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Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1557-1571. Originally published by Scottish Burgh Records Society, Edinburgh, 1875.
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1557, Jan-June
31 March 1557.
Anent the Newhavin
The prouest baillies and counsale consentit that thair suld be warit vpoun the bigging of the Newhavin, of the commoun gudis this yeir, fyve hundreth pundis vsuall money of this realm.
2 April 1557.
Kinloch, bailies
In persons of Alexander Barroun and William Ker baillies sittand in jugement, Dauid Kinloch desyret ansuer of the wryting producit be him the xxiiij day of Merche last bypast fra the Quenis grace, and the saidis baillies declarit that thai wald obey the Quenis grace wryting, and thairupoun the said Dauid askit instruments.
9 April 1557.
Precept anent the formes
The baillies and counsale ordanis the thesaurer, Alexander Park, to caus mak on the townis expensis foure formes to the Magdalene Chapell, that the lordis and auditouris that cummis thair daylie to the cessoun may sitt thairon.
14th April 1557.
Extent of jm li. Queen's marriage.
The prouest baillies and counsall convenit at the command of the wryting vndirwrittin and presentit to thame be the Justice Clerk, of the quhilk the tenour followis: Apud Edinburgh ix die mensis Aprilis 1577. The quhilk day, forsamekill as the lordis being assemblit at the last conventioun in Striueling the last day of Marche last bypast for the honorabill mariage to be completit betuix our Souerane and the Dolphin of France, and setting forwart of the hie and wechtie caussis thairof, and for performyng of the honorabill chargis and expens thairof and of the nobillite quhilk salhappin to be present at the doing of the samyn, and for vther resonabill and effectuous caussis contenit in the acts maid be the said lordis, hes concludit devysit and ordanit that ane taxt of thre scoir thowsand pundis be rasit and vpliftit vpoun this realme, that ane half thairof be the spirituall estait and the vther half be the temporall estait, quhairof the burrowis pairt of the samyn extendis to the sowme of ten thousand pundis to be payit at the termes following, that is to say, the sowme of ijm Vc li. at the xv day of Julij nixt to cum, vther ijm vc li. at the feist of Pasche nyxt thairefter following, vther ijm vc li. at the feist of Michaelmes nixt thairefter followand, and the sown of ijm vc li. in compleitt payment of the said sown of xm li. at the feist of Pasche nixt thairefter followand, and hes ordanit letteres to be direct to command and charge the prouestis aldermen and baillies of all the borrowis of this realme that thai inbring and deliuer the said sowme of ijm vc li. at euery ane of the termes foresaidis to [blank, collectour thairto and his deputtis, vndir the payne of rebellioun, and failyeing thairof ony of the saidis termes being bypast to put thame to the horne, as at mair lenth is contenit in the saidis acts maid be the said lordis thairupoun. Thatirfoir the lordis of secreit counsall ordanis commandis and chairgis the prouest baillies and counsall of the burgh of Edinburg that thai with all diligence convene and taxt all and sindry the borrowis within this realme, ilk ane efferand to thair pairtis of the foresaid sowme of xm li. to be payit at the termes respectiue above specifit, and the samyn being maid ordanis letteres to be direct chargeing all and syndry the prouestis aldermen and baillies of the saidis burrowis that thai and ilk of ane of thame respectiue inbring and delyuer thair pairtis of the said sowme quhilk thai salhappin to be taxt to at euery ane of the termes foirsaidis to the foirsaid collectour and his deputtis, vndir the said pane of rebellioun and putting of thaim to our horne, and failyeing thairof, ony of the saidis termes being bypast, to denunce the disobeyares our Souerane Ladyis rebellis and putt thaim to the horne; provyding alwys that ye tak consideratioun of the greit ruyne poverte and decay of the burgh of Hadingtoun and mak modeficatioun of thair taxt and augment and lay the samyn vpoun vthers burrowes nocht brynt nor destroyit, and conforme to the Quenis Grace and lordis mynd declarit thairpoun. Sequuntur subscriptiones Dominorum: Cassillis, Thesaurer; Ro. Orchadensis episcopus; J., clericus registri; Ballenden. Quhilk beand considerit be thame and efter diuers consultationis had thairupoun, and specialie anent the supplie to be done to the said burgh of Hadingtoun conform to the tenour of the said wryting, fyndis that of the haill extent mentionat in the said wryting to be vpliftit of the hail borrowis extending to xm li. the towne of Hadingtoun may pay thairof iijciij li. xij s., and for support of the said towne of Hadingtoun beand brynt and destroyit the saidis prouest baillies and counsall hes extentit aboue the haill sowme of xm li. vpoun all the borrowis, ilk ane efferand to thair pairt except Edinburgh, the sowme of jc vj li. iij s., quhilk superexcressence the saidis prouest baillies and counsale ordanis to be vpliftit and samekill tane of the extent of Hadingtoun, and becaus thair is na superexcressence on the burgh of Edinburgh by thair jusst ferd pairt, and haiffand consideratioun of the poverty and dekey of Hadingtoun, ordanis vther 1 li. to be tane of the extent of Hadingtoun and samekill augmentit to the extent of Edinburgh at this tyme alanerlie, and sua the extent of Hadingtoun to be alanerlie, of the haill xm li., jc xlvij li. ix s. Anent the rest of the borrowis thair particulare extentis followis, viz:—
18 April 1557.
Flescheouris.
