Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh.

13 November 1573.

Drummond, gild seriand, deposit.; Smyth, gild seriand, admittit.

Alexander Vddert, Henry Nisbet, and Symoun Marioribankis, baillies William Lytill, [and ten others,] of the counsale, and James Ros, thesaurer, efter avisement with the supplicatioun gevin in before thame be Robert Drummond, gyld officer, granting him to be penitent for the creuall striking of his wyffe to the effusioun of hir blude, and all vther offenssis committit be him to thair lordshipis and all vtheris, and to be in thair willis thairfor, being put to libertie furth of waird, fyndis and deliueris that the said Robert salbe put to libertie, and becaus of his lang wikitnes and monyfald offenssis committit be him, and oft tymis pardonit, na amendment following, thay all in ane voce depose and dischargis the said Robert Drummond of all offices, feis, and dewiteis he hes had of thame or of the kirk in ony tyme past, and resauis and admyttis in his place Jhonne Smyth, cramer, as thair gild and kirk seriand, and ordanis the thesaurer to ansuer him of the feis and dewiteis wsit and wont, quhilk salbe allouit in his compttis.

Villa, Mowbray.

The baillies and counsale granttis licence to Robert Mowbray in Leyth, with his wyf, bairnys, and familie, to remane and duell, because of his wyffis greit seiknes, in the said toun of Leyth quhill Witsounday nixt, and the said Robert actis himself, vnder the pane of j^e merkis, to cum and duell in this toun at the said feist of Wytsounday, and in the meantyme to taxt and stent with the gude toun vnder the pane foresaid.

Ros, thesaurer, villa, thesaurer.

The baillies and counsale foresaid ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, with all deligence possebill, to dampt and hald in the North Loch to the hieast clouse, to eik, mend, and repair the mettis and messouris of the toun and of Leith, to inquyer for the auld and mak new, to repair and mend the wyndois at the laich tolbuith, and glas, breddis and saittis, and all vther necessars; and the samyn salbe allowit in his compttis.

17 November 1573.

Breid.

The baillies and counsale hes statute and ordanit that the iiij d. lait be weill baikin and dryit, gude and sufficient stuf, wey and keip the pace of xiij vnce, and that in rispect the quheit is sauld of iij lib. the boll.

25 November 1573.

Villa, schoir, etc.

[The bailies, councillors, dean of guild, treasurer and deacons of crafts,] efter lang resonyng vpoun the forther reparing and completing of the schoir and bulwark, vnderstanding the gift grantit to thame be oure Soveraine Lord for vplifting of certane of every x last of gudes, to that effect to ryn furth and tak end the saxt of December next, fyndis gude, and all in ane voce consentis maist ernistly to desyer and requeist my Lord Regentis Grace for renewing of the said gift for vther thrie yeiris next efter the said saxt of December, and concludis and ordanis that only the contributioun and takis to be lifted of the saidis schippis to be wairit vpoun the reparing of the said bulwark and schoir, and nane of thair commoun gude to be wairit thairvpoun, with certificatioun to thair successouris that gif thay at ony tyme heirefter ordane the commoun gude to be disponit to that effect, na allowance salbe thairof, bot the disponaris, for releve of the said commoun gude, salbe haldin to pay the samyn of thair awin proper gudes.

Villa, Lawsoun.

The baillies, counsall, and dekynnis, vnderstanding the greit danger that all our Souerane Loirdis lieges are intill havand remanyng passage or resoirting in the commoun passage of the Overbow, be the ruynous and decayit gallery of Jhonne Lawsoun of Hieriggis at the nethir end of his greit biging, ordanis officiaris as of befoir to charge him with all diligence possible to tak doun the same, sua that the Kingis lieges be hairmeles thairof, with certificatioun, and geve he failye within xlviij houris nixt efter his chairge, that nocht onlie for the recompance of the damynage that salhappin salbe askit and requyrit at his hand, but alsua the said hous salbe taikin doun vpoun his double expenssis, becaus he hes bene oft tymes chairgit heirto of befoir and refusit; and siclike to charge him within the said space to remove and tak away his houssis quhilk he is now biggand vpoun the tovnes commoun passage outwith the West Poirt foirnent his sclait barn, vnder the pane foirsaid and for the cause abouementionat.

