Extracts from the Records: 1589, Jan-Mar

1589, Jan-Mar

3 January 1588–9.

Statute, prenteissis bwiking.

[The provost, bailies, council and deacouns of crafts.] vnderstanding that there is dyucers persouns, mainsteris of thair crafts and vther friemen of this burgh, quha hes resauet prenteissis vnto thame, quhome thai haif nocht cawset to be bwiket and insert in the townis prenteis buik, in manefest defrawde of the townis dewtie, and to the hurt and preiudice of thair prenteissis toward thair burgesschip and fredome of thair crafts, and expres contair the decreitt arbitrall gevin betuix the merchants and craftismen and acts and statuts followand thairvpoun; thairfore thai haif thocht expedient, statute and ordanet that all sic persouns as hes resauet ony prenteissis before the daitt heirof, and as yitt hes nocht cawset thame to be bwket in the said prenteis buik, to compeir befor the counsall betuix this and the first day of Februar nixttocum and caus thame be insert and bwiket and pay the dewteis thairof and thai sall be resauet; quhilk day being bypast, gif thai failyie to do the sam, or yitt gif ony heirafter sall resave ony prenteis and neglect thair buiking as said is within ane moneth after the daitt of the indentouris, that thai sall be astrictet and haldin be thame selffis, thair airis or executouris, to mak the prenteis frie with the toun and with the craft vpoun thair awain expenssis, without ony dewtie to be payet be the prenteis or prenteissis thairfore quha hes servet and fulfillet thair indentoures in all poynts. And ordanet ilk deykin to mak intimatioun heirof to his brether that thai pretend na ignorance of the samyn.

15 January 1588–9.

Compromitt my lord Hammiltoun.

[The provost, bailies, council and deacons of crafts,] for dyners caussis and consideratiouns moving thame, fynds it maist expedient to compromitt the mater debaittabill betuix the guid toun and the Lord Hammiltoun anent the hous of the townis College, and electis my lord provest and Jhonn Jhonestoun for the town, and ordanis the commoun clerk in thair names to subscryve ane blank thairvpoun.

17 January 1588–9.

Burrowes extent for the Kingis Graces mariage.

Comperit maister Jhonn Coluile and producet ane lettre of the Kings Maiestie commanding the town to taxt the burrowes for thair pairt of the taxatioun granted be the estaits to his Grace mariage, and producet the act of secreitt counsall of the said extent, daitet 4 Aprilis 1588, quhilk wes resauet be my lord provest, quhome thai desyret to sett the said extent, deduceand the sowmes awand be his Maiestie to the guid toun.

Fayrum, regent in the college.

Inrespect of the prwif quhilk thai haif had at mony tymes of the leirning and qualeficatioun of maister Chairlis Fayrum, sumtym ane of the students of the townis college, and that thair is sindry occasiouns offerit him to pas to vther places, quhairby thai may be disappoyntet of sic ane persoun of quhome thai haif had experience, and beand ane bairne of the town and brocht up thairinto all his dayis, thairfor thai fynd it expedient that he sall remayne and nocht depairt to ony vther functioun, and be thir presents promitts to avance him to the place of ane regent in the said college to the clas quhilk is to begyn at Michaelmes nixttocum swa that he sall nocht be disappoyntet be thair occasioun.

Lords of sessioun, teacher of lawes in the College.

Gevis commissioun to my lord provest, Jhonn Jhonestoun, Jhonn Watt, Patrik Sandelands, to intreatt and confer with the lordis of the sessioun toward the mater proponet be the saidis lordis, be ane copy of ane of thair acts, for the fundatioun to be maid of ane teacher of the lawes in the townis College, and contributioun to be maid be thame to his intertenement.

Henrysoun, chirurgiane.

Ordanis Thomas Patersoun, collectour, to pay to James Henrysoun, chirurgeane, the sowm of nyne pund fourty penneis, in compleitt payment of all drogs, implasteris, and mendicaments furnist be him in curing of the pure in tymes past, at the townis command, conform to the particulare compt thairof presently schawin.

22 January 1588–9.

Extent of v^m li.

