Appendix: Commission of Bailies of the Burgh, 1626

II.—COMMISSION by the Burgesses and Community of the Burgh and City of Glasgow in favour of Patrick Bell, James Stewart, senior, and William Neilsoun, junior, as Bailies of the Burgh. Glasgow, 7th October, 1626.

[Latin text]

Universis et singulis pateat per presentes: Nos comburgenses ac totam communitatem burgi et civitatis Glasguensis post nominationem nobis factam de dilectis nostris comburgensibus Patritio Bell, Jacobo Stewart, seniore, et Willelmo Neilsoun, juniore, per venerabilem in Christo patrem Jacobum archiepiscopum Glasguensem, ut predictos nostros comburgenses in ballivos nostros acceptaremus secundum dicti nostri burgi con- suetudinem, fecisse, constituisse et ordinasse, necnon per presentes facere, constituere et ordinare prefatos Patritium Bell, Jacobum Stewart, et Willelmum Neilsoun, ballivos dicti nostri burgi et civitatis, conjunctim et divisim, dando, concedendo et committendo dictis nostri ballivis nostram plenariam protestatem ac omnimodo facultatem curias nostras in dicto nostro burgo inchoandi tenendi continuandi affigendi et affirmandi, juraque nostra cum libertatibus dicto nostro burgo concessis et pertinentibus prosequendi, defendendi et conservandi, burgenses nostros stallangiarios servitores et eorum quemcunque, ac eorum bona coram quibuscunque judicibus temporalibus seu ecclesiasticis (in quantum jura canunt) per quemcunque aut quoscunque adversarios seu adversarium, attachiatos seu attachiandos seu arrestatos ad curias dicti nostri burgi et civitatis et libertates ejusdem replagiandi, repetendi et reducendi; cautiones tam juratorias quam fidejussorias ad premissa de jure et justitia requisitas ministrandi, prestandi, exigendi et inveniendi; crucem et forum nostrum de Glasgow, cum universis et singulis privilegiis ejusdem conservandi ac conservari faciendi, juxta et secundum juris formam et consuetudinem ex antiquo observatam et generaliter omnia alia et singula faciendi, dicendi, gerendi, et exercendi, que ad officium ballivatus dicti nostri burgi et civitatis, conjunctim et divisim quovismodo dignoscuntur pertinere: Ratum et gratum firmum atque stabile habentes et habituri totum id et quicquid dicti nostri ballivi conjunctim et divisim premissis rite duxerint faciendum sub ypotheca et obligatione omnium bonorum nostrorum mobilium et immobilium presentium et futurorum: Proviso tamen quod non licebit dictis nostris ballivis recipere seu admittere resignationes factas et fiendas de terris nostris communibus inter nos divisis seu de aliqua parte earundem in favorem alicujus persone aut conferre sasinam aliquibus personis preterquam burgensibus inhabitatoribus dicti nostri burgi et civitatis solventibus taxas custodientibus vigilias ac alia onera burgalia subeuntibus infra eundem, vel ubi sponsus confert sponse ac prolibus, nec licebit predictis nostris ballivis conferre sasinam de quibuscunque redditibus ievandis de dictis terris cuicunque persone secundum tenorem statuti desuper confecti. In cujus rei testimonium huic presenti nostre commissioni usque in proximum festum Michaelis proxime futurum duraturis se valituris, sigillum nostrum commune est appensum in pretorio nostro Glasguensi, septimo die mensis Octobris anno Domini millesimo sexcentesimo vigesimo sexto et anno regni S. D. N. secundo.

Mr. JO. HUTCHESOUN,

Clericus communis dicti burgi.

(Seal affixed.)

[Translation]

Be it known to all and sundry by these presents: We, the comburgesses and whole community of the burgh and city of Glasgow, after the nomination made to us of our beloved comburgesses, Patrick Bell, James Stewart, senior, and William Neilsoun, junior, by the venerable father in Christ, James, archbishop of Glasgow, that we should accept our foresaid comburgesses as our bailies, according to the custom of our said burgh, have made, constituted, and ordained, and by these presents make, constitute, and ordain the foresaid Patrick Bell, James Stewart, and William Neilsoun, bailies of our said burgh and city, conjunctly and severally, giving, granting, and committing to our said bailies, conjunctly and severally, our full power and faculty in every respect, to begin, hold, adjourn, appoint, and affirm our courts in our said burgh, and to pursue, defend, and protect our rights, with the liberties granted and pertaining to our said burgh; to repledge, demand back, and restore to the court of our said burgh and city, and the liberties of the same, our burgesses, stallengers, and their servitors whomsoever, with their goods, before whatsoever judges, temporal or ecclesiastical (in so far as law declares), by whatsoever adversary or adversaries attached or to be attached or arrested; to minister, give, exact, and find caution, as well juratory as fiduciary, in the premises required by law and justice; to preserve and cause to be preserved our cross and market of Glasgow, with all and sundry privileges thereof, conform and according to the form of law and custom observed from of old; and generally all and sundry other things to do, say, perform, and exercise, which to the office of bailie of our said burgh and city conjunctly and severally in any manner are known to belong: Holding and to hold approved and ratified, firm and stable, all this and whatever our said bailies, conjunctly and severally, shall duly cause to be done in the premises, under hypothec and obligation of all our goods, movable and immovable, present and future: Provided, nevertheless, that it shall not be lawful to our said bailies to receive or admit resignations made and to be made of our common lands divided among us, or of any part thereof, in favour of any person, or to give sasine to any persons other than burgesses inhabitants of our said burgh and city paying taxes, keeping watch and ward, and undergoing the other burghal burdens within the same; or where a spouse grants to his spouse and their children; nor (conform to the tenor of the statute made thereupon) shall it be lawful to our said bailies to give sasine of any rents to be levied from the said lands to any person. In testimony whereof to this our present commission, to remain in force till the feast of Michaelmas next, our common seal is appended, in our court of Glasgow, on the seventh day of the month of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand six hundred and twenty-six, and in the second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord.

Mr. JO. HUTCHESOUN,

Common clerk of the said burgh.