Extracts from the Records: 1582, 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: 1582, Apr-June', in Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1573-1589, (Edinburgh, 1882) pp. 232-237. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/edinburgh-burgh-records/1573-89/pp232-237 [accessed 25 March 2024]

1582, Apr-June

4 April 1582.

Making of ane regester of the extent rollis, precept, thesaurer.

[The bailies and council] vnderstanding the greitt inconvenientis sustenit be the towne in tymes past for want of ane register of thair rollis of all bygane extentis, for be ressoun that the principall rollis beand pairtit and gevin furth amangis the officiaris quhairof sum ar depairtit and sum hes tynt the said rollis, it is nocht possibill to atteyne to ane perfyte compt of the restis thairof in the handis of the baillies or officiaris; for escheuing of the lyke inconvenientis in tymes cuming, ordainis ane register buik to be maid of all extentis rollis in tyme cuming, and the clerkis to insert and register thairinto the said rollis, and ane extract thairof to be gevin and delyuerit to the officiaris vnder the subscriptioun of the said clerk, and to begyn the said buik with this last extent rollis of the extent of xxxiijc merkis, and ordanis Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, to caus mak the said buik and delyuer the samyn to the clerkis to the said effect.

Chairteris, Gibsoun, Cowper.

Jhonn Moresoun, baillie, Jhonn Harwod, dene of gild, Jhonn Robertsoun, thesaurer [and the council] anent the supplicatioun gevin in before thame be Henry Chairteris, baillie, Jhonn Gibsoun, buikbinder, for thame selffis and in name of the remanend nychtbouris burgesses and fremen of the burgh, leivand be the trafficque of selling and binding of buikis, vpoun Mr. Jhonn Cowper, seruand to Thomas Vantrollier, prenter and straynger, makand mentioun that quhair it is nocht only provydet be ancient lawes, customes, and priuelegeis maid in favouris of burgesses and fremen of burrowes, and for vphalding of thair estaitt, but als be speciall actis and statutes of this burgh, with continuall possessioun followand thairvpoun, that na strayngeris or vnfremen may top or sell in smallis within the fredome of the burgh ony kynd of merchandice or wairis, vther wayes it were nocht possibill to frie burgessis to leif and ber chairges with the burgh, and better it wer to be vnfrie than frie, for gritter is thair skayth and gritter is the vnfremenis commodity than vtheris: And it is of verity that Thomas Vatrollier, prenter, beand ane straynger and vnfrieman, hes thir dyuers yeiris bygane, be him selff and his seruandis, and speciallie be the said maister Jhonn quha is lykewayes ane vnfreman, toppit and sauld within this burgh all maner of buikis in smallis, and lykwayes bindis the sam contrair to the priuelegeis of the burgh, and to our intollerabill damnage, quha hes na vther tred quhairby we and our famelies are sustenit, he bering na charges whateuir, and we watcheing wairding and extenting at all tymes, as at lenth is contenit in the said supplicatioun,—the said Henry Charteris and Jhonn Gibsoun on the ane pairt, and the said maister Jhonn Cowper on the vther pairt, comperand personally in jugement thair ressonis and allegatiounis hard and vnderstand,—the saidis baillies, dene of gild, thesaurer, and counsall decernis and ordanis the said maister Jhonn Cowper to desist and ceis fra all topping and selling in smallis of ony maner of buikis in tymes cuming within this burgh and fredome thairof, becaus the said maister Jhonn culd shaw na ressonabill caus in the contrair.

18 April 1582.

Burrowes lettres to Sanct Johnestoun, schipis to Deip.

