Extracts from the Records: 1578, Apr-June

Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1573-1589. Originally published by Scottish Burgh Records Society, Edinburgh, 1882.

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'Extracts from the Records: 1578, Apr-June', in Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1573-1589, (Edinburgh, 1882) pp. 68-77. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/edinburgh-burgh-records/1573-89/pp68-77 [accessed 17 March 2024]

1578, Apr-June

4 April 1578.

Castell, Precept, Ros.

The baillies and counsale ordanis ane skans or barres of tymber to be set vp before the castell at maister Jhonne Thornetonys hous, and ane stark wache to be set besyde iijxx sulderttis, and capitane Hallyburtoun to haue the charge of thame in case George Douglas and his sulderttis pretend to ische; and to gyf euery ane of the saidis solderttis iij s.; and to the said capitane x li; summa xiij li; and ordanis James Ros to pay the samyn.

11 April 1578.

Proclamation, wynis.

The baillies and counsale ordanis the proclamatioun efter following to be proclamyt in Edinburgh and Leyth, off the quhilk the tenour followis:— Forsamekle as it hes plesit the Kingis Maiestie that the lordis of his secreit counsale and diuers vtheris of his Hienes nobilitie sall mak thair residence within the burgh of Edinburgh for taikin ordour in the caussis of the commoun weill, quhairfor it becumis all his Hienes loving subiectis to se that the saidis lordis and nobelitie and vtheris resorting to thir pairttis be weill and resonablie handillit in all thair effaris, quhairfor I command and charge in oure Souerane Lord the Kingis name, and in name and behalf of the prouest and baillies of the burgh of Edinburgh, lord superiouris of the toun of Leyth, that na victuellis be darthit vpoun thame, and that the pynt of wyne be commonlie sauld to all oure said Soueranis lieges conforme to the statute maid of before, that is for xl d. the pynt and na derrer. And to this effect that all taverne durris and sellaris be maid patent at all lauchfull tymes quhair wynis are to be sauld to all oure said Soueranis lieges vpoun the said price foresaid, vnder the pane of fyve pundis for the first falt, and ten li. for the secund falt, and ane puntioun of wyne for the thrid falt, sa oft as thay failye.

For troublance and blude, etc.

The proclamatioun following is proclamyt at the saidis townys be sound of tabroun:—I command and charge in oure Souerane Lordis name that na maner of persoun mak troublance within this burgh of Edinburgh nor invaid vtheris be word or deid that may be occasioun of trouble, vnder the pane of xl s. to be vptaikin of thame that salbe found gyltye and convictit thairfor, howbeit na blude be drawin, and to remane in waird xlviij houris but fauouris; and gyf it happinis ony blude to be drawin, the drawarris of the blude to be keipit in sure wairde but exceptioun of personis for the space of nyne dayis, and forther quhill the cherurgeanis testifie the woundit persoun to be furth of all danger of that present wound: and this without preiudice of the pairties actioun dampnifeit, and of the townys vnlaw.

12 April 1578.

Prouest to be changit.; For troublance and blude, etc.