Villa, Hairt, Canogait.

John Hairt in the Canogait, being callit and accusit be James Ros, thesaurer, for the blasphemous and evill wordis spoken of the juges and nychtouris of this burgh, confest and grantit that the tovne of Edinburg had left thair tovne thryse, and that it was ane meschant deid to leve thair tovne as thay did, bot he spak it nocht of evill mynde to haif bene careit to the counsale, and Alexander Vddart, baillie, protestit for remeid quhen tyme sould serue, and askit instrumentis of the said Jhonis confessioun.

Cuninghame, Ministrie.

The baillies and counsall ordanis maister Jhonn Prestoun, maister Michaell Chisholme, and Adame Foullartoun, to assist Robert Cuninghame in collecting of the annuelis, and ordouring of his comptes and inbringing of the sovmes restand for the ministrie.

Villa, thesaurer.

The baillies and counsale ordanis James Ros, thesaurer, with all dili gence possible to dam and had in the North Locht to the vmest hous, to repair the windois in the heche and laicht tolbuyth and clarkis chalmer, to by ane chymna for the laich counsalhous, to furneis stringis, yrne wark, and vther necessaris to the over trone, to repair and mend the metis and mesoures of this tovne and Leyth, and to set vp ane stoup in the fischemercat for joggis; and the expensis to be debursit be him thairvpoun salbe allowit in his comptis.

2 December 1573.

Statuta, aikerris.

[The bailies, councillors, treasurer, and dean of guild] statutis and ordanis that in all tymes heirefter, euerye yeir vpoun Mertymes evin, quhen the commoun gude of the toun salbe rouppit, the possessouris and occupearris of the townys aikerris sal be callit be the rentell buke, pay thair dewtie, and be inquyrit gyf thair kyllis and barnys be biggit gude and sufficient, and gyf thay have maid the commoun mylnis the year before worth fyve pund of multer according to the acts maid thairvpoun and thair infeftmentis, and quha that enteris nocht to satifie the gude toun and fermoraris of thair dewteis to be callit the nixt law day to heir thame be decernit to haue tynt thair rycht of the saidis aikerris, and this act to be obseruit in all tymes cuming.

Linkis.

My Lord Lindesay, prouest, baillies, dene of gild, counsale and dekynnis of craftis settis to maister William Balfoure in Leyth the Links of Leyth and thair West Linkis betuix Sanct Nycholace chapell and Weirdy Brow, for the space of thre yeris nixt efter the feist of Mertymes last, payand thairfor yeirlie xxv merkis.

11 December 1573.

Protestatio, Quhyte.

In presens of the provest, baillies, and counsall, comperit maister James Quhyte, prebendar of Coristorphin, and desyrit the sovme of four scoir pundis acclamit of thame be Robert Douglas, provest of Coristorphin, as the pensioun awand be the gude tovne to the College and Convent of Coristorphin, in respect the samyn, as the said maister James allegit, was awand to him and the remanent prebendaris.

Statuta, scheip skynis.

