn to executioun be the assistance of thair officeris, exceptand heirinto the place of the merket of barket ledder to be in the nether kirk yaird quhair the samyn is presentlie placet induring the townis will allanerlie, and that it sall be lesum to the burgessis of this burgh and friemen to sell thair barket ledder at all tymes, the samyn beand guid and sufficient stufe. Item, for putting remeid to the present derth and eschewing the lyke in tyme cuming, that all forestalleris, regraiteris and cowperis of barket ledder be dischairget, and to statute and ordane that na maner of persouns present any barket ledder to the merket bot sic as byes the samyn rowch and barkis the samyn be thameselffis or thair seruands; and that nane of the said ledder be huirdet or keipit in howssis bot be brocht altogedder to the merket at the houris beforementionat, that the samyn may be tryet be the sercheouris to be sufficient stufe to serue the Kingis lieges, vnder the payne of escheitting of the said ledder; and that the friemen of the said craft be nocht sufferit to sell insufficient stufe mair nor the owtlands men, thairfore that thai lykewayes that barkis any ledder within this burgh present thair barket ledder or ane resonabill pairt thairof to the commoun merket appoyntet, to the effect that the samyn may be sercheit and markett as the owtlands mennis ledder is, vnder the payne foresaid, Item, that na vnfriemen cum to the merkett to by any ledder before xj houris past, to the effect that friemen may be first staiket that beiris portabill chairges, vnder the payne of wairding of the said vnfriemen and paying of ane vnlaw of xx s. Item, thatt all maid stufe present the merkett and be sawld be the lawboreris thairof or thair seruands that the samyn may be tryet gif it be sufficient or nocht for serving of the Kings Graces lieges be the sercheouris foresaid and the insufficient wark escheitt, and that all wark vnsawld be remouet at xij houris euery Mononday conform to the awld ordour, vnder the payne of xl s. Item, that na vnfriemen bring any bwits or schone or vther maid wark to sell within the fredome of this burgh bot on the Monondayes and present the samyn to the merket in tyme and place appoyntet, vnder the payne of escheitt thairof. Item, thatt all bwithes within this burgh be searchett owlkly or swa oft as neid is be the said sercheouris and the insufficient wark escheitt. Item, that on the Sondayes na buithis be oppin after ix houris in the morning, and that na wark be wrocht at any tyme the said day vnder the payne of xx s. Item, thatt na habill young men be sufferit to keip ane cobleris buith bot onely the samyn to be promittet to thame that ar threttie yeir awld past that the freimen may haif thair seruands to serue thame, and that the saidis cobleris sell thair awld wark in the Kowgaitt on the Monondayes and nocht at the croce nor on the hie streitt in dishonour of the guid toun, vnder the payne of escheitt of thair stufe. Item, that na frieman of the said craft being burges pak nor peill nor be pairtiner with unfriemen nor mak conventiouns with thame, vnder the payne of ten pund or tynsell of his friedome, and that na friemen and burgessis of the said craft dwell owtwith the fredome of this burgh nor wirk his wark owtwith the fredome, vnder the payne foresaid. Item, that na maister ressett ane vthers prenteis or seruand without leif or ane resonabill caus first schawin and tryet, vnder the payne of xx s. Item, at the taking of any prenteis that tryell, may be tayne gif the resaver be worthiw to tak ane prenteis and to instruct him and gif him meitt and drink sufficiently, to statute that all indentouris be subscryuet be the deykin or his clerk vtherwayes the prenteis nocht to be bwiket in the townis prenteis buik. Als that na maister of the said craft tak ane vther prenteis quhill thair be thrie yeir owtrin of his former prenteis, to the effect that the awld prenteis may be habill to teache the secund for eschewing of vnsufficient wark, vnder the pane of five pund. Item, that nane be maid maister of the said craft except he haif bene ane prenteis for fyve yeir and seruet ane frieman for meitt and fie thre yeiris thairafter or ellis marie ane burges dochter, vnder the payne of ten pund to be payet be the deykin and quartermaisters that admitts him maister and als mekill be thame that procures in contrair heirof. Item, to ordane ane of thair lordships officeris to putt the premissis to executioun be passing with the searcheouris and ane of the touns collectouris of the vnlawes and wairding or poynding for the vnlawes and intrometting with the escheitt guids to be delyuerit be him to the said collectouris, to be imployet be thair lordships command according to the decreitt arbitrall, and the saidis collectouris to gif yeirlie compt thairof.

