Pages 192-198
Extracts From the Records of the Burgh of Edinburgh, 1557-1571. Originally published by Scottish Burgh Records Society, Edinburgh, 1875.
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1565, Jan-June
2 January 1564–5.
Craftis, kirk, pure
The prouest, baillies, and counsale and hale dekynnis, being covenit within the counsalhous of this burgh, comperit Johnn Purves, dekin of the talyeouris, and for him self and remanent of the hale craftis oblist him and thame to sustene the hale pure of all occupatiounis within this burgh, sic as craftismen, craftismenis wyffis, seruandis and wedois, vpoun thair awin proper chargeis fra this day furth, sua that the gude toun nor nane resortand thairto salbe trublit with thair purys; and siclike, quhatsumeuer ordour salbe found gude be the prouest baillies and counsale forsaid for sustenyng of the ministerris, that they sall glaidlie beyr and deburse thair ressonabill pairt thairof at thair sychtis; and heirfor requeistit the said prouest baillies and counsale to be myndeful of the saidis ministeris and pure and in case thay wanttit thair ressonable charges that na falt war imput to thame heirefter.
Regina, propyne.
The prouest baillies and counsale ordains maister Robert Glen, thesaurer, to pas to Leyth and serche and seik quhair best wynis may be gottin, and by thre tunnys thairof to be gevin to the Quenys Maiestie, quhateuir the samyn cost.
6 January 1564–5.
Taxt, pure
[The provost, baillies, council and deacons of crafts], all in ane voce, consenttis granttis and ordanis that the haill inhabitantis of this burgh be set to certane particulare sowmes be the prouest baillies and counsale, and the samyn to be vpliftit and inbrocht quarterlie, to be distributit for the kirk, and till indure quhill vther remeid may be prouidit.
Burgen.
The prouest baillies and counsale, at the requeist of Alexander Guthre, commoun clerk, resauis Richert [blank], Inglisman, arrow makar, thair burges, to gyf him occatioun to remane in the toun for instructing vtheris his occupatioun.
17 January 1564–5.
Villa Robertoun.
In presens of the prouest baillies and counsale, comperit maister William Robertoun, maister of the hie scule, and producit the copye of the Quenis Maiesteis writingis, chargeing the prouest baillies and counsale to pay to him his yeirlie feis conforme to his gyft and askit instrumentis of the productioun thairof, and siclike my lord prouest askit instrumentis that he for himself the baillies and hale counsale requyrit the said maister William to deliuer the principale writingis subscriuit be the Quenis Maiesteis hand to remane with thame, becaus the samyn wes direct to thame and sould be in thair keping, quhilk the said maister William refusit.
24 January 1564–5.
Villa, Cok.
[The provost, bailies and council, "induring thair willis, settis and disponis to Thomas Cok, thair in Leyth, thair litill new bigit hous vpoun the wallis of the toun at the North Loch," for three merks of yearly mail, and that in consideration of his long service in the town's affairs, and of the discharge of a sum of money due to him.]
Flesh lentrone.
The prouest baillies and counsale ordanis proclamatioun to be maid be sound of bell throuch all pairttis of this toun that na flesche be eittin, nor be the commoun cukis graithit nor sauld, be ony maner of persoun, to na persoun within this burgh, vpoun Fryday and Setterday throuch all the yeir, nor in na tyme of lenrten, vnder the pane of xl s. sa oft as thay fale, to be applyit to the commoun warkis, and this without preiudice of the panis contenit in the Quenis maiesteis actis anent eiting of flesche.
Officiaris sermond.
The prouest baillies and counsale foresaid ordanis in all tymes cuming vpoun Soundayis and vther preiching dayis induring all the tyme of the sarmont, tua of the offceris await at the kirk dur for stopping of the clamour of the pure, tua vpoun the calsay, and the remanent within the kirk for ordering and keiping of the samyn quyet, vnder pane of depriuation of thair offices.
3 February 1564–5.
Precept, Maccartney.
The baillies and counsall ordains maister Robert Glen, thesaurer, to ressaue fra Williame Makcartnay his tua handit suord to be vsit for ane heiding suord, becaus the auld suord is failyeit, and to gif him five pound thairfor.
7 February 1564–5
Ordour in the
counsalhous.
The prouest, baillies, and counsale ordanis this ordour to be obseruit in all tymes cuming within the counsalhous the tyme of thair coventionis :—In the fyrst, the prouest and foure baillies to syt vpoun the saittis abone the rest, nixt vnder thame the dene of gild and thesaurer of the present yeir, nixt thame the dene of gild thesaurer and baillies of the yeir before, and sua furth the remanent merchanttis of the counsale being placit, than the tua craftismen of the counsale; and that na man speik bot ane at anys havand licence thairto of the prouest and baillies before thai speik, vnder the pane of xviij d. to the pure sa oft as thay do in the contrar.
21 February 1564–5.
Pure.
[The bailies, council, and deacons of crafts,] all in ane voce, consenttis and of new ratifeis and apprevis the ordinance maid in Januar last for sustenying of the pure in all poynttis, and exhorttis the juges to put the samyn to execution.
2 March 1564–5.
Prouest baillies.
The prouest ordains the baillies to compris the poyndis takin be thame for sustenyng of the pure this efter none and mak penny thairof according to the taxt rollis and deliuer the samyn to the dekynnis to be gevin to the said pure, failling thairof ordains the officeris to poynd the saidis baillies radiest guddis and mak penny of the samyn incontinent without delay.
30 April 1565.
Prouest, Striueling.
