Extracts from the Records: 1588, Jul-Sept

1588, Jul-Sept

3 July 1588.

Precept, x hour bell.

[Ordained the treasurer to pay to David Nicolsoun 30s. "for ringing of the greitt bell at x houris at evin . . and ordanis that the said Dauids successoures sall haif na mair in tyme cuming for the ringing of the said bell and the rest of thair seruice bot their ordinare fie."]

Duik of Lenox twa sisters.

Gevis commissioun to the dene of gild, Clement Cor and Patrik Sandelands, to speik and agrie with sic as the Kings Maiesteis comptroller appoyntes for the intertenement of the Duik of Lenox twa sisteris als guid cheip as thai may.

Visitoures of quarteris.

Followes the ordour and maner of the visitouris in ilk quarter, electet and chosin thairto, contening thair office, thair names, and bounds assignet to thame:—First. Thay sall trye and owersie the howshalderis and fameleis within thair bounds, thair estaitt, lyfe and conversatioun, to witt, gif thair be any fornicatouris, nicht walkeris, vagabounds, idill persouns, singill wemen that ar vnfrie haldand howsses be thame selffis, drye topsteris, vnfrie taskmen and jurnaymen of crafts that hes nocht ane maister to ansuer for thame, ony vnfrie personis vsand merchandice and trafficque or occupeand any craft or handy lawbour, and quha hes sett thair howssis to ony of thir sort of pepill contrar to the touns lawis.

Visitoures of quarteris.

Item. That thai se the nichtbouris in thair bounds be sufficiently prouydet of guid and sufficient airmour, and quha wantis the samyn that thai declair it to the baillie of the quarter, and that thai with the saidis nichtbouris be in reddynes, weill airmitt, quhen the prouest and baillies hes ado in the Kings Grace or tounis seruice.

Item. That thai tak vp the names of the beggares hantand or dwelland within thair bounds, with thair estaitt, gif thai be decrepit and falyeit or gif thai be stark and haill, and the tyme thai haif bene in the toun, and gif thair names in writt to the baillie of the quarter.

Item. Quhen ony of thir visitoures passis to the saill that thai cum in to the counsall and schaw the sam that ane vther may be depute in thair place.

Names of owerseares and thair bounds.

Followes the names of the saidis owerseares of the quarteris, with the bounds assignet to thame: [19 for the north-west, 11 for the north-east 19 for the south-east, and 25 for the south-west quarters.]

5 July 1588.

Hatmakeris.

Fynds and decernis James Edmistoun, William Levingstoun, Jhonn Hepburne, hatmakers, and the remanent brether of the hatmakeris of this burgh, to haif done wrang in taking vpoun thame to associat thame selffis with the vnfrie hatmakeris of the Cannogaitt, in resaving the banket and vpsett of allegit friemen to thair crafts and dewteis of prenteissis, making of conventiouns and lawes amang thame selffis, and doing of all things pertening to ane craft quhilk hes ane deykin and seill of caus, and in speciall in taking and resaving fra William Mow, hatmaker, the sowm of sex pund for his vpsett; and thairfore decernis and ordanis thame to desist and ceis fra the lyke attemptats in tyme cuming and to pay to the guid toun the said sex pund resauet as said is.

19 July 1588.

Countes of Argyle bureit in the kirk.

At the desyr of the kin and freynds of the vmquhill Countes of Argyle, laitly deceisset within this burgh, and for the luif and favour thai buir to hir vmquhill first husband the Erle of Murray, Regent for the tyme, grantes and consentis that scho be bureit in the Hie Kirk of this burgh, in the tomb and sepulchre of hir said vmquhill husband.

24 July 1588.

Contributioun for the pure.

Jhonn Arnott, provest, the baillies, dene of gild, thesaurer, and counsell, for the maist pairt, beand convenit, fynds it expedient to enter to the guid and godly wark of taking ordour with sustentation of the puir of this burgh, that the idill, sturdy and landwart beggares may be haldin owt, for the mair stabill ordour to be tayne thairinto, after the commouning had with sic of the kirk and lordis of sessioun as hes travellet with thame thairinto, to begyn and tak vp the names of the nychtbouris that will contribute to the sustentatioun of the puir, quhat ilk persoun will gif thairto of his awin will, and nixt to tak vp the names of the haill puir, to the end that it may be knawin quhat will sustene thame and quhat may be cravet of the memberis of the sessioun for thair pairt of this support; and thairfore the baillies, with the persouns following adionyet to thame, to call thair nychtbouris be thair quarters in the places vnderwrittin before thame and inroll ilk manis name and sowm…

31 July 1588.

Watche in the stepill.