3 February 1586–7.

Proclamatio, wynes.

Ordanet proclamatioun to be maid that the best new Burdealx wynes be sawld for sex schillings the pynt, and the smaller and meaner wynes for v s. viij d. the pynt, and na darrer.

Lokman.

Ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, … to haif allowet in his compts foure pund ten schillings gevin to the lokman and his marrowis quha tuik up the cariouns bureit at the awld gallowis and red the grund thairof.

8 February 1586–7.

Javellour.

Ordanis Thomas Patersoun, collectour, to pay to James Nesbet, javellour, the sowme of fyve fund xiij s. iiij d. for the expenssis of ane puir preist callit Sir William Creirie quha wes wairdet be the space of ane moneth; als to pay to the said javellour xx s. gevin be him at my lord provests command to the said preist.

11 February 1586–7.

Precept, thesaurer, new gallows.

Ordanet James Ros, thesaurer, to furneis new, guid and sufficient tymmer to the new gallows in the burrow mwre, and at the compleiting of the masoun wark to caus put vp the samyn.

Hunter, skynnis wobbis.

Vnderstanding that thair wes ane greitt and lang controuersie and pley betuix thair predecessouris and Thomas Hunter in the Cannogaitt, bayth before the secreitt counsale and lords of sessioun, anent ane allegit spoliatioun fra him of thre hundreth and sum od scheip skynnis and thre quhyte webbis, with the quhilk thai intromettit as escheitt guids, be ressoun the said Thomas wes vnfrie, to the quhilk guids and hail actioun thairof the said Thomas hes maid and constitute Thomas Hunter his sone his lawfull cessioner, assignay, and procuratour in rem suam; quha having thairby meynit himself vnto thame and desyret restitutioun or satisfactioun of the saids guids and at lenth referrit himselff in the townis will and renunceit all actioun and debaitt, the said provest, bailyeis and counsall and deykins, in consideratioun of the premissis, and that the pley and actioun wald haif bene coistly and tedious vnto thame, and als that the maiter hes nocht bene circumspectlie handlit, thairfore thay agreit with the said Thomas to pay to him the sowme of foure scoir merks quhilk wes gottin for the said guids and compt maid thairof be Mungo Russell, thesaurer for the tyme, and that in full contentatioun of the said skynnis and webbis and all that may result thairvpoun.

Jhonestoun, collectour, Currie, Trinitie College, commoun mwre.

Considerand that the commoun rent vnderwrittin is nocht habill to be governet and brocht to ane perfectioun be thair ordinare [officers,] the dene of gild and thesaurer, quha hes alreddy gritter chairge and burding than thai ar habill to owertak, bot will requyre greitt lawbouris and travell of the maist expert that may be fund, leving him na vther thing to do, and heavand lang pruif and experience in tyme past of the zeall, guid will and qualificatioun of thair belouit nichtbour, Jhonn Jhonestoun, brother germayne to the laird of Elphinstoun, thairfore thai haif maid, creatt and constitute, and be thir presents makis, creats and constitutes the said Jhonn Jhonestoun thair verray lawfull and vndowtet procuratour, actour, factour and collectour, gevand, grantand and committand vnto him thair full playne power and commissioun, with expres mandment and chairge to collect, inbring and resave, in name and behalff of the guid towne and to the vitility and proffeitt thairof, all and quhatsumeuir annuellis, mailles, fermes, grissumes, fruits, teynds and emoluments, pertening to the personage and vicarage of Currie, callit the archideynrie of Lowthiane, and to the provestrie of the Trinitie College, siclyke to the personage of Dumberny, Poltie and Moncreif, now pertening to the saidis provest, bailyeis, counsall and deykins of crafts and thair successouris, and als of the kirk annuellis of this burgh quhilkis ar nocht alreddy evictet and recoverit be decreitt, and of the few fermes of the new sett furth pairts of the Commoun Mwir … and als the said Jhonn to haif the owersicht, cuir and governament of the effaires of the College laitly foundet and erectet be the guid toun in the Kirk of Feyld, and of the place, maisteris and students thairof, as his lasour and tyme may serue, according to the necessitie of the said effaires thairof and as he sall be commandet to do be the guid toun; and siclyk to haif the administratioun and seruice of the effaires of the Commoun Mwir and of the Seynis and landis quhilk sumtyme pertenet thairto and is now recoverit be the toun. … For the quhilk caus thay haif gevin and grantit vnto him ane yeirlie stipend of the soum of thre hundreth merks money.

