Report of law committee under remit of the Parochial Board of the city parish of Edinburgh anent the Board's right to poorhouse grounds, and to other grants and mortifications for the use of the poor.

Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of law committee under remit of the Parochial Board of the city parish of Edinburgh anent the Board's right to poorhouse grounds, and to other grants and mortifications for the use of the poor. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    II. Non-Parliamentary Grants, 7. The common good of the city. By decree-arbitral, which con- stitutes the Sett and Constitution of the city of Edinburgh, dated 22d April 1583, made by certain ' judges arbitrators' therein named, chosen for the part of the Council, hail merchants, and hail craftsmen, indwellers of Edinburgh—' The Right Potent and 11 luster Prince ' James, be the grace of God, King of Scots, Our Soveraign Lord, being ' odsman and oversman,' it is found and decreed, that 1 as the ' hail body of the town, consistand of merchants and craftsmen, does { bear an common burden of watching, wairding, extenting, and of the ' like portable charges, having an common-good, proper to nane,—swa ' neidful it is, for making an equal unity and charitable concord, that ' there be in the hail town but an collection and an purse, not peculiar {to any, but common to all, of the hail dewties and casualties,'—and so 1 thir dewties and collectiouns, casualities of entres—silver, upsets, ' owkly pennies, unlaws, and sicklike, to be received in all times com- ' ming, of all merchants and craftsmen indifferently, be put in the ' said common-purse, and employ it be the advyce and command of the ' Provost, Baillies, and Counsil, for support and relief of the failyiet ' and decayet burgesses, merchants, and craftsmen, their wyves, bairns, 1 and auld servants, and uther POOR indwellers of the town.' By a subsequent clause, 1 it is ordained that baith the saicte par- ' ties, merchants and craftsmen now present, and their successors, sail ' inviolably observe, keip, and fulfil this present appointment and 1 decreit-arbitral, and every heid, clause, and article conteinit therein. ' Likeas his Majesty and the saids judges wills and ordains them, 1 with willing hearts, to put in oblivion all bypast enormities, imbrace i and entertain love and amity,—and, as they are of ane city, swa ' to be of ane mind; then sail they be acceptit of God,—stop the * mouths of them quhilk tuik occasion be their division to slander the 1 truth,—then sail they be mair able to do our Soveraign Lord accept- ' able service, and have an standing and flourishing common-weaV But 1 whasoever contravenes the samen,' (the decree-arbitral) ' sail be re- * pute and halden ane troubler of the quiet estate of the common-weal, ' —incurre the note of infamy,—and forefault and tyne their fredome < for ever,—and otherwise to be persewit and punishit as seditious per- < sons, conform to the laws of the realm, with all rigour and extremity.' This decree-arbitral constitutes the following funds the common good of the city, viz.— 1 Entres—Silver ' merchant prenteis,' . £1 10 0 i Upset—end of prenteiship, . . - 5 0 0 ' Skynner ~] ' Chirurgian 1 Goldsmith ' Flesher ' Cordiner ' Tailyeour ' Baxter ' Hammerman j . Entrie . . • ' 1 0 2 rUpset . . .500 Carried forward, £12 10 0