XCVIII: Acts of Privy Council concerning repair and maintenance of the Bridge of Glasgow (1618)

Charters and Documents Relating To the City of Glasgow 1175-1649 Part 2. Originally published by Scottish Burgh Records Society, Glasgow, 1894.

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'XCVIII: Acts of Privy Council concerning repair and maintenance of the Bridge of Glasgow (1618)', in Charters and Documents Relating To the City of Glasgow 1175-1649 Part 2, (Glasgow, 1894) pp. 300-302. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/glasgow-charters/1175-1649/no2/pp300-302 [accessed 18 March 2024]

XCVIII. Act of the Privy Council granting to the Provost, Bailies, and Councillors of Glasgow, an impost for repairing and upholding the Bridge of Glasgow. Edinburgh, 5 February 1618.

Anent the supplicatioun presentit to the lordis of secrite counsaill be the prouest, bailleis, and counsaill of the citie of Glasgow, makand mentioun that quhair the brig of the said citie of Glasgow, quhilk is ane of the moist remarcable monumentis within this kingdome, being in the [one thousand] sex hundreth and ane yeir of God verie fer decayit and at the poynte of ruyne, the pilleris pendand vnder propis of the brig being so schaikin and brugille by the invndatioun, force, and violence of the watter of Clyde, as the same may become altogidder louse, to the appeirand overthraw of the said brig, and diuers pairtis of the watter of Clyde beneth the brig being so ovirblowne with sand as the watter was, become vnnavigable for boitis and veschallis of small birth, quhairwith all the commoditeis of the said citie for the most pairt wer brocht to and fra the said citie, and the saidis supplicantis being vnable at that tyme, as they are yit, to repair, mend, and vphald the said brig and to preserue the same frome ruyne and decay, it pleasit his Maiestie, vpoun consideratioun thairof, and out of his princelie and tendir cair and regaird, to prevent the decay of suche a staitlie worke quhilk importit so heichlie the honnour and credite of the cuntray, and quhilkis being ruyned and fallin doun, wald be vnable at ony tyme thairafter to be repairit, to grant vnto the said citie for the space of nynetein yeiris ane certane impost and dewtie of the commoditeis and goodis careyed alongis the said brig, and lossit and laidnit within the fredome of the same citie vpoun the watter of Clyde, and that for repairing, beiting, and mending of the said brig; quhilk impost and dewtie, by and attoure verie grite sowmes yeirlie vpliftit be voluntair contributioun within the said citie, the saidis supplicantis predicessouris who boore office and charge fra yeir to yeir within the same most cairfullie, and respectiuelie bestowit vpoun the saidis workis in suche force as all the defectis of the said brig wer weill helpit, the sandis of the watter removed, and calsayis biggit alongis the Greene vpoun the watter syde, sua that all thir workis quhilkis wer verie chairgeable to the said citie wer brocht to ane good perfectioun, and the decay thairof quhilk be appeirance wald schortlie thairafter haue followit wes preventit. Bot the saidis workis, as the saidis lordis may considder, are so subjecte to the injurie of tyme as gif cair be not had with verie grite pane, travell, and coist to interteny and vphald the same, they will ouns again come to decay; for preventing quhairof, althocht the saidis supplicantis do all that lyis in thair power, yit thay are not able be thame selffis to vndirly the daylie chairgeis that necessarlie mon be prouidit for thir workis, but mon haue thair recourse to the saidis lordis for some supplie and releiff, humelie desyreing thairfore that thay micht haue ane act of counsaill past and exped in thair fauour in maner and to the effect vnderwritten, lyke as at mair lenth is contenit in the said supplicatioun. Quhilk being red, hard, and considerit be the saidis lordis, and thay vnderstanding how that it is verie requisite and necessar that the said brig be intertenyit and vphalden, and that the same will require grite chairgeis and expenssis yeirlie, quhilkis chairgeis the inhabitantis of the said citie are not able be thame selffis to vndirly and beare oute: Thairfore the saidis Lordis hes prorogat, and, be the tennoure heirof, prorogattis the terme of the libertie and licence grantit to the said citie for vplifting of the impost and dewtie vndirwrittin for the space of fyve yeiris nixt and immediatlie following the expyreing and outrunning of the nyneteine yeiris foirsaid contenit in the said formair gift: And Forder, the saidis lordis hes of new gevin and grantit, and, be the tennoure heirof, gevis and grantis vnto the saidis supplicantis and thair successouris, prouest, bailleis, and counsaill of the said citie, and to the deputis and collectouris to be nominat be thame, full pouer and libertie to ask, crave, ressaue, intromet with and vplift the impost and dewtie following, that is to say, of ilk horsse laid of victuall or other goodis passing alangis the said brig or fra the watter, of vnfremen and travellairis, iiijd.; off ilk thousand greene hering loissed and sauld within the fredome of the citie of Glasgow, of the vnfremen inbringouris thairof, iiijd., and of freemen ijd.; off ilk packed hoighead of hering of vnfremen, xijd.; off ilk twn of wyne loissed within the fredome of the said citie, of vnfreemen, iijs. iiijd.; off ilk boit comeand to the watter of the said citie with tymmer boordis and stingis, of vnfreemen, iijs. iiijd.; off ilk boit of killing of ten dusane, of vnfreemen, and killing; off ilk laid of victuall coft in the said citie and passand doun the watter, of vnfreemen, vjd. And gif neid beis to poind and distrenzie thairfore, and the same impoist to be imployit and bestowit yeirlie dureing the said space of fyve yeiris after the expyreing of the saidis nyneteine yeiris, upoun the beiting, mending, repairing, intertenying and vphalding of the said brig: And generallie all and sindrie vther thingis for vplifting of the saidis impost to do and vse quhilkis of law or cousuetude of this realme are knawne to pertene: firme and stable halding and for to hald all and quhatsumeuir thingis thay sall lauchfully do heirin. And ordanis leteres to be direct to officiaris of airmes chairgeing thame to pas and mak publicatioun heirof be oppin proclamatioun at the mercat croce of Glasgow and vtheris placeis neidfull quhairthrow nane pretend ignorance of the same; and to chairge all his Majesteis leigeis and subjectis to mak thankfull and reddy payment to the saidis supplicantis and thair successouris of the impoist and dewtie abone written yeirlie dureing the space abonespecifeit as thay will answer vpoun thair obedience.