[The bailies, council, and deacons of crafts] being convenit before the lordis of secreit counsall, it was thocht gude be thair lordships that George Douglas, capitane of the castell of Edinburgh, now prouest, should be changit for causis moving thame, and sum vtheris of the tovnis self to be put in his place quhill Michaelmes nixt, and thairfoir desyrit thame incontinent to convene thame selues for chusing of ane qualefeit man of thair awin nomber in his place as said is; quha being convenit and the mater resonit, thay humblie desyrit thair lordships to geve thame dilay quhill Mononday nixt, because the maist pairt of the counsall war furth of the realme; with the quhilk dilay thair lordships nocht being satefeit, they direct the wryting efter following subscryuit as followis:—
Apud Edinburgh xijo mensis Apprilis 1578. The Lordis of Secreit Counsall vnderstanding that vpoun occasioun of the lait slauchteris committed vpoun certan inhabitantis of Edinburgh be the constabill and vtheris seruandis being within the Castell of Edinburgh for the tyme, quhilkis efter the deid war reset thairin agane, thair is gruge and myslyking be sum inhabitantis of Edinburgh aganis George Douglas of Parkheid, thair provest, quha was capitane of the said Castell for the tyme, quha gyf he sall contineu in vsing of his office of provestrie may resaue contempt, inobedience, and inurie of sum that hes resauit skayth and yit is nocht assythit: Thairfoir for avoyding of the quhilk inconuenience and all vther thing that mycht geve occasioun of vnquyetnes, the Kingis Maiestie hes requyrit the lordis of his privie counsall to tak gude regaird and consideratioun of the mater, outher be making of ane vther provest to serue quhill the nixt Mychaelmes, or than be placing of a president be the tovnys avyse: and the sadis lordis having deliberatlie considerit his Maiesties commandment and the necessary occasionis moving the performance thairof, ordanis the masser to pas and charge the baillies, counsall, dekynnis of craftis and vtheris having voce in the electioun of the provest, baillies, and publict officiaris of the said burgh of Edinburgh, that they convene within thre houris nixt efter they be chairgit thairto, and than, inrespect of the causis and considerationis aboue specefeit, leving all further obedience of the said George in the said office of provestrie, quhilk the saidis lordis suspendis and dischargis from this furth, that they elect and chuse of thair awin maist honest and famous nychtbouris to be provest of the said burgh for the yeir present vnto the feist of Michaelmes nixtocum, to be ansuerit and obeyit be thame as thair lawfull provest and magistrat in the menetyme, vnder the payne of rebellioun and putting of thame to the horn, with certificatioun to thame and thay failye, the saidis thre houris being bypast, lettres salbe direct to denunce thame rebellis and put thame to the horn, and to escheit and inbring all thair movabill gudes to his Hienes vse for thair rebellioun, Et sic subscribitur Atholl Cancellarius, Montrois, Dunfermling, Patrick Lyndesay, R.B. of Caithnes, Hereis. Quhilk wryting being producit be William Bryson, masser, the baillies, counsall and dekynnis of mynde and will to geve all humbill obedience to the saidis lordis and wryting abouementionat, convenis thame selues conforme thairto in maner following as said is, and takis vpoun the reull and charge of the tovne quhill Mononday nixt, without knawlege of the said George Douglas as provest.

14 April 1578.

Electioun of Archibald Stewert, provest.

The baillies and counsall according to thair promeis maid to the lordis vpoun Setterday last, for electing of ane new provest, convenis thame selves according to the auld ordour, viz.:—[here follows the sederunt] And for fulfilling of thair nomber admitis and takis suorn in the places of sa mony as ar absent and ar furth of the countrie, viz.:—Robert Kar, elder, in the place of the auld provest, maister Michaell Chesholme in place of Johnne Robertsoun, William Littill for Andrew Sclater. William Naiper for Johnne Aitkinsoun, Henry Nesbet for maister Jhonne Provand, Robert Galbrayth for Jhonne Arnot, maister Robert Creyton, maister Robert Strang, and maister Edward Hay, assassouris, Dauid Kynloche, baxter, Robert Abircrommy, saidlar, Gilbert Primrois, cherurgeane, Patrick Sandelandis, tailyeour, Eduard Galbrayth, skynner, William Coky, goldsmyth, Murdow Walker, mason, Jhonne Patersoun, fleschour, James Watsoun, cordiner, Leonard Thomesoun, wobstar, Alexander Walker, walker, Thomas Dikson, furroour, Jhonne Alexander, bonetmaker, and Thomas Wod, wrycht, dekynnis, quhais aithis being taikin efter the auld ordour, James Adamsoun, Archibald Stewart, and maister Jhonne Prestoun sett furth as lytes, they all in ane voce concludis and nominatis the said Archibald Stewart thair provest quhil Michaelmes nixt, promesand faythfull to the said Archibald thair humbill obedience as to thair lawfull provest, vnder oure Souerane Lord, quha being incallit and be lawfull ordour chosin to oure provest, as said is, acceptis the samyn, and be his greit ayth promesis faythfull and trew seruice touard oure said Souerane Lord induring the said tyme, and they convoy him and presentis him to the said lordis.

