CHAPTER VII.

ACTS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE CORDINERS-EDICTS OF THE KIRK COMMANDING THE MAGISTRATES AND THE DEACONS TO DO CERTAIN ACTS, ETC.

UNFORTUNATELY, the minute books of the Cordiners are extant only from the year 1759. Very possibly no minutes were previously kept the deacon and masters meeting, and giving only verbal instructions in those early days. This source failing, we are thus left entirely dependent upon the very meagre records of contemporaneous history for whatever information we possess regarding the acts and doings of the craft in those early days. A few extracts from the ancient Burgh Laws and Records may here be given of the laws applicable to guilds in general and to the Cordiners in particular, with the quaint judgments and singular penalties imposed for their transgression :

66 BURGH LAWS OF KING DAVID I.

"Law 93.—Of Soutaris Barkande in the Burgh.

"It is to wyt that na soutar duelland wythin the burgh aw to by ony hydis of mare prise to bark bot that has the eyris and the hornis of a lenth.

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THE LAWIS OF THE GILD (1249) OF THE ANCIENT 66 BURGH OF BERWICK, GENERALLY ADOPTED IN SCOT66 LAND.

"Law 1.-Off the Kepyn of the Generall Gylde.

"We half ordanit that all perticlar gilde hidertill oysyt in ony burgh salbe away put, and the catall (to) thaim ressonabilly and of law aucht salbe gevin to this gilde, and in tym to cum be na maner of wys ony vthir-gyld thai presume to procure, bot vnyon had of all the membris til a hed in all gud deidis thar sall cum to gethir a falouschip sekyr and a suthfast frendschip bot dyssayt.

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"Law 7.-Ordinance anent Offenders.

'Item, giff ony of the brether stryk with his nef he sall amend it with halff a mark, and efter the will of the alderman, and the den, and the layff of the brether, he sall mak asyth to the perty. Item.-Giff ony of the brether of the gyld thru violence drawis blud of ane othir he sall amend wyth xxs., and efter the will of the alderman, and of the dene, and of the layff of the brether, he sall assyth. Nor ther sall nayn of thir mendis wyth ony prayer be loussit na slakyt be na maner of way.

"Law 12.-Off Hym that Fallis Crukyt in the Gylde.

"Giff ony of our brether of the gilde in his eyld fall crukyt or pure in ane incurabill seyknes, and he haue nocht of his awin whar of he may be sustenyt, efter the

estymacion of the alderman ande of the brether, as the faculte of the gyld askis and may susten, he salbe releffyt.

"Law 13.-Off the Dochter of the Gyld Bruther.

"Giff that ony of the brether efter his desces leyff a dochter off his spousit wyff borne, the whilk be of loffabill conuersacione and of gud fame, geyff sho haf nocht of hir awin whar of it may be purwayit hir of a man (or of a religiouse house gif that sho lyk to lef chast), efter the estimatioun of the alderman and the faculte of the gilde, it salbe purwayt till hir of a husband or than a hous of religione.

"Law 14.

-Order anent Burial of a poor Brother of Gild.

"Gif ony of the breder of the gilde hapyn to disses, and has not to bring him to the erde as afferis, or to ger sing for his saule, the breder sal tak of the faculteis of the gilde and ger his bodye be honestly layd in erde. (And if any of the brethren of the guild, being in the town, shall not come to the burial of his brother, he shall forfeit one boll of barley malt.)

"Law 16.-Off Hym that passes avay fra the Gylde.

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Item, we haf ordanit that giff ony of our brether avay fra the gyld neclygentlye, nan of the brether sall mynister till hym, consall, na help in vord nor in deyde vythin the burgh nor vtuth. All thocht he be impledyt and in perall of lyff and membryce or in ony other erdly charge, he sall haue na help of thaim.

"Law 17.-Ordinance for gathering of the Brethren.

“Item, we haf ordanyt that als oft as the Alderman (and the Ferthingmen and other good men) will gader the brether of the gyld till ther nedis to be trettyt, all the brether sall gather to gether, the bell herd vnder the payn of xijd. And when the lytill bell is ringin thro the tovn, than the bell in the bellhous salbe rungin thris, fyrst schortly and syn twys, ilka tim a reasonabill space, and whatsomeuer bruther of the gyld what place of the tovn that he be in and heris that bell and cummys nocht to the place of the congregatioun, or the ringin of the bell ces, he salbe in his amerceiament.

"Law 22.-Off the liberty of brother of the Gild.

"We ordain that no one buy hides, wool, or wool skins to sell again, nor cut cloth, unless he be a brother of our gild, or a stranger merchant, for the sustaining of his office; and he shall not have lot nor cavil with brother of our gild.

"Law 24.-Ordinance anent Shoemakers ond Tanners. "We ordain that no shoemaker ought to tan any hides but such as have the horns and ears of equal length. no tanner ought to salt any hides.

And

66 LAW OF THE CHAMBERLAIN-AIR, OR HIGH CHAMBER"LAIN, WHO HAD COGNIZANCE IN ALL BURGH MATTERS "END OF 14TH CENTURY.

"Law 22.

Off the chalance of Sowtaris.

"In the first that thai both bark and makis schone otherwais than the law has statute and ordanit, that is to

say that the horne and the eir ar in like lang. Item, that thai mak schone butis and vther graitht of the lethir or jt be barkit. Item, that thai sow witht fals and rottin threid, throu the whilk the schone are tynt or thai be half worn. Item, whair thai suld gif thair lethir gude oyle and taulch, thai gif jt bot watter and salt. Item, thai wirk jt or jt be courait, in greit hindering and skaith of the kingis liegis.

"2nd April, 1574.-The quhilk daye, Thomas Craig, cordiner, is fund in the wrang for non-compearance; and als for the transportyng of the gallows at his awin hand furtht of the auld accustomat place sa neir hand the towne; and ordanit to repone the samyn agane.

"7th May, 1574.-Anent the mater movit Archibald Stene, as Factour and commissionare for James Blakburne, aganis Johne (Steyne) Cordiner, for nocht delyuerance of ane pair walker scheris beying in his handis, pertenyng to vmquhill Archibald Blakburne, and now to the said James, as ane part of his movable airschip guddis contenit in Bill; the said Johne conperand, nocht grantand the premissis allegit that the scheris can nocht be airschip, as nocht vsit be the deid, bot are ane part of his movable guddis; Thairto answerit the said Archibald, that insafer as thai wer sett in hyring thai aucht to be airschip guddis, and to avise heirwith the Baillies assignit the xiiij daye of May instant partibus citatis.

"15th May, 1574.-The quhilke daye, Archibald Legate, Cordiner, is maid burges and freman of the burght and citie of Glasgu, and hes gevin his aith of fidelitie to the towne; quhais fines was gevin by the baillies, counsale, and dekynnis to George Burell,