The quhilk day, James Kennedy of [blank], brother to the erle of Cassillis, presentit ane writting to the baillies and counsale of the burgh, direct to the prouest and baillies thairof be our Souerane Ladeyis mother, Mary Quene Drowrar and Regent of this realm, subscryuit be hir grace hand of the quhilk the tennour followis:—Provest and bailyeis of our burgh of Edinburgh: Forsamekill as it is perfytlie wnderstand to we that ye haue dischargeit the landwart flescheouris of all selling and breking of flesche abone the tolbuth of Edinburgh, quhilk is expres aganis the commoun weill: Quhairfor we charge yow that, incontinent efter the sicht heirof, ye caus proclamatioun and ordinance be maid that all maner of flescheouris haif priuelege and liberte to slay sell and brek flesche abone the said tolbuth as thai haif done in tymes bygane, and discharge all maner of actis and statutis gif ye ony haif maid in the contrar thairof for the caus abone writtin as ye will ansuer to we thairupon. Subscriuit with our hand, at Striueling the xvj day of Aprile 1557. Marie, R. Quhairfoir the saidis baillies and counsale ordanis that na maner of persone, flescheour nor vtheris, tak vpoun hand to stope trubill or mak impediment to oney of the saidis landwart flescheouris aboun the tolbuith to slay sell and breke flesche as thai haif done in tyme bygane, conforme to the said writting, vnder all hiest pane and charge that thai or oney of thame may incur thairthrow.
5 June 1557.
Litera Regine, Majcalyeane.
In presens of the baillies, Alexander Barroun, William Ker and Alane Dikkyesoun, sittand in jugement, maister Thomas Makcalyeane advocat, presentit the writting vnder writtin, subscriuit be the Quenis Grace, and desirit the samyn to be registrat in thir buikis, and the act thairin contenit to be deleitt conforme to the said writting, of the quhilk the tennour followis: Prouest baillies and counsale of Edinburgh, greting: Oure will is that the act maid be yow in Nouember that last wes, discharging and removing oure seruitour maister Thomas Makcalyeane fra the office of assissorie quhilk he had of your burgh during our will, ceis expyre and be deleit. Be thir presentis subscryuit with oure hand, at Edinburgh the pennult day of Maii the yeir of God jm fyve hundreth fifty sewin.
18 June 1557.
Wappin schawin.
We do you to witt: Forsamekle as oure Souerane Ladeis letteres direct be the Lordis of Counsale ar direct to the prouest and baillies of this burgh, chargeing thame to sett and proclame wappynschawingis within thair boundis and jurisdictioun betuix this and the xxij day of Juli nixttocum, and to that effect that thai limit and prefix ane convenient place thairto, that knawlege may be had quhat diligence euery man hes done within the boundis and jurisdictioun of the said prouest and baillies sen the last wappynschawing, for recouering of wappynis and armour, sik as is requirit for thair estait, and gif ony persoun we fund negligent and nocht sufficientlie prouidit in armour [as] said is, thai suld execute the painis contenit in the act of parliament aganis thame with all rigour, conform to the tennour thairof, as at mair lenth is contenit in the saidis letteris direct to thame thairupoun; quhairfor the saidis prouest and baillies hes assignit and assignis wappynschawing of the nychthouris and inhabitaris of this burgh, merchandis craftismen and all vtheris, to be haldin the xviij day of Julij nixttocum at twa efternone on the Borrowmvre and west end thairof, quhairfor I command and charge in our Souerane Ladeis name hir gracis moder Marie Quene Drowriar and Regent of this realme, and in name and behalf of the prouest and baillies of this burgh, that all manner of personis induellaris within this burgh, merchandis craftismen and all vtheris, convene the said day place and hour foirsaid boddin in feir of weir in thair best array, ilk persoun efferand to his estait, conform to the tennour of the said act of parliament and vnder the panis contenit in the samin.
25 June 1557.
Flescheouris.
The quhilk day, the ballies and assasouris, vpoun the complaint maid be certane of the lordis of our Souerane Ladeis sessioun and vtheris hir Hienes lieges, inhabitanttis of this burgh, vpoun the flescheouris of the samyn, for the oppressioun committit vpoun thame and hale inhabitanttis foresaidis be the saidis flescheouris in contrair the tenour of our Souerane Ladeis ordinance maid vpoun the prices of flesche, ordanit the proclamatioun following to be maid be the belman through the toun, quhilk wes proclamyt be him in maner following: We do yow to wyt. Forsamekill as it is havelie menit to the prouest and baillies of this burgh be the inhabitanttis of the samyn and vtheris oure Souerane Ladeis liegis resortand thairto, vpoun the exhorbitant prices vsit vpoun thame be the flescheouris and vtheris slaerris and braikerris of flesche within this burgh, contrair the tennour of oure Souerane Ladeis actis and statutis maid vpoun the prices of flesche of before, heirfor I command and charge in oure Souerane Ladeis name, the prouest and baillies of this burgh, that na maner of flescheour braikaris slaerris or sellaris of flesche, fremen of vtheris, tak vpoun hand fra this day furth to sell onye mwttoun of onye hiear prices nor the best mwttoun bowk for aucht schillingis, and the secundar for sex' schillingis, with certificatioun to thame that failyeis thair hale flesche salbe escheit and disponit to the pure for the first falt, the secund falt to be spanyt fra the libertie of thair said craft for yeir and day, and for the thrid and last falt to be dischargeit of thair fredom for evir, and to be reput and haldin in all tymes cuming as wilful contempnaris and dissobeyaris of oure Souerane Ladeis actis and ordinances; and this proclamatioun maid the day foresaid.
Halberttis to Wyndegaittis, Logy, seriandis.
The prouest baillies and counsale ordanis Alexander Park, thesaurer, to by tua halberttis and deliuer the samyn to maister Alexander Logye and Dauid Wyndegaittis, seriandis, in consideratioun the said Dauidis halbertt wes brokin in the thrang at the banket maid be the gude toun to ane greit man of Moscovia, quha wes schip brokin at Petslego in his vayege towert Ingland, and to the said maister Alexander becaus he hes and nane fra the begynning.