Proclamatioun, Kinloch.

Dauid Kinloch, baxter, protestis that albeit the assassouris haue had voit this day in electing of the prouest, quhilk was aganis the Actis of Perliament and actis of burrois as he alegit, sould nocht stand with the ordour in tymes cuming, and askit instrumentis.

16 April 1578.

Wache.

The provest, baillies, counsale, and dekynnis being convenit, it wes desyrit be the said provest thair sould nychtlie be ane stark wache for keiping of the toun, and willyt the dekynnis to gyf thair consent thairto, be quhome it wes ansuerit it is nocht neidfull to ask thair consent, because quhatsumeuir thing hes been laid to thair charge for the weill of the toun thay haue euir bene rady quhen thay war commandit like as thay will be, quhen it sall lik ye thair provest, baillies, and counsale to command thame, and willis the auld ordour to be keipit.

25 April 1578.

Statuta, fournacatouris.

Statuta, harlottis. The provest, baillies, dene of gyld, and counsale, persaving the dalie incres of the horrible vice of fornicatioun for laik off schairpe pvnisment; For remeid quhairof thay ordane all the harlottis that salbe apprehendit in vice heirefter to be hurlyt in ane cart throuch the toune and banist the boundis thairof induring the prouest, baillies, and counsallis willis.

Wache.

The provest, baillies, and counsale ordanis that nychtlie and dalie thair sall ane quarter of the toun wache quhill the lordis returnyng agane frome Striueling, and euery man to keip the wache in his awin persoun vnder the pane of viij s. vnforgevin and to convene euery nycht at nyne houris at hevin and siclike at fyve houris in the morning.

Armour.

It is statute and ordanit that na armour pas furth of the toun without the provest licence, vnder the pane of escheit.

Villa, castell.

The provest, baillies, counsale, and dekynnis promissis faythfullie with thair body and gudes to support mantene the persoun of Camsye, now capitane of the Castell, in keiping of that hous, and the said persoun in lyke maner to ayd and support the toun with all that he may.

The provest and counsale ordanis the baillies to serche thair quarteris quhair pulder may be foundis, inventour and arreist the samyn.

30 April 1578.

Platformes, town wallis.

The provest, baillies, and counsale ordanis to platforme the Kirk of Field stepill, the Blekhous at the Blakfreris and Grayfreris, the Freir port and West port, and that the toun wallis be fre of all impedyment within the samyn, be the space of xvj fute, and that Henry Nysbet, William Lytill, Robert Kar, maister Jhonne Prestoun, and William Naper vesy the toun wallis and cause repair the samyn quhair neid salbe found.

2 May 1578.

Robesoun banyst.

The prouest, baillies and counsale ordanis William Robesoun, seruand to William Robesoun, sclater, to be bound to ane jibbet at William Foullarris close heid for iniuring of the Inglis Ambassadouris wyf, his toung persit, and banyst the toun induring thair willis.

7 May 1578.

Thomas Lindesay.

The prouest, baillies, and counsale vnderstanding that Thomas Lindesay in Leyth hes procurit at the Kingis Maiesteis handis ane gyft of the office of sumlare and vptaking of wynis to his Hienes hous, be the quhilk thay vnderstand the hale merchant estait to be greitlie hurt gyf remeid be nocht prouidit; quhairfor thay ordane that ane certane of the maist honest merchanttis convene thame selffis the morne be x houris to pas before the lordis of Secreit Counsale to desyre this commissioun to be dischargit, and this toun to tak vpoun handis to cause the King be furnist of wynis and [blank.]

8 May 1578.

Price, Wynis.

[The provost and bailies after reasoning with sundry "merchanttis of this toun quhilk brocht in the last wynis, thair aithis being gevin of the treuth quhat thair wynis cost at the first bying, the fraucht, lekage and vther charges deducit conforme to the Act of Perliament, it is found the toun of Bourdeaux wynis can nocht be better cheip sauld nor iiij xxv li. the tvn, of Cunyeak wyne for lxxv li."]

