Extracts from the Records: 1588, Jan-Mar

1588, Jan-Mar

3 January 1587–8.

Belman culpabill.

Be ressoun that David [blank], vnder belman, is fund verray negligent in his office, specially in tyning the key of the assyse hous dur and leving the sam oppin, quhairby the steipill wes in daynger of surprysing in this trublous tyme, to the vtter wrak and hasard of the haill toun, thairfore ordane that in exampill of vthers he be scurget vp and doun the tolbuith.

5 January 1587–8.

Proclamatio, scholes begynnand.

Ordanet proclamatioun to be maid that the maisters of the College and Grammer Schole of this burgh is to enter to thair chairges and begyn thair classis on Mononday nixttocum, and thairfore wairning all students and scholeris to repair to thair scholes and maisters the said day. Attour, commanding that nane send thair childrein to the saidis scholes quha hes any seik in thair howssis, vnder the payne of deid.

12 January 1587–8.

Cowper, minister.

Maister Jhonn Cowper, minister, comperand and beand demandet quhidder it wes his mynd and will to remayne in this burgh and exerce the functioun of ane minister within the samyn as he wes nominat and elected be thame thairto, ansueret and declayret that he wald serue heir quhill the nixt generall assembly and thairafter with thair guid willis he wald provyde for himselff quhair he mycht serue in ane vther place mair commodiously to discharge his calling; be the quhilk ansuer thai fynd the said maister Jhonn of mynd to depairt and leif thame and thairfoir that thai ar na mair astrictet to him as thair pastour.

24 January 1587–8.

My Lord Blantyre. Cowper, minister.

Comperit my lord of Blantyre and desyret ane resolute ansuer gif thai wald grant thair guid willis to the removing of maister Jhoun Cowper, minister, to pas to Glasqw, thay ansuerit and declaret inrespect of the said maister Jhonns ansuer gevin to thame the xij of this instant that gif his lordschip obtenis the said maister Jhonis awin guid will, with the consent of the generall assembly, thay for thair pairts grants lykewayes thair guid willis to the said maister Jhones depairting.

Rex, proclamatio, keiping of the ports of the toun.

My lord prouest producet the Kings Maiesteis lettre vnderwrittin, quhilk thai ordanet to be registrat, quhairof the tenour followis:—Rex. Prouest and baillies of our burgh of Edinburgh, we greitt yow weill. Vnderstanding that thair is sum nobillmen, barronis, and vtheris, our lieges, quhilkis ar to repair schortly to that our burgh in airmis, vpoun na guid intentioun as appeiris, sen thair is na occasioun knawin to ws moving thame any wayeis to convocatt, thairfore it is our will and we command yow that ye caus gaird your ports with sum of your nychtbouris, bodin with lang wapouns and hagbuts, nycht and day, suffering na baronis, gentilmen, nor vthers, seuerallie nor accumpaneit togidder, to haif entres thairin, quhilks ar bodin with airmour, nather any erle or lord ony wayes to enter vnto the tyme ye mak ws foresene quhat thai ar, how and in quhat maner thai ar bodin, and that ye knaw forder of our will and mynd towards thame, as ye will ansuer to ws, kepand thir presents for your warrand. Subscryuet with oure hand, at Halyruidhous, the xxiiij day of Januarij, 1587. Subscribitur: James, R., J. M., Cancellarius. Quhilk being red and considerit thay all agreit to obey the samyn, and for forther gairding and keiping of the toun ordanet proclamatioun to be maid throw this burgh be sound of the swesche, commanding and chargeing that all burgessis and inhabitants of this burgh, bayth maisteris and seruands, addres and prepair thame selffis to be in reddynes to convene with the prouest and baillies swa sone as thai sall be charget be oppin proclamatioun, or be the officeris of thair quarters, arrayet in thair best airmour, in weirlyke maner, to witt, ather with hakbuts or with lang wawpouns, sic as speiris and piks, with the furnesing belanging thairto, and attend vpoun the saidis prouest and baillies, obeying thair command and directioun, vnder the payne of fyve pund to be tane of ilk persoun that sall be absent fra the place of conventioun to be appoyntet or that wantis the airmour foresaid, and that sic as hes any foirbuith haif airmour and wawpouns within the samyn, and that euery persoun weir his sword daylie quhill thai be dischairget, vnder the payne foresaid. Siclyke, commanding all hostileris and staibleris to cum to the baillies of thair quarteris and gif vp to thame in writt the names of the persouns that ar lugeit with thame presently and vse the samyn ordour daylie quhill thai be dischairget, vnder the payne of fyve pund swa oft as thai failyie.

Town wall, Trinitie College.

Ordanis Edward Mawchane, thesaurer, be the avyse of Andrew Sclater, maister of wark, to putt warkmen to the casting of ane fowsie owtwith the town wall, at the Kowgaitt port, and siclyke to big vp with dry stanes the new maid yett at the Trinity College.