[Ordained that a general taxation be levied from the merchants and inhabitants of the burgh for payment of "expenssis of the thre hunder men of weir laitly tayne vp in August last and vther effaires of the town." 3500 merks; "for the raid of Dumfries," £320; "and for pulder and bullet sent to the said raid," £215; "for the chairges of the Dwik of Lennox twa sisters," £333, 6s. 8d.; and "the townis pairt of the burrowes extent for the Kings Graces wynes and customes," £1906, 13s. 4d.; extending in all to £5008, 6s. 8d.]

5 February 1588–9.

Flemying wobsteris.

Fynds it expedient to resaue the laird of Dairsie and maister Archibald Wilkyne oblist coniunctlie and seuerallie for the Flemyng wobsteris to pay to the guid toun the foure hunder merk advancet to thame.

Hislop, regent.

Vnderstanding that maister Phillop Hislop, ane of the regents in the townis College, is presently visite with ane mellady in his ane eye, to the apperant lose thairof, and is in howpe to be curet thairof in Londoun, thairfore thai be thir presents grantes him licence to pas thair to that effect inrespect he hes fund maister Chairlis Fingrum to instruct his class quhill he returne, and to supplie his rowm; and ordanis Jhonn Jhonestoun, collectour, to advance him his Beltane terme in hand for help of his chairges.

14 February 1588–9.

Littilljhone in culpa.

Decernis George Litiljhonn, writter, for strikking of James Bartane, merchant, on the haffet, and iniuring and sclandering him and his wyfe, to ask thame forgifnes in the place quhair the falt wes maid, and to remane in wairde quhill he fynd souerty for doing thairof, and nocht to do the lyk heirafter vnder dyuers paynes.

21 February 1588–9.

Flemyng wobsters money, Trinitie College kirk.

Gevis and disponis to the reparatioun of the kirk in the Trinity College the sowm of foure hunder merk awand to the toun be the Flemyng wobsters quha ar past to Sanctandrois, and be thair souerteis, to be imployet at the sicht and discretioun of the ministers, eldares, and deaconis of the kirk of this burgh.

26 February 1588–9.

Rollok, Haisty.

Decernis and ordanis maister George Haisty to desist and ceise fra all teacheing of ony grammer within the liberty and fredome of this burgh in tyme cuming, inrespect of the privelege grantet to maister Hercules Rollok, principall maister of the Grammer Schole of this burgh, be appoyntment betnix him and the guid toun, and becaus the said maister George comperand this day culd schaw na resonabill caus in the contrar, and the said maister Hercules of his awain benevolence consentet to superseid the executioun of this decreitt quhill Witsounday nixt, provyding the said maister George resave na ma scholers of grammer in the meyne tyme nor he hes alreddy.

28 February 1588–9.

Proclamatio, airmour, watche.

Vnderstanding of sum attemptats of insurrectioun within the realme for the alteratioun of the present estaitt, ordanis proclamatioun to be maid chargeing all persouns to be in redynes in thair best airmour to attend vpoun the provest and baillies as thai sall be wayrnet be the bell or swesche, and that all haif wawpouns in thair buith and beir and weir thair swerdis, vnder the payne of v li; and that ane quarter of the town watche ilk nycht quhill forther [ordour,] and euery ane to convene to thair watche at viij houris at evin and remayne thairat quhill the morn, vnder the payne of xl s.

7 March 1588–9.

Trinitie College, vnlawes of fornicatours.

For better avancement of the wark to be begun be the sessioun of the kirk in repayring of the kirk of the Trinity College, and that the vyce of fornicatioun may be supprest and the vnlaws thairof mair exactly vpliftet nor thai haif bene heirtofore, and for dyuers vther guid caussis and consideratiouns moving thame, gevis and disponis to the said wark all the vnlawes and penalteis of sic as transgressis the townis acts and ordinances maid aganis the fornicatouris and sic as huirds, conceillis, and ressaitts thame in thair howssis; and makis and constituts Alexander Speir, writter, collectour, vplifter and persewar of the samyn, vpoun compt and rekning to be maid be him to the sessioun of the kirk of the samyn, and this present act to stand induring the townis will allanerly.

West Lynks of Leyth.