10 May 1578.

Sowmes debtbound to ministeris.

[The provost, bailies, council, and deacons of crafts] efter reasonying, knawing thame selffis to be detbound to the ministeris in the yeirlie sowmes following, viz., to maister James Lowsoun yeirlie, sax hundreth merkis; to Jhonne Dwrye, thre hundreth merkis; to maister Walter Makcanquhell, thre hundreth merkis; to Jhonne Carnys, twa hundreth merkes; to the clerk of thair sessioun, fourty pundis; maister Walter M'Canquhellis hous maile, tuenty merkis; for the ministeris lugeing, ane hundreth merkis; extending in the hale to the sowme of ane thousand foure score of pundis yeirlie. For payment of the quhilk sowmes the prouest, baillies, dene of gyld, and counsale and dekynnis aboue writtin, all in ane voce granttis and consenttis and ordanis to be payet of the radiest of thair commoun gude; and to that effect ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, to mak compt, reknyng, and payment with maister James Lowsoun, maister Walter M'Canquhell, and Jhonne Durye, and mak thame compleite payment of all termes restand awand thame to the terme of Mertymes nixt; and siclyk Robert Kar, collectour, to mak compt and reknyng with Jhonne Cairnys, and pay him compleitlie to the said terme of Martymes inclusiue, quhilk salbe allowit in thair compttis; and this ordour to stand quhill forther ordour be taikin. For the quhilk caus the saidis dekynnis granttis and consentis that ane generale extent of ane thousand merkis be set and vpliftit of the hale nychtbouris of this burgh, to be bestowit vpoun the biging of the Hie Scole in the Blak Freir kirk yaird of this burgh. And in case the said jm merkis will nocht compleit the said wark, grantis to pay thair pairt of the superplus efter the compleiting of the said wark.

The contract tuiching the bigging of the Hie Scole.

At Edinburgh, the [blank] day of Junii 1578, it is appoynit, contractit, and finallie endit betuix honorable personis, that ar to say, James Ros, thesaurer and burges of said burgh, takand the burding vpoun him for the prouest, baillies, counsale and communitie of the samyn on that ane pairt, and William Bikertoun, mason, on the vther pairt, in maner following, forsamekle as the said prouest, baillies, counsale and communitie hes thocht gude, for the instructing and vpbringing of the youth in literature and gude leirnying, that ane Grammer Scole salbe foundit bigit, and compleit in maner and proportioun following, in the kirkyaird sumtyme callit the Blakfreir Kirk yaird of the said burgh, in the samyn place quhair the said kirk stude of before, to the quhilk wark and biging the said William Bikkertoun sall enter and begyn with sufficient nomber of warkmen, hewerris, layerris, and barromen, vpoun Mononday nixt, but forther delay; and the said scole sall contene in lenth within the wallis fywe score and ten futtis, and twenty fowre fute of breid within the samyn wallis cietuat east and west, as the said kirk stude of before, and sall haue vpoun the south sydwall thairof aucht wyndois ovircastin with pend stanchellis beittit and crukit be the said William, and euery wyndo sall contene savin fute of hycht croce mygellit [?] and fyve fute of breid, and in the north sydwall foure wyndois of the said quantitie and fassoun, siclike on the west gavill ane dur of fyve fute wyde, and the hycht proportionallie efferand thairto, with tua wyndois callyt nether wyndois of thre fute wyde and foure fute hicht with tua ovir wyndois for tua chalmeris of thre fute hicht and tua fute breid, with tua gude and sufficient chymnais in the saidis chalmeris, as alsua tua severale entressis on euery angle of the said west gavill contenand foure stane durris gyf thay may be had, with ane belhous betuix the twa chymnis couerit with stane on cumlie maner, and as to the eist gavill ane dur of sex futtis wyde, with foure wyndois in the samyn gavill of thre fute and ane half of hycht aboue the eyod and ane elin of breid, and all ther elins to contene thre fute and ane half for the elin; for the quhilk caus thair salbe payit be the said thesaurer to the said William Bikertoun the sowme of tua hundreth thre score of pundis at the termes following, viz.:—As euery quarter of the work procedis and being endit, the sowme of fiftye pundis, and at the completing of the hale wark thre score of pundis, and this said hale wark to be compleit and endit betuix and the first of September nixt, and the said thesaurer sall furnys all materiallis necessary with scaffalding to be laid to the said wark within xxiiij fute to the wallis, and sall red the ground for the samyn.

