to ther capacities, and the first day of the sd exercise to be and begin to morow tuesday at thre aclock in the afternoone in the sd. Bowling greene and to continue ilk day therafter (except the Lords day) so long as the magistrates sall think fitt and expedient and be informed how they have proffeited by ther sd. exercise, and ordores the tounes officars to begin at the bridge of Don and Seattoune and that end of the old toune nixt to the bridge of Don and chairge in the first tuantie four men, and so to goe throw the whole old toune and colledge bounds and chairge tuantie four men ilk day therafter. IV 234.

22 JULY 1689.

The sd. day in respect that John Couper Thes' was at present in Ed about his laufull effaires The baillies and councell appoynts Duncan Cassie Thes' deput in his place till his returne to the toune and to furnish twantie stone weight of powder and three stone weight of lead to be keiped reserved for the vse of the toune whill necessitie requyres that the tounes people have vse for the same and that the pryce of the sd. gunpowder and lead be payit to the said Duncan. be the sd. John Couper Thes' at his returne. IV 236.

Lyk as the said day the baillies and councell by reasone of the troubles in this pairt of this kingdome and for fear of invasione by the highlandmen have thought it fitt and convenient to set up and put the nightlie guaird on fote again within the toune for the preservatione thereof wnder god, the samen guaird haveing beine dischairged for a tyme and therfor ordores and appoynts that ther sall be ane nightlie guaird within the toune consisting of tuantie four men each night by and attour ther revive. caiptaines and the sd. guaird of the foirsaid number to enter and begin this same night at nyne houres at night and to continue whill fyve houres upon the morrow and so to continue enter and dissolve at the foirsds sett and apoynted tymes of night and day dureing the haill tyme of the sd. guaird and watch. And for regulating of the which guaird the sds. baillies and councell nominats and appoynts the persones underwrittin To witt David Murray Patrick Walace John Marnoch James Fiddes Robert Milne James Sheipheard George Ronald and Arthur Knight to be caiptaines of the said guaird and watch and that they attend personallie in ther duetie ilk ane of them per vices revive. the appoynted nights and tymes when

it sall befall them With full power to the sds. rezive. caiptaines to ordor and cōmand the sd. guaird regularlie as they sall think fitt Set furth the sentinels and doe all other things necessar theranent And that the sd guaird and ilk persone therof readdilie obey ther revive. captaines as if it were the magistrates themselves and carie themselves soberlie and nowayes be drunk with certificatione if they or any of them transgres in any on of the premisses they sall be fyned and punished conforme to ther misdemeaner and qualitie of ther fault.

Lykas it is enacted and ordained be the baillies and councell foirsds. that ilk fencible man within the toune sall provyde for and have ane fyre lock and sword or sword and partisan or sword and halbert against this day eight dayes 29 instantis under the faillie of Tuell punds scots money. IV 236.

27 JULY 1689.

The sd. day the baillies ordores John Couper Thes to pay the persones underwritten To witt Androw Cassie, David Nairne, James Meassone, William Crombie, Allex' Mathewsone, William Nickoll and John Auld to ilk one of them sexteine shilling scots for the hyre of ane hors from ilk on of them for goeing from Old Meldrum with their horss to Strathbogie with the english horsmens baggage and amunitione with tuell shilling more to the sd. John Auld for goeing with his hors to Keithhall and bringing home John Keyth to Old Abd. from that pairt wpon his said hors. As lykwyse ordores the sd. John Couper to furnish William Walker drumer with ane suite of cloathes of such cloath as he sall think fitt according to his qualitie with all diligence consisting of ane long meitt coat, ane pair of breiches, stockings of the same cloath and ane pair double solled shoes. And in respect the said drūmer is now and hes beene a good space bypast in the tounes service beyond ordinair and is so to continue, sick as at generall Randevouzes of the toune, divers privat excerciseing of the tounes people and in speciall in serveing in the nightlie watch and guaird And the sd. baillies ordores the sd. Thesaurer to insert the sd. money and cloathing in his accompts and that the same sall be allowit to him in the first end theroff. IV 236.

22 JANUARY 1690.

The said day William Leitch laufull sone to the deceissed John Leitch baxter burges of Old Abd. being apprehendit for alleadged

cōmitting of ane ryot against some of the king's forces in this place and he being delyvered to the magistrates by Major Guthrie comodant of the forces here for the tyme and the sd. Major haveing a favour and respect to the toune being pleased to remitt any injurie he did to the souldiours Thairfor the sd. William as prin" and Maister James Leich his brother german and Rot Milne bookbinder in Old Abd. his brotherin-law as cautioners and soverties for him heirby enactes binds and obliges them conlie. and severallie that the said Williame Leitch by God's grace sall in all tyme heirafter demaine and behave himself civilie and peaceablie not onlie towards those of his maties forces quartered here under cōmand of the sd. Major Guthrie bot also towards all others of thir maties forces who shall happen heirafter to be quartered upon or travelling and conversant in the place and that he sall give non of them any just ground of offence or provocatione and that under the paine of ane hundreth punds scots money of penaltie and undergoeing all farder punishment the magistrates sall impose upon him according to his transgressione toties quoties. IV 243.