Lyndesay, provest, [bailies, council, etc.] com perit James Inglis [and three others], haifing commissoun and taking the bourding on thame for the remanent merchantis of this burgh, and producit the supplication following, bering that of laitt it was cum to thair knawlege, from thair factouris and vtheris in Flanderis, that the haill scheip skynnis, transportit furth of this realm, did want, be the subtilitie and falset of the fleschouris, the quarter of ane skyn with the woll cuttit round about the nek and sua forduart to the birsynet, the ox and cow hyde so cuttit and carteylit (?) as an greit parit thair of did laik, quhilk falset, knawin in the pairtis foirsaidis, did engender and rais sic schamefull brute as did redound to the infamy of the haill natioun, and siclike that the saidis fleschouris, be thair subtilitie and craft, did cutt, steill, and tak away from euery carkache of beif presentit to the mercat almaist half quarter of flesche, to the greit hurt of our Soueraine Lordis liegis, quhairfor thay, for thame-selves and the name of the remanent merchantis as said is, desyrit thair loirdshipis to fynd sic remeid as mycht cutt away sic fraudfill schiftis, the schame and sclander, laid vpoun the haill natioun thairthrouch, as at mair lenth is contenit in the said supplicatioun; quhilk sene and considerit, the said provest, baillies, and counsall, and thairwith being rypelie avysitt, the dekyn and brether of the fleschouris craft being befoir thaime incallit and accuse of the falset and crymes abouewrittin, and be tham vtterlie denyit, and for remeid in tymes cuming the said provest, baillies, and counsall causit be red vnto thame the act of parliament maid be our Souerane Lordis mother, off the quhilk the tenour followis:- Item, it is statute and ordanit be our Souerane Lady, with the awyse of the thrie Estaitis, that all beif and muttoun, veil, and lyke bestiall, slane to landwairt and burgh, or presentit to frie burrowis or frie mercatis, bring with thame in al tymes cuming thair hydis, skyn, and birn, vnder the pain of confiscatioun and escheting of siclike bestiall and gudis as wantis the said hyde, skyn, and birn, to be applyit to our Souerane Ladies vse. Quhilk act red and intymeit to the said dekyn of fleschouris, thay ordane him to intymeit and declair to the remanent haill fleschouris of this burgh, commanding and charging thame to obserue and keip the samyn in all poyntis, and to desist and ceis fra all sic falsett in tymes cumying as is abouewrittin, vnder the paynis of tynsall of thair fredomes and banesching this burgh and libertie thairof, induring the saidis provest, baillies, and counsallis will, and for forther remeid spying and trying of the said falsett they nominat and gevis as cersouris thairof [blank] induring thair willis, and ordanis the saidis merchantis to geve to the saidis cerchouris vj d. for the scoir of skynnis that is to be bocht be thame, and that the saidis skynnis be bocht be the awyse of the saidis cersouris, to the quilk cersouris it is ordanit that the copy of this present statute be delyuerit to be intymat and red to the saidis fleschouris, to the effect thay allege or pretend no ignorance thairof in tymes cumying.

16 December 1573.

Lord Lindesay, provost, mills.

The baillies and counsale foresaid, togidder with the hale dekynnis of craftis following, taiking the burding vpoun thame for the communitie, that ar to say [here follow names of deacons], declaris that ane noble lord Patrick Lord Lindesay of the Byris, now prouest of Edinburgh, acceptit the said office of prouestrie vpoun him be thair ardent sute and desyre, and that be the acceptatioun thairof throw ony act or deid that he hes done or heirefter sal do as prouest in the common effaris of the said burgh, be rouping of the mylnis thairof, be subscriuing of letter of tak of the sevin mylnis, callit the commoun mylnis, to Nycholace Vddert or ony vtheris, or be assignatioun of the yeirlie deutie of the saidis mylnis to the said Nycholace or ony vtheris, for quhatsumeuir yeir that the samyn dedis, actis, and subscriptioun done or to be done be the said prouest during the tyme of his office of prouestrie, sall in nawyse hurt or preiug the said noble lord nor his air in quhatsumeuir richt, tytill, entres, or profittis, quhilk the said lord effermes and pretendis him to haue of tua of the sevin commoun mylnis, to wyt, of tua of the commoun mylnis lyand vpoun the north syde of the brig of the Watter of Leith.

