Extracts from the Records: 1567, Jan-June

1567, Jan-June

10 January 1566–7.

Leith.

Compeirit Robert Wans, in Leyth, and producit ane writting of our Soueranis to delay the taking of ony forther possessioun of the towne of Leyth quhill the last day of Apryle nixtocum, off the quhilk the tennor followis:—(Blank)Quhilk writting wes delyverit be William Stewart to maister Robert Glen, baillie, to mak ane bill wpoun to our Soveranis, with the awys of maister Thomas M'Calyeoun and maister Richert Strang, and as yit wndelyverit agane.

31 January 1566–7.

Anent the prowestis ox.

The prowest baillies and counsall ordanis Hectour Trovp to pay to Williame Thomsoun, fleschour, the sowme of twelf pundis for the prowestis ox, and that of his awin consent becaus he intromettit with the dewitie of the faris of Trinitie and Alhallo.

Playaris in the kirk.

The prowest baillies and counsall ordanis proclamatioun to be maid throuche this burgh be the belman thairof, dischargeing all induellaris within the samyn, maisteris of scolis or vtheris haiffand cure of the youtheid of this burgh, that thay suffer nane of the barnis vnder thair correctioun to frequent to the kirk to play thairinto, as thai will ansuer to the magistratis, and certefeing thame that sic barnis as salbe apprehendit playand in the said kirk salbe imprisonit at the will of the magistratis efter that thay be quhippit with wandis, quhilk proclamatioun wes maid that samyn day throuch this burgh be the said belman.

Procuratour fiscall.

[The provost bailies and council,] considering the greit hurt incurrit be the burgh of Edinburgh and commoun weill of the samin throw wantting of ane procuratour fiscall to persew and defend in thair commoun actiounis and previlagis, quhilk ar oursene, with the pvneissing of sic as transgressis thair actis and statutis, and haifing consideratioun that Alexander King, procuratour, is maist meit thairfoir, be ressoun he hes be ane lang space bigane bene clerk of thair court and kennis the mereittis of the commoun caussis belanging to this burgh and prevelagis thairof, and hes insistit in the tounis name in persute of the brekkeris of the saidis prevelagis and vtheris diuers actiounis of this burgh, and obtenit decreittis aganis thame with the said burgh for the quhilkis laubouris he hes had na recompensatioun rewaird nor payment as yit; quhairfoir thai,willing that he be recompensit for his travellis ellis tane, and that he haif ane yeirlie pensioun induring thair will, to accept the said office vpoun him and to libell thair letteres, clamis, petitiounis, defenssis, ansueris and writtis necesser, in persute or defence of thair caussis and prevelagis foirsaid, and to procure in the samin in tyme cuming, ordanis [the treasurer to pay him ten pounds for past services and ten merks yearly in time coming.]

11 February 1566–7

Precept.

The prowest baillies and counsall ordanis Jhone Westoun, thesaurar, to caus tak away the hevyn wark of the bak dure at the prouestis logeing of the kirk of Feild and to big vp the samyn dure with lyme and sand.

26 February 1566–7.

Chesing of thesaurer.

[John Harwod chosen treasurer in room of John Westoun, "depairtit and deid at the plesour of God."]

8 March 1566–7.

Ressait of x^mmerkis.

In presens of the provest baillies and counsall foirsaid, comperit Johnne Chisholme, comptrollour to our Soveranis arteilyere, and confest him to hawe ressawit fra the baillies of this burgh compleit payment of the sovme of ten thousand merkis wsuall money of this realme debursit be the towne of Edinburgh wpoun the superioritie of Leyth, and that at our Soveranis command for payment of thair graces men of weir and setting fordwart of arteilyery the tyme thair graces past to the waist countrey.

12 March 1566–7.

Craig, minister.

The quhilk day, deliuerit, at the baillies counsallis command, to maister Jhone Craig, minister, the writting of the lordis of secreit counsall direct to the prouest and baillies of this burgh for taking of ordour and setting of taxt for sustening of thair ministerris, makand mentioun that hir grace had gevyn the annuallis for that effect; and this to schew to our Souerane for obtening of the signatouris of the said annuallis subscriuit.

19 March 1566–7.

Protestatio, Rowane.

In presens of the prowest baillies and counsale, comperit Dauid Rowane, maister iuellar to our Souerane, and declarit that the castell of Edinburgh is to be randerit furth of the handis of my lord Erskyn, and thairfor desyrit the prowest and baillies to pas to our Souerane and seik deliuerance of thair artalyere being within the samyn, quhairof thai had his handwrit, and gif thai did nocht, protestit that he war nocht haldin heirefter to mak compt of thame, becaus it wes incertane to him quha wes to be maid capitane, and thairvpoun askit instrumentis.

4 April 1567.

Steking of the kirkyaird yet.

The prowest baillies and counsall ordanis maister Jhone Prestoun, dene of gyld, to caus clenge the filthe about the kirk, and to caus steik the gret yet on the est syde of the kirk yaird sua that the laddis get na interes to mak the samyn ane symmar feild and to brek the glas windokkis.

11 April 1567.

Bikkeraris.

The prowest baillies and counsall ordanis the belman to pas throuche this burgh and discharge the bikeraris, vnder the pane of hanging of sic as ar of age and scurgeing of sic otheris as ar nocht of age, quhilk the said belman proclamit that samyn day and hes yit in his handis.

24 April 1567.

Orlage.

[The dean of guild ordained "to caus paint the letteris of the orlage."