[The provost, bailles and council set to George Smyth, tailor and burges of Edinburgh, "the pasturage of thair Wester Lynks of Leyth betuix Weirdy Brow and St. Nicholas Chaipell, exceptand the howssis and bownds sett in tak of before to Ewstache Rowgh, Flemyng, and reservand sic pairts of the samyn lyunks as sall be appoynetet be this burgh for the north syde of the brig of Leyth in tyme of pestilence with all vther necessar vses thairof, "for seven years, for payment of six merks yearly.]

12 March 1588–9.

Provest, Huchesoun.

[The bailies council, and deacons of crafts] being convenit, and the tikket vnderwrittin beand sent in to thame be my lord provest, quhairof the tenour followis: It will pleis your wisdomes to appardone me that I remayne absent fra the counsall this day. The caus of my remayning is vpoun this ressoun. Being before his Maiestie and lords of secreitt counsall. vpoun Fryday last wes, William Huchesoun, cordiner, brust out with thir wordis following to his Maiestie: Sir, I man speik this to the provest, that we haif oft and dyuers tymes complenit to him vpoun wrangs done to ws and yitt culd neuir gett justice at his hands. It wes inquyret be me of him quhairin I had refuset him or ony vther justice. His ansuer wes: Nocht onely in ane, twa, or thre things, bot in ane hunder; with sindry vther sclanderous words, quhilk I lyke nocht to repeitt, movand his Maiestie and his counsall thairby, at the leist doand the thing that lay in him to mak thame beleve that I was not of guid mynd and will to minister justice in my office, quhilk wes greitly to my reproche gif swa had bene, and thairfore I haif cravet his Maiesteis favour that I may be put to ane tryell heiranent; swa it will pleis yow in the meyne tyme to appardone me of my absence. With the quhilk thai being avyset, in ane voice, fynds that the said William in swa doing hes spokin maist falsly and iniustly of his lordschip and hes done manifest wrang thairinto, bayth to him and to the town, and merits to be pvnist for the samyn, declayring that thai will assys and concur with his lordship in complening afore the secreitt cousall thairvpoun and do that in thame lyes to se the samyn redrest.

14 March 1588–9.

Precept, torches.

Ordanis Jhonn Moresoun, thesaurer, to pay to George Jhonestoun, walxmaker, the sowm of fyftie schillings for ten torches furnist in the townis seruice that nycht my Lord Huntly wes wairdet in the castell.

21 March 1588–9.

Proclamatio, trublance in the kirk.

Vnderstanding that dyuers contentiouns and wikket pepill hes in tymes past maid thair trublances within the Hie Kirk of this burgh, be iniureing thair nichtbouris, drawing of swords and schoting of pistolets, and thairby abesing that place appoyntet cheiflie for Gods seruice. For remeid thairof, ordanis proclamatioun to be maid, commanding that na maner of personis tak vpoun hand to mak ony sort of trublance be word or deid, bragging or provocatioun, within the said kirk, or yitt abuse that place as it hes bene heirbefore; with certificatioun to thame gif thai do the samyn that thai sall vnderly the dowbill paynes and pvnisements contenit in the townis statuts maid anent the trublances done in the hie streitts, and forther sall be wairdet for xv dayes gif thai draw ony blwid, and for all vther trublances for the spaice of aucht dayes swa oft as thai failyey.

26 March 1589.

Trinity College, Saynt Pawles wark.

Gevis and grantis to the help of the reparatioun of the kirk of the Trinity College ane competent number of the reddiest and lowsest staynis of the hospitall of St. Pawles Wark, and consentis to the dountaking thairof to be applyet to the said wark.

Toun wallis.

Siclyk, ordanis the said thesaurer to caus big vp with stayne and lyme the yett in the town wall at Halkerstouns Wynd fute, and to rayse ane wall at the Lochend, and als to repair the town wall at all vther pairts necessar.

28 March 1589.

Bruce, synodall assembly.

Ordanit Jhonn Jhonestoun, Alexander Hunter, Jhonn Harlaw and Patrik Sandelands to accompany maister Robert Bruce, thair minister, to the synodall assembly to be haldin at Lythqw, and thair thai to propone the townis desyre for ane minister in the place vacand.