31 January 1587–8.

Watche.

For keiping of ane guid and substantious watche within this burgh, fynds expedient that the day watche be of the nichtbouris of the town, of the number of fourty persouns, thairof xx persouns to be sent to the Nether Bow, and xx to the West Port, to continew about throw the quarteris quhill thai be discharget, and that the feyet watche serue on the nicht.

7 February 1587–8.

Lord Hammiltoun.

My lord provest producet ane lettre sent frome my Lord Hammiltoun, contening ane purgatioun of certane allegit bruits rayset vpoun him of interpryses of sakkage of this burgh and alteratioun of the relligioun, vnto the quhilk lettre thai ordanet ane ansuer to be writtin that thai nather knaw nor said sic things of his lordschip, nor consauet euir sic opinioun of him.

9 February 1587–8.

Balcanquill, Cairnis, ministers.

Considerand that maister Walter Balcanquell and Jhonn Cairnis, ministeris of this burgh, throw the greitt derth of all wairis and viueris this present yeir, is nocht habill to sustene thameselffis and thair fameleis vpoun thair ordiner stipends, thairfore thai haif grantet and gevin to the said maister Walter the soum of ane hundreth merkis and to the said Jhonn Cairnis the soum of fyftie merks for releif of thair burding and chairges the said yeir.

Keping the stepill.

For the better gairding and keping of this burgh in this apperand tyme of trubill, fynds it expedient and agreit that thair be sex men hakbuters conducet for ane moneth to keip the stepill and remayne thairin day and nicht, and remittis to the provest and baillies to conduce the persouns, and to se that thai be honest and trew, habill and sufficient persouns, and skilfull in the hakbut.

1 March 1587–8.

Proclamatio, sermonis, merkats, merchant buithis.

Ordanet proclamatioun to be maid throw this burgh, commanding that na butter merket, fische merket, nor breid merket, be haldin in tyme of the sermonis, and thairfore that nane presume to by or sell in the saids merkets fra the greitt bell begyn to ring, vnder the payne of xl s. swa oft as thai failyie, to be tayne bayth of the byare and sellare. Siclyke, that na merchat buithis be haldin oppin after the ringing of the said bell, and that all persouns, merchants and craftismen, repair to the saidis sermonis and be nocht absent thairfra, vnder the payne of wairding of thair persouns ay and quhill thai pay ane vnlaw of xl s. swa aft thai failyie.

Freiris rentall.

Ordanis the thesaurer to gif and delyuer to Mungo Ros, baxter, the soum of ten merk for the rentale buik of the Blakfreiris presently producet and delyuerit to Jhonn Jhonestoun in name of the toun.

Vernour, gild brother, commoun cuikery.

In presens of the prouest, baillies and counsall, comperit Robert Vernour, skynner, and actit, band and oblist him self, of his awin consent, that forswamekill as he is presently resauet and admittet gild brother of this burgh, thairfore to obserue and keip the lawes and consuetudes of burgh concerning the gild brether thairof, and to desist and ceis fra all tred and occupatioun in his awin persoun that is nocht comely and decent for the rank and honesty of ane gild brother, and that his wyfe and seruands sall vse and exerce na poynt of commoun cwikry outwith his awin hous, and namely that thai sall nocht sell nor cary any meitt, dishes or courses throw the toun to priuat chalmers, hostillare howssis, or ony vther part owtwith his awin howse, vnder quhatsumeiur cullour or pretense, nor pas to brydellis or bankets within or without this burgh, to vse the occupatioun of commoun cuikry, or yitt be sene in the streits with thair aiprunes and seruiets as commoun cuikis and thair seruands vses to do; and that vnder the payne of tynsall of his liberty and fredome of ane gild brother without all favour for euir.

6 March 1587–8.

Trey buits.

Ordanis the thesaurer to caus mak ane pair of trey buits according to the patrone thairof come from Dundie.

Proclamation, maisteris of scholes wedges.

Forswamekill as it is complenit to thame be the maisters of scholes that thai ar defrawdet of thair wedges be the parents of the childer put to thame to leirne, thairfore ordanis proclamatioun to be maid commanding that nane putt their childrein to the saidis maisters without thai pay the first quarter payment in hand, and that thai tak thame nocht away quhill thai pay the byrun quarteris restand, swa that the saidis maisters haif na just caus of complaynt heirafter.

22 March 1587–8.

Trinity College.

Jhonn Jhonestoun, collectour, producet and delyuerit to Alexander Vddert, in name of the guid toun, ane Portugall ducatt, by and attour the fyftie merk gevin of before to the help of the reparatioun of the Trinity College Kirk, bayth gevin be ane certane persoun of godlie zeall to that vse.