22 SEPTEMBER 1690.

The said day it is agreed betwixt the Baillies and the heritors [of the Ruides of land in and about Old Abd.] and Androw Cassie that the Ruides of land about and in the toune shall be adjoyned with the rest of the Ruides of land in and about the sd. toune of Old Abd. and that on valuatione shall serve for both theirs and his lands in all tyme cuming And sicklyk that the haill Ruides of land in the Chanonrie be adjoyned with the rest of the lands about the toune in tyme cūming conforme to old vse and wont and be stented with the same proportionallie heirafter. IV 251.

5 MARCH 1691.

The said day compeired Maister George Fraser on of the Baillies and proposed that after the removeing of Allexander Couper present maister of the musick schooll no persone who sall succeid to him in that chairge and be maister of the said schooll shall keip ane cōmon change within the toune and requyred the opinione of the meitting therin and q'unto the said haill meitting gave ther approbatione and consent except Baillie William Baxter who allenarlie dissasented to the sd. propositione.

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Lyk as the said Maister George Fraser baillie afterwards desyred all to considder that upon Tuesday last he hade called them togither and than desyred them to have there thoughts on a fitt persone to succeid to Allexander Couper in the schooll against the nixt meitting and being now mett he asked iff they were now ryp to give ther thoughts of a successor to Allexander Couper as schooll maister in the toune to which all replyed they were (except Baillie Baxter who removed himself and would not joyne in the electione) wpon the removeall the sd. baillie George Fraser enquyred if any ther by reasone of his removeall would withdraw and not joyne in the electione none appearing to adhere the whole meitting consisting of the tounes councell deacan conveiner, deacans and maisters of the trades and severall other inhabitants of the toune vna voce desyred the electione sould go on Than the Baillie desyred any desyrous to succeid as schoolmaister to Allexander Couper Upon which call appeared only Maister Robert Gelleis fullie knowen to all the meitting as a young man of a good lyff and conversatione and of sufficient prudence to governe a schooll Thairfor the Baillie foirsaid enquyred if he was willing to wndergo tryall, who answered he was, and being tryed in reading, writting and arithmetick as also in vocal and instrumentall musick and that in presence of the whole meitting The Baillie foirsd. asking everie on ther present ther opinione all (except Allex Grig deacan of the weavers) voted for Maister Robert Gelleis to succeid to Allex, Couper as schoolmaister foirsaid and to enjoy all the emoluments belonging therto And the preceiding act being intimated to him he did accept of the said office and tuik instrument thairupon Than it was proposed to recomend the sd. Maister Robert Gelleis now chosen to the minister and elders to be chosen their Sessione Clerk and Reader in the kirk which was approven by all And the clerk haveing drawen a recomendatione it was instantlie subscryved by all present excepting as afoirsaid. IV 254.

23 JULY 1691.

The said day it is appoynted and agried upon be the baillies that ilk ane of them shall sitt and exerce ther office monethlie per vices and keip ane court weiklie wpon ilk Saturuday of the weik with ane quorum of the councell thre being declaired to be ane quorum and ane full councell to be called the first Thursday off everie moneth for dispatche

ing of effaires of more speciall concernment concerning the toune and that Baillie Fraser shall begin this and the nixt moneth and keip courts and each of the rest off the Baillies monethlie per vices therafter and if it happen any extraordinar effair to occur at any time that the Baillie than sittand and exerceing the office sall caus advertise his colleagues that they may give ther advyce and assistance therin. IV 258.

7 SEPTEMBER 1691.

The said day the Baillies with consent of the Thesourer and Councell of the sd. Brugh and also with consent of Maister John Johnstone present clerk of the said toune Be thir pnts. hes nominated and authorized William Orem nottar publict thair to be conjunct Clerk with the said Maister Johne dureing all the dayes' of his lyftyme and after his deceise (if it shall happen the sd. William to survive him) to be sole clerk of the said citie and for them and ther successors magistrates Thesaurer and Councell above mentionat have admitted and heirby admitt him therto dureing all the dayes off his lyftyme Reservand alwayes to the said Maister John Johnstone for all the dayes monethes yeirs and termes of his lyff the haill sallarie benefites casualities and emoluments any appertaining or that is knowen to belong to the said office any maner of way q'unto he is heirby declaired to have good and undoubted right and title and after his deceise fall accres and belong to the sd. William Orem dureing his lyftyme. IV 259.

I OCTOBER 1691.

The said day it is enacted be the Baillies (anent Thomas Rhind his extra ordinar drinking with the souldiours and others and therby drinking himself drunk and in his drunken fits troubleing his oune hous and stricking and abuseing his oune wyff and familie, and others his neightbours within the toune and that he will by no means refraine therfrae) hes enacted that no Brewer within the toune sell the sd. Thomas Rhind aither aill Bear Brandie or aquavite after they sall be advertised for that effect by the officiars with certificatione to the sellers that is whosoever sall sell him any drink of the qualitie foirsd. after advertisement as said is sall pay four pund scots toties quoties for ilk contraventione and ordores the tounes officiars ilk on of them to goe throw ther oune quarter and advertise the brewers that none of them pretend ignorance of the premisses. IV 261.