Three personis appointed "to talk with the man that hes the orlage to sell, desyrit to be set vp at the Nether Bow, drif it to ane price, and report to the counsall."]

7 May 1567.

New wall besyde the kirk of feild.

[The bailies and council] ordanis Jhone Harwod, thesaurar, to caus big the wall of the toun decayit and fallin doun on the southe syde of the prowest of the Kirkfeildis logeing to be biggit vp of lyme and stane, conforme to the heicht and thiknes of the new wall ellis biggit, and to pas lineallie with the samyn to the wall of the kirkaird of the said kirk, and that he leif na dure nor entre in the said new dik bot that the samyn be maid masse wall, and to gif tuentye fyve pound for ilk rude thairof.

12 May 1567.

Salt pannis at Newhavin.

[The bailies, council, and deacons of crafts,] all in ane voce, findis gude and consenttis that ane pairt of thair Newhavin be set in tak to Anthonie Hikman, Jhone Achille and Cornelius du Vois, Inglischemen, for the space of fyftie yeris, and that the commoun sele of this burgh be hungyn thairto.

16 May 1567.

Ground at Newhavin.

[Fourteen persons appointed] to pas to the Newhavyn and vesye the ground desyrit be Anthonie Hikman, Jhone Achille and Cornelius du Vois to be set to thame in tak for making of salt, and to caus met and mesoure the samyn, and to report to the counsall the quantitte and situatioun thairof.

Hepburn, burges.

The counsall granttis and gevis to Johne Hepburn, porter of the castell, his burgeschip frie, in hoip of gude seruice to the nychtbouris of this burgh.

4 June 1567.

Setting of ane part of thair Newhavin to mak salt.

[The provost, bailies, council, and deacons of crafts consented that a portion of their lands lying on the south side of the Newhaven, "contenand twentie thre fall of lenthe and sextene fall in breid, ilk fall contenand sex elnis Scottis," should be set to the three Englishmen before named, for the space of fifty years "to mak salt in." On 18th June three tacks for the periods of 19, 19, and 12 years, respectively, were granted, and are entered at length in the council record.]

11 June 1567.

[Incoming of lords to town.]

The prowest baillies counsall and dekynnis names Eduard Lytill, baille, William Foullar of the counsall, and Michaell Gilbert, gold smyth, to pas to Dunbar to oure Souerane, quha wes thair for the tyme with James Hepburn duke of Orknaye lord Boithwell, admirall, etc., to excus the gude toun and schew thair pairt anent the incuming and entering in this toun of my lordis Athoill, Montrois, Morton, Mar, Glencairn, Home, Lyndesaye, Ruthven, Sanquhair, Sympill, Tulibardyn and Grange, etc, quha had convenit thame self in armis for pvnesing of king Harye Stewartis murthure, putting of our Souerane to libertie, dissolving of the mariage betuix our Souerane and the said Duke and forteficatioun of James Stewart, Prince of Scotland, and son to the said vmquhile Harye.

The samyn day, the baillies and counsall ordanis Jhone Harwod, thesaurar, to content and pay to Jaques and his peple x s. quha playit afoir the toun the x day of Junii instant the tyme of the incuming of the lordis abone writting.

18 June 1567.

Anent the making of burgesses.

The prowest baillies and counsall, vnderstanding the greit skayth and dampnage sustenit be the inhabitantis, fremen of this burgh, be making of outlandis men, having nother wyf, barnis, familie, stob nor staik within the samyn, burgessis of the said burgh, nochttheles the saidis outlandis burgessis duellis outwith the burgh and passis throw the cuntre, foirstallis skyn, hyde, and other merchandice, and traffectis in selling bying and saling, nochtwithstanding the quhilkis thai eschaip fra taxtis stentis and all otheris portable chargis, and can nocht be apprehendit nor causit pay nor do the samyn be ressoun thai haif nother stob nor staik as said is, incontrair the commoun weill of the samyn, and inlykwys considdering the gret skaithe and dampnage sustenit be the craftismen of the said burgh be making of uther townis prentesis and seruandis lyke fre as gif thai had bene prenteis within this burgh, quhilk is the gret hurt of the said fremen and thair prenteisis, and contrair the commoun weill of burrowis: For remeid of the quhilkis, the prowest baillies and counsall, with consent and awys of the dekynnis of crafts, statutis and ordanis that in tyme cuming na maner of outlandis men be maid burges or fremen of this burgh vnto he be mariit and haif stob and staik within the samyn, sua that he may be apprehendit and compellit to pay taxt and stent and beir his pairt of sic portable chargis as otheris fremen induellaris within the samyn, and that na craftisman be ressauit fremen within this burgh bot onle thai that hes bein prenteis within the samyn and thair prenteship fullelie outrun; prouiding allwayis that this act preiuge nocht fremennis bairnis nor prentesis being fullele outrun within this burgh, bot thai sall be ressauit but stop or impediment, conforme to the auld vse; and this act to haif strenthe force and effect induring the will of the saidis provest and baillies.

20 June 1567.

Couttis.

The prowest baillies and counsall ordanis Jhone Harwod, thesaurar, to deliuer to George Couttis, now being imprisonit in the thevis hoill for his contempt done to maister Jhone Craig, minister, the sowme of twelf schillingis sex penneis; and ordanis him to be relevit furth of waird and convoyit to Leithe and boittit thair be tua officiaris; and this in respect of our Soueranis writting obtenit to that effect and of his lang impresonment, and als that thay find him by him self.