17 February 1586–7.

Jogs, St. Michaellis well.

Ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, to sett vp ane pair of jogs at St Michaellis well.

Commissio, scatt of the Sie Catt.

Gevis power and commissioun to Jhonn Robertsoun, bailyie, the dene of gild, William Fairly, John Wilkyne, to sett the scatt of the schip callit the Sie Catt, quhairof Androw Reidpath wes maister, quhilk wes laitly pilleit in hir vayage frome Londoun, and to tak the aythis of the merchants vpoun the quantities of thair wayrings and guids schippet.

3 March 1586–7.

Feyet watche.

Ordanis the feyet watche to be haillie and compleitlie brokin and discharget on Setterday nixt, and the bailyeis to mak ane nichtlie watche of the nichtbouris, begynnand at the north west quarter.

8 March 1586–7.

Fals cvngye, charter hous.

Ordanis the sex fals xx s. peices quhilk wes sent to the toun with the twa chepmen apprehendet in St Jhonestoun, and consignet in the hands of maister Alexander Guthrie, to be putt in the charter hous quhill ordour be tayne with the townis releif thairof.

Proclamatio, flescheoures, fische; Flesche eitting.

Ordanet the act daitet the 17 of March 1584, anent the fische and flescheoures, to be proclamet of new, with additioun that na fresche fische be bocht in howssis or howset salmont nor vthers, vnder the payne of xl s. escheitt and pvnessing of thair persouns, and that thai haif na ma bot four stokis in the merkett. And als inrespect of the Kings Graces proclamatioun maid for observatioun of this present Lentroun, ordanet proclamatioun to be maid that nane sell slay nor dres any flesche privatly or oppinly induring the tyme of the said lentroun, vnder the payne of wairding quhill the contraveners pay ane vnlaw of fyve pund.

Hie Schole.

Ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, to caus repair the wyndowes, loks durris and keyis of the hie grammer schole, and the expenssis thairof to be allowet. Als ordanis the maister of the schole to vphald the samyn in all tyme cvming according to the contract betuix him and the towne.

10 March 1586–7.

New impost at Leyth.

Inrespect that the schore of Leyth is failyeit in sindrie pairts and fillet with beds of sand and with staynes, and that the commoun guid is greitlie exhawstet, fynds it expedient that ane new gift be obtenit and rayset for vptaking of the impositioun at the said port siclyke as wes grantet of before, for reparatioun and helping of the said heavin, and ordanis the thesaurer, dene of gild, and William Fairly to travell to gett the sam past.

17 March 1586–7.

Precept, thesaurer Blakfreires.

Ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, to pay to Mungo Ros, baxter, the sowme of ten merk for the rentale buik of the Blakfreires to be delyuerit to him or Jhone Jhonestoun, collectour.

Calsayes.

Als ordanes the said thesaurer to prepair calsaymakeris to mak the calsay, speciallie at the eist gaitt of the Eister Mwre.

Seynis.

Sicklyke fynds guid that the lands of the Seynes newlie perambulatt remayne in the townis hands, and ordanis the said thesaurer to lawbour the sam to the townis vse.

24 March 1586–7.

Proclamatio, Sonday preicheings.

Ordanis proclamatioun to be maid that nane be absent fra the preicheings on the Sonday or yit vagand on the hie gaitt in the tyme thairof, and that all tavernis, catchpulles, yairdis and feylds be discharget the said tyme.