Ordanis lettres missiues to be sent to the burgh of Sanct Jhonestoun quhair the nixt conventioun of burrowes is appoyntit, desyring thame to writt of new to the burrowes and remember thame of dyueris heidis omittit furth of thair lettres, quhilk ar anent the expenssis of the nychtbouris of this burgh quha wes wairdet be vmquhill Erle of Mortoun; anent the xijc merk awand to the towne be the burrowes; anent the alteratioun of the Kingis customes, and to that effect to send thame the copy of the rollis to avyse thairwith; and last anent the new customes raisit vpoun all Scottis guidis in France: and to desyre all burrowes to stay thair schipis in passing to Deip, to the effect the said nouatioun be nocht putt in practise quhill ane ordour may be tane thairwith, and in the meane tyme ordanis the dene of gild of this burgh lykewayes to fraucht na schippis thairto, nor enter thame in the townis buikis.

2 May 1582.

Rex, Dik, baillie.

My lord prouest producet ane lettre from the Kingis Grace, off the quhilk the tenour followis:—Rex. Prouest, baillies, and counsale of our burgh of Edinburgh, we greitt you weill. The manefest contempt and disobedience schawin be Gilbert Dik, baillie of your towne, to our commissioun and lettre verefeit and provin before ws and our counsall be the indorsatioun of the officiare executour thairof, being sa vnsemelie for a man in office and careing with it a dayngerous exampill to vtheris our guid subiectis to attempt the lyke rebellioun, gyf this suld be misregairdit and vnpvnist; thairfore we haif thocht guid, for exemplis caus, to lett him be removit from that publict chairge and office quhilk he hes swa abusit, and to command yow be the present to convene your self incontinent the sicht heirof and to depose him thairof and chuse some vther in his rowme to supplie his place this present yeir and in all tyme to cum, to putt him of the lyttis of ony publict office ay and quhill ye vnderstand our contrare will and plesure in his behalf, as ye will ansuer to ws vpoun your obedience, keping this present for your warrand. Subscryuet with our hand at Streveling castell, the last day of Aprile 1582. James R. Lennox, Arrane: quhilk beand red and considerit, the saidis prouest, baillies, and counsall appoyntis my lord prouest, Robert Ker, baillie, James Adamsoun, Michael Gilbert, Alexander Vddert, and Alexander Scott to pas to Dalkeyth to the Duik of Lenox and intreatt with him concerning the said lettre and for dischairgeing thairof, becaus it is preiudiciall to the liberteis of the towne.

Burrow loch.

Ordanis Jhone Moresoun, baillie, Jhone Fairlie, and Thomas Miller to pas and visy the burrow loch quhair the guid towne is hurt in thair possessioun and priuelegeis thairof, and to caus to dam the rynning thairof.

Maillis of the tolbuith of Leyth, auld thesaureris.

Ordanis the thesauris of the yeiris bypast to be callit to compt and chairget with thair intromissioun with the maillis of the tolbuith of Leyth, flesche stokis, and bak houssis thairof, the yeiris of thair offices, becaus it is vnderstand thai haif intromett with mair nor thai gaif vp in thair thesaureris comptis.

4 May 1582.

Tymmer at Leyth.; Taverneris, maltmen.

[The provost, bailies, and council] ordanis the haill Norway tymmer quhilk is to come in at Leyth this present yeir, to be placeit and layit besyde the schore in the place callit the burse, and in the houssis callit Littill Londoun, and siclyke ordanit the baillies with all diligence to putt the maltmen and taverneris to the knawlege of ane assyse for breking of the statutes, and collect and inbring thair vnlawes to be imployit on the commoun warkis.

Precept, thesaurer, mesouris of Leyth.

Fyndis the watter mettis and land mettis of this burgh seruing at thair port and heavin of Leyth, to be awld, worn, and decayet, and thairfore ordanis Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, to caus renew and mak ower the sam conform to the awld just mesour of the realme in straiket mett, stark guid and sufficient with bandis of irne, and handis for lifting thairof, and to be half boll mettis, to witt, ane sort of watter mett to serue for the quheitt, rye, peyis, beynis, and salt; and the vther sort of watter mesour to serue for beir and aittis, of ilk sort twa; and for the land mett siclyke, and of ilk sort ane principal or patrone measour to be maid and putt in the chairterhous with the mesour of Linlythgow quhilk seruis to the mercattis of this burgh.* * *

1 June 1582.

Precept, Ker, baillie, chairge, thesaurer, maltmenis vnlawes.

