Unto the Right Honourable, the Lords of Council and Session, the petition of John Wilson and Gilbert Blair, barbers in the Canongate / [John Wilson].

  • Wilson, John
Date:
1742]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Unto the Right Honourable, the Lords of Council and Session, the petition of John Wilson and Gilbert Blair, barbers in the Canongate / [John Wilson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    not entitled to the Privileges provided to the Matters of Crafts by the original Seal of Gaufe, but were dependent upon the laid Incorporation, and behov'd to receive their Admiffionsfrom them; bat at the lame Time, confidering them as a ieparate Society, tho' not Members of the original Incorporation, your Lordfhips found them entitled to chufe a Preles of their own Number, a Clerk who might officiate when the Incorporation- Clerk could not attend, and to levy the Uplets and quarterly Payments from fuch as fliould enter into their Society. There is nothing more common than for thole who are oppreft by their Superiors, to be themfelves guilty of the fame Oppreffion upon their Inferiors. If the Surgeons of Edinburgh did opprels the Barbers, the Barbers of Edinburgh made them- lelves full amends, by opprefliing the Barbers of the Canongate. Your Lordfhips have had many Occafions to hear of the great Hardfhips, which the Canongate, in general, have fuffer’d from the Town of Edinburgh, to w hom they are no otherwiie fubject, than as the good Town purchaled the Right of Superiority of this Burgh of Regality ; and as thefe Grievances have been the Subject of repeated Proceifes, the Canongate have been thus far relieved by your Lordfhips Juftice, as it has been found that they are not amenable before the Courts of the good Town, however they may be fubje£t to their Jurifdiftion qua Superiors of the Regality within the Bounds thereof The Barbers of Edinburgh, relying upon the Countenance and Support of the good Town, have endeavoured to eftablifh very extraordinary Power over the Inhabitants of the Canongate, viz. That none, tho' admitted Burgefi of the Canongate, ttiould be at Liberty to ffiave or poll, even within the Liberties there¬ of, without being firft tried by them, admitted by the Surgeons, and paying to the Barbers of Edinburgh a Sum of Money for this Tolerance; by which Ufurpation, as they annually draw confiderable Sums from luch of the Inhabitants of the Canongate as follow thatBufmels, and as the Barbers of Edinburgh make no Scruple to pra&ife within the Canongate, lb the Barbers of the Canongate