[Of this date there is recorded a contract between the Town Council and Nicholas Uddart, burges of Edinburgh, whereby the council] having consideratioun of the greit sovmes of money debursit be the said Nicholas in the avancing and furthsetting of the effaires of the said gude tovne at all tymes, and speciallie the tyme of the last troublis quhen thay war exilit furth of the said gude tovne and alluterlie secludit fra the vptaking of the maillis, fermis, and dewties pertenyng to the samyn, and neuertheles in the menetyme being subiect to greit chargis, the quhilk the said Nicholas outred and avancit vpoun his awin expenssis, and now willing him thairfoir to be recompansit of the expenssis, and skaythis sustenit be him, and als for the causis efter specefeit, hes set in tak and assedatioun to the said Nicolas, his airis and assignayis, the sevin commoun mylnis Iyand vpoun the Watter of Leyth pertenying to the said gude tovne in heretage, with the haill multeris, suckin, knaveschip, proffeitis, deuties, previleges, commodities or vtheris esiamentis or casualities quhatsumeuer pertenying, or that heirefter ony wayis mycht pertene, vnto the samyn, [and that without payment of any duty to the town].

Contract, Ministers.

In presens of the baillies and counsall, comperit the pairties vnderwritten and desyrit this contract to be insert in thair bukis of counsall, off the quhilk the tenour followes:— At Edinburgh, the penult day of October, the yeir of God j^mv^elxxiij yeris, it is appointit, agreit, and fynaly endit betwix the richt honorabill the provest, baillies, counsall, and dekynnis of the said burgh, representand the communite of the samyn, and taking the bourding vpon thame for the provest, baillies, counsall, and communite of the said burgh thair successouris in this case in tymes cuming, on that ane pairt, and maister James Lowsoun, thair principall minister, on that vther pairt, in maner following, that is to say: forsamekill as the provost, baillies, counsall and communite forsaid, vnderstanding thamselves to be debtbond and obleist be thair act of counsall of the dait the sevint of November the yeir of God j^mv^elxxij yeris, to cause cautioun yeirlie be found to thair said minister for payment to him of the sovme of four hundredth merkis money of this realme as for his yeirlie stepend induring his ministrie with thame, and thairfoir be this present causes and hes causit Archibald Stewart, Alexander Vddart, Henry Nesbet and Symoun Mariorebankis, baillies of the said burgh, fra this instant yeir vnto the fyft of October the yeir of God j^mv^elx fourtene yeirs, becum actit, lyke as the saides baillies of thair awin consent and fre willis actis thame selves, coniunctlie and severalie, renunceand the benefite of diuisioun, to content and pay to the said minister the sovme of four hundreth merkis, quharof the ane half at Yule nixttocum, the other half at the feist of Lambes nixt thairefter in the yeir of God j^mv^elxxiiij yeris as said is, and that for his stepend of the said yeir as is above-written. And for the yeris following the said etc. lxxiiij yeris, the said provest, baillies, counsall, and dekynnis byndis and oblesis thame selves and thair successouris yeirlie to caus the four baillies that salhappin to occupy the office and place of baillierie during the tyme of their offices, to be actit, bound, and obleist, to the said maister James for full payment to him yeirlie of the said sovme of iiij^emerkis sa lang as he remanis thair minister, singill and vnmareit, and quhen it sal pleis him to mary, for euery yeir thairefter to cause the saidis baillies and thair successouris to be actit, bound, and obleist, to mak him gude and thankfull payment of the sovme of sax hundreth merkis yeirlie during the time foresaid: For the quhilk cause the said maister James, principall minister, byndis and oblesis him to mak his residence and remanyng within the said burgh, and nocht to depairt furth of the samyn to remane ony lang tyme without the knawlege of the said provest, baillies, and counsall, and thair licence had and obtenit thairto, sua that the kirk be nocht desolat of preching, ministre, and otheris godlie exercises requisit.

25 December 1573.

Bread.

[Of this date, an act was passed ordaining the "dekyn of baxteris to keip the pace of xvij vnces for vj d., and to resaue new pace on Mononday nixt."]

30 December 1573.

Choppis.

The baillies and counsall ordanis proclamatioun to be maid throughout the tovne be sound of bell, charging all nychtbouris that hes ony choppis ontuith thair foirlandis to tak doun the samyn betuix and Witsonday nixt, failling than thay salbe tane doun vpoun their double expenssis.