Ordanis Robert Ker, baillie, to pay and delyuer to Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, the vnlawes of the baxteris for nocht having of new furlottis conform to the townis act, the said vnlawes extending to twenty pund, and the sam to be imployet in repairing of the calsayes at Plesance.

8 June 1582.

[Of this date there is recorded the following Act of the Secret Council.]

Abbot of Kinlos, villa, cawtioneris for the town, act of secreitt counsall.

Apud Castrum de Striueling xj die mensis Aprilis anno domini, jm vc lxxxij. The quhilk day, in presens of the Lordis of Secreitt Counsall, Alexander Clerk of Balbirnie, prouest of Edinburgh [two bailies and six burgesses of the burgh] become actit and oblist coniunctlie and seuerallie that the saidis prouest, baillies, counsale, and communitie sall persew and do thair vtter and exact diligence for recoverie of the sowme of aucht thousand merkis fra Walter Abbot of Kinlos and vtheris addettit in payment thairof, quhilk vmquhill Robert Bischop of Orknay in his testament and latter will left for founding of ane college within the burgh of Edinburgh for exerceis of leirning thairinto, and the samyn being recouerit be thame according to the power to be gevin to thame be the Kingis Maiestie with avyse of the lordis of secreitt counsale, that thai sall bestow the samyn to the vse abouementionat, according to the will of the deid within the space of ane yeir nixt thairafter but langer delay.* * *

13 June 1582.

Precept, thesaurer, Ker, baillie.

Ordanis Johne Robertsoun, thesaurer, to pay to Robert Ker, baillie, the sowm of threttein schillingis foure penneis for hors hyre, and nyne schilling aucht penneis for meitt and drink, debursit be him for himself and Thomas Miller in thair passing to Dalkeyth, on Sonday last, in the townis effairis anent the banketting of the Duik of Gwis seruandis.

15 June 1582.

Precept, thesaurer, Landellys, provest, Dalkeith.

Ordanis Jhone Robertsoun, thesaurer, to pay to Andro Landellis, mylne wricht in Markinche, the sowm of thre pund for his expenssis in cuming to this burgh and remayning thairin the tyme the town wes to contract with him for repairing of thair mylnis; item, to pay to my lord prouest ten schillingis debursit be his lordship for sending for the said Andro; item, to pay to his lordship fyftie schillingis for bying of twa hammis and thair furnesing to the preparatioun of the bankett quhilk suld haif bene maid to the seruandis of the Duik Gweis; item, to pay to James Adamsoun iiij s. debursit for sending for Mungo Ros, baxter, for the said bankett; item, ordanes the said thesaurer to pay to the persones following the sowmes after mentionat debursit be thame in thair expenssis for thame selffes, my lord prouest, and dyueris nychtbouris, merchantys, and craftismen quha past to Dalkeith on Tysday last to the Kingis Grace in the tounes effaires speciallie for the nychtbouris laitlie exylit, viz:—to pay to Alexander Stewart, for iij hors hyre to the prouest and his seruandes, and twa hors to James Adamsoun and maister Alexander Guthree, xxxiij s. iiij d.; item, for hors hyre, meit, and boyes, and a quart aill, and ane breid, viij s. vj d.; item, for dyueris honest nychtbouris denneris v li. vij s.; item, to pay to Mungo Russell for certane of the craftys denneris xxxviij s.; item, for viij hors hyre to certane nychtbouris of the craftys, four merk.

Proclamatio breid, malt, aill.

Ordained that no higher prices than the following be charged:—18 oz. loaf, 6d.; malt £6, 13s. 4d. for 'ix furlettis auld messour'; ale 7d. the pint