Inrespect of the apperand tyme of trubill, fynds it expedient that thair be sex feyet men putt in the stephill for thre or four dayes, and Alexander Broun to owersie and be with thame.

Wyllie pure.

Vnderstanding that Jhonn Wyllie, quha keipet the pure of the gaitt and had owlkly of the town ane merk, is now deceissit, ordanis Thomas Patersoun, collectour, to haif na forther allowance of the said stipend fra this day furth.

2 August 1588.

Yorstouns compt, Monsieur Caremont.

Gevis commissioun to the dene of gild and Jhonn Porterfeyld to vew, examyne, and consider the compt gevin in be Capitane Yorstoun of the expenssis maid be him vpoun the intertenement of Monsieur Claremont, imbassadour for the King of Navarre, at the touns command.

9 August 1588.

Flemyng wobsters.

Ordanis James Scott, collectour of the townes pittie customes at the port of Leyth, to gett coillis to layd in the schip quhilk brocht hame the Flemyng wobsteris, walkers, weveris and litsteris, and ordour sall be tayne for rambursing to him agane of the pryce thairof.

Spayngyie navie, iij^e men of weir.

Inrespect of the constant bruitt and credibill apperance of the arryvell within this realme of the Spayngyie navie as alreddy cum within the Scots seyis, furnist with men of weir and mvnitioun, quhairby nocht onely is the estaitt of the Kingis Maiestie and of the realme bot als the trew relligioun and haill professouris thairof in greitt daynger, thairfore it is thocht expedient that bayth all the inhabitants of this burgh be in reddynes to resist and concur with the rest of the cuntrey quha sall inairme thame selffis for that purpose, and that thre hunder men of weir be rayset vpoun the townis charges for defence of the toun and resisting of the said enemy; and for this purpose ordanis the sowme of thre thowsand and fyve merk to be tayne vpoun the commoun guid to pay thair wedges, vpoun annuell, quhill at mair oportunity the sam may be relevit be ane extent; and ordanis Edward Mawchan, thesaurer, to rayse the said money quhaireuir the samyn may be had and to deburse the sam to the vse foresaid and mak compt thairof to the guid toun, and ordanis infeftment to be gevin of x of the j^e to the persouns that will avance the samyn vpoun reuersioun.

Bruce, minister.

Ordanis the townis commissioners to desyre at the generall assembly that maister Robert Bruce may be burdenit to accept the place of ane ordinare pasture within this burgh, and to declair that the toun will nocht charge nor burdein him with forther travell in the said office bot at his awin pleasure as he sall fynd himselff that he may owertak.

11 August 1588.

Anent ane minister.

Ordanet Jhonn Jhonestoun and Edward Galbrayth, commissioners for the toun in this present generall assembly, to propone and gif in lyte to the said assembly maister James Melvile, maister Jhonn Craig, maister Patrik Galloway, ministeris, that be authority of the said assembly ane of thame may be transportet and appoyntet to be ane ordinare minister within this burgh, and gif the assembly fynds that nane of thame may be had, in that case to desyre thame to gif in lyte to the toun thre vther qualefeyet persouns that ane of thame may be electet be the toun and resauet in the said place, and to interpone thair authority to the transporting of ane of the said thre persouns, or ellis to name certane commissioners havand thair power to that effect that the toun be nocht disappoyntet as it hes bene sen the depairting of maister Jhonn Cowper, minister.

14 August 1588.

Capitanes electet to men of weir.

Makis, creats and constitutes Thomas Geddes, George Todrik and Capitane James Inglis, tailyeour, to be capitanes of the thre hundreth men to be rayset to serue the toun, with power to ilk ane of thame to rayse ane hunder of the said men and to haif ane handseyngyie and vther inferiour members of thair cumpaneis bot na lieutennentis; quhilk charge thai acceptet and gaif thair aythis to serue the toun trewly as thai sall be commandet be the prouest, baillies and counsall, and gif neid beis ordanis commissiouns to be gevin to thame in form as effeiris.

