8 OCTOBER 1691. The said day it is ordored and appoynted be the Baillies unanimouslie that no persone shall be permitted tuo duell nor reseide within the toune in tyme cumeing unles they enter themselfes friemen in the toune within thrie monethes space after ther entrie under the faillie of Tuantie punds scots money to be payit aither be themselfes or by those persones who sets them the houses to the Thesaurer for the vse of the toune and that by and attour the admitting of themselfes. IV 263. 3 DECEMBER 1691. The said day it is ordaint that no person w'in the toune shall sell ail or any other liquor to students efter eight a clock at night vnder the failie of four pund toties quoties Otherwayes to acquaint ane of the Bailies therwith if the students remove not at that tym. IV 267. II JUNE 1692. The said day the Bailies and Council of the sd. burgh taking to ther consideratione that the belmans place in this toune wes vacant be deceiss of wmq" Wm. Gald and being informed that the hand bell does properlie belong to the toune of Old Abd. and that they have been in vse and custome from tyme to tym past memorie of man to admitt any persone they thought fitt to officiat in that station and being desyrous to know the certantie therof that the liberties of the citie might not be infringit nor impairit and that they might proceed in the sd. matter as formerlie the sds. bailies requyrit the opinion of the Council and all present theranent and particularlie some old vnderstainding men in the toune, viz. Mr. Patrick Gordone Humanist John Leask elