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.