16 August 1588.

Lord Maxwell.

Ordanes Edward Mawchan, thesaurer, . . . to haif allowet the expenssis maid vpoun the boitt hyre and vther necessar for the baillies and nychtbouris quha past furth of Leyth to the Blaknes, be sey, transporting the Lord Maxwell, at the King Graces command, [£26, 17s.]

11 September 1588.

Burrowes, admirall.

Fynds it maist expedient that my lord prouest, with the baillies and certane of thair number, pas to the Kings Grace and assist and concur with the commissioners of the burrowes on the coist syde of Fyfe to compleyne vpoun my lord admirall for arreisting of thair schips and nocht suffering thame to pas to thair vayage without his licence, and clamand greitt and new exactiouns vpoun thame.

King of Navarris imbassadour.

[Ordained the treasurer to pay to Captain William Yorstoun £106, 3s. 4d. "for the intertenement of Monsieur Clarement, imbassadour to the King of Navare, in his lugeing, at the townis command." on 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th July; also to pay to Allane Makcalaw "for ane quart of quhyte wyne and ane vther of claret and ane quart of sweitt wyne furnist to the banket at the said imbassadouris depairting, the sowm of fyftie twa schillings; and to pay for the drogs and sweitt meitt thairto the sowm of aucht pund four schillings."]

13 September 1588.

Proclamatio, Dysart breid.

Ordanet proclamatioun to be maid dischargeing any breid to be baikin within this burgh heirafter after the fassioun and maner of the Dysart breid, inrespect of the abuses and fraud committet thairinto, bayth in sufficiencie and wecht, vnder the payne of confiscatioun thairof and paying ane vnlaw of fyve pund.

20 September 1588.

Roger, pure of the glaitt.

Electet and nominatt George Rodger, in place of vmquhill Jhonn Wyllie, to hald the pure of the gaitt, and ordanet thair collectouris to ansuer him of siclyk dewty for the samyn as the said vmquhill Jhonn had of before.

25 September 1588.

Capitane Geddes, Stewart.

Forswamekill as capitane Thomas Geddes, being in the townis seruice, wes laitely persewet of his lyfe be [blank] Stewart and certane seruands of my lord of Murray, and ane of the said capitanes sudderts slayne in that caus, thairfor the said provest, baillies, counsall, and deykins, all in ane voce, fynds the said quarrell to concerne the haill toun mair nor the said capitane, and thairfore be thir presents taks his protectioun and mantenance vpoun thame, declarand and promittand to assist, fortefie, menteyne, and defend him in the samyn to the vttermost, and persew the slawchter of the said sowldiour.

Statute, setting howssis, pestilence.

Forswamekill as this toun is replenist with ane multitude of vnfrie persouns and puir and nedy, cum fra landwart, quha hes nocht to sustene thameselffis, quhill cumis be occasioun of the possessouris of lands for gredynes setting the sam to all sorts of persouns, contrair the acts and ordinance maid thairvpoun of before, thairfore statutes and ordanis that all that hes sett thair howssis to sic sort of persouns sall be burdenit with thair sustentatioun in tyme of neid, distres, and pestilence quhair thai haif nocht of thair awin; and ordanis this act to be insert amangs the towns statutes to be proclamet at the merket croce.

27 September 1588.

Admirall, schips at Leyth.

Directis Michael Gilbert, baillie, [and three others,] to pas with my lord provest to the Erle Bothuell, admyrall, and compleyne vpoun the exactiouns tayne vpoun schips at Leyth and to seik redres thairof.

Flemyng wobsters.

Ordanis Edward Mawchan, thesaurer, to pay to the Flemyng wobsters, walkers and litsters, laitly brocht hame furth of Flanders, the sowm of threscoir aucht pund sex schillings aucht penneis for thair charges and expenssis in transporting thame, thair wyffes, childerein and famely, to this burgh, for exerceing thair said craft thairinto, according to the particulare compt gevin in thairvpoun, sene and considerit be sic as wes depute thairto be the counsall of before.