It being vnderstand be the prouest baillies and counsale that the Quenis Maiestie wes hielie movit aganis certane principale nychtbouris of this toun vpoun the vniust report maid to hir hienes of the striking and casting of eggis at Sir James Tarbot, preist, apprehendit saying mes in the Cowgait, etc.; for remeid heirof ordanis my lord prouest with tua of the baillies and vtheris nychtbouris, to the nowmer of xl personis, ryde to Striueling to the Quenis grace for metigating of hir Maiestie. And for paying of his and thair charges Dauid Kinloch, fyrmorar of the commoun mylins, now in absence of the thesaurer, to deliuer to Thomas Cok the soume of fiftye pundis quhilk salbe allowit in his compttis.
11 May 565.
Regina. Villa, maister, schole.
The prouest baillies and counsale foresaid ordanis the Quenis Maiesteis writingis vnderwrittin to be registrat in this buke, of the quhilk the tenour followis:—Prouest and baillies of oure burgh of Edinburgh, greting. Forsamekle as it is humlie menit and schewin to ws be oure louit maister William Robertoun, maister of grammer scole of the said burgh, that quhair be is lauchfulle prouidit be the abbot of Hallirudhous and convent of the samyn, quha hes the gyft of it, to the said maisterschip of the said grammer scole, for all the dayis of his lyfe, and be vertew thairof he hes bene in peciable possessioun of the vsing of the samyn thir auchtene yeris bipast, without ony interruptioun maid to him be ony persoun, neuirtheles ye, for quhat caussis we knaw nocht, dalie cummerris trublis and molestis the said miaster William in the vsing of the said office of maisterchip of the grammer scole forsaid, intending to put ane cther in his place, contrair oure expres mynd and will; Quhairfor we discharge yow the said prouest and baillies of oure burgh, your officiaris and ilk ane of yow, of all calling intrometting handling or removing of the said maister William fra his said office of maisterschip in ony tyme to cum efter the dait heirof, bot that ye thole him peciablie bruke and joyse the samyn during his lyfetyme, conforme to his said prouisioun, and of your offices in that pairt, be thir oure presentis. Subscriuit with oure hand, at Edinburgh. the xxvij day of Februar the yeir of God jm vc lxiij yeris, and of our regnne the xxij yeir. Prouest baillies and counsale of oure burgh of Edinburgh. We greit yow weill. Forsamekle as we ar informyt ye ar addettit to oure louit maister William Robertsoun, maister of your grammer scole, in the sowme of twenty markis of yeirlie fee to him euerilk yeir be your thesaurer, as ane act of your bukis maid to him in the xlviij yeir of God proporttis, and siclike that ye ar haldin be vtheris your actis, vse and consuetude obseruit in all tymes bypast be yow and your predecessouirs, to furnys yeirlie ane sufficient scolehous within oure said burgh, and to pay the male thairof euerilk yeir, conforme to the quhilk ye haue [euerie] yeir sen the first entres of the said maister William to the scole foresaid maid payment to him of the said sowme of xx merkis as for his fe foresaid, and rychtsua hes payit euerye yeir sensyne xx merkis as for the male of the said scolehous quhill the Feist of Witsounday last bipast, sen the quhilk Feist ye haue maid na payment to him, nowther of his fe foresaid nor yet of his scolehous maile, bot haldis the samyn fra him to his greit hurt and expres aganis all equite and ressoun considering he applyis himself to nane vther vocatioun bot to the instructing of your bairnys and vpbringing of thame in virteu: Oure will is heirfor and we charge yow that ye ansuer the said maister William and mak payment to him of the saidis sowmes restand awand to him be yow fore the caussis foresaid of all yeiris bigane and rychtsua in tymes cuming yeirlie during his prouisioun maid to him of his said seruice, conforme to your actis and consuetudis forsaidis, as ye will ansuer to ws vpun your dewtie, quhairthrow that we heir na forther complaynt heirupoun. Subscriuit with oure hand, at Edinburgh, the xx day of December the yeir of God jmvclxiiij yeris. Conforme to the quhilkis writing the prouest baillies and counsale foresaid ordanis maister Robert Glen, thesaurer, to mak gude and thankfull payment to the said maister William of his feis of all termes bigane restand awand him and siclike of the scole males, and the samyn salbe allowit in his compttis.
12 May 1565.
Precept, thesaurer
The prouest baillies and counsale ordanis Jhonn Sym, baillie, maister Jhonn Spens of the counsale, and Alexander King, aduocat, to pas to the Quenis Maxuell, Jhonn Spottiswod and maister Alexander Skene, tuiching the contributioun to the pure, and ordanis the thesaurer to gyf to thame the sowme of [blank] for thair expenssis, and to the said Alexander King the sowme of sex pundis for his panys.
31 May 1565.
Barroun, Spens.
The baillies and counsale ordains maister Jhonn Spens and James Barroun to pas to the conventioun to be haldin in Pairth and thair to treit in the caussis of the kirk and commounweill of this burgh.
22 June 1565.
wine.
[Proclamation to be niade "throuch the toun be sound of bell" that wine shall not be sold dearer than 1s. 2d. the pint.]
30 June 1565.
[Armour, parliament.]
The counsale ordanis the baillies and officeris to pas to all duelling houssis within this burgh and se that euerye fensable persoun, inhabiter of the samyn, be sufficientlie prouidit with armour and wappinnis for seruing of our Souerane at this present parliament, and to caus the officeris of euerye quarter put the names of the saidis inhabitaris with thair wappinnis in roll with delignece and present the samyn before the counsale.