Ministeris, Hie Scole.

[The provost, bailies, council, and deacons of crafts], being convenit in the counsalhous of this burgh, efter the avisement tuiching the payment of the ministeris of thair stipend, ratefeis and apprevis the act maid xmo Maij, and ordanis the samyn to be obbeyit in all poynttis writtin of befoir in the samyn buke; and ordanis the extentouris to convene vpoun Tuesday nixt for setting of the extent for the bigging of the Hie Scole; and the money thairof to be deliuerit to James Ros, thesaurer; ordanis the said thesaurer to pay to maister James Lowsoun iijc merkis, to Jhonne Durye jc li., to maister Walter McCanquhell jc li.; and Robert Kar, collectour, to compt with Jhonne Cairnys, and this in compleit payment to Mertymes nixt.

18 May 1578.

Rex, villa, prouest.

The baillies and counsale fyndis and deliueris that Archibald Stewart, prouest, Alexander Vddert [and four others] sall ryde to Striueling to the Kingis Grace, and ordanis to wryte to his Hienes efter the comendatioun of seruice the continuance of thair gude mynde, and to desyre his writingis for thair warrand in tymes cuming of sic thing as sall be his Hienes wyll to lay to thair charge.

Baillies, Wache.

It is statute and ordanit quhill the prouestis returne agane from Striueling that William Lytill sal tak the charge and wache of the north west quarter, maister Mychaell Chisholme of the north eist quarter, and Henry Chairteris of the south eist quarter.

23 May 1578.

Rex, Erle Mar.

In presens of the prouest, baillies, and counsale, Alexander Vddert presentis and deliueris the Kingis Maiesties writing, with ane vther writing of the Erle of Marris, quhilk they ordane to be registrat.

30 May 1578.

Wache.

[Of this date, the provost and council], with the avise of the dekynnis, vottis thair salbe ane nychtlie wache of xxx parsonis quhill forther ordour be taikin.

21 June 1578.

Hospitall.

[The provost, bailies, and council], efter avysement with the ministeris and kirk for begyning of ordour in the Hospitall in the Ternatie College of this burgh, they have concludit that thair salbe preparit and maid rady ane dosoun of furneist bedis for the pure, and that thair salbe placit thairintill dosoun of aigit pepill seiklie and vnabill to laubour for thair leving, quhilkis pepill salbe sustenit vpoun the commoun box in the said hospitall in all necessaries sa lang as thay are seiklie quhill farther ordour be taikin, and gif ony of thame convalescis or becumis haill, thay to be removit and vtheris sic personis callit bedrelis input in thair place at the discretioun of the provest, baillies and counsall, with avyse of the ministeris, quha sall present the saidis bedrelis to thame that salbe placit be the maisteris of the hospitall for the tyme, etc.

Followis the names of the bedrellis enterit this day:—

Walter Broun and his wyfe; Dauid Forester, blind man; Margaret Carnyis, in Sclateris Clois; Issobell Biset, in Vtterburnis Clois; Jhonne Brvme, his wyfe, Cristiane Smyth; Nyniane Aitkene, and Jhonne Thomeson.

25 June 1578.

Precept, thesaurer, ministeris, FRANCHE scole.

The provest, baillies, and counsall ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, to pay to Alexander Vdert and Henry Nesbett, collectouris, the Witsondayes maill of the ministeris luging last bypast, and the samyn salbe allowit to him in his comptes; and siclike to the said Alexander ten pundis for the maill of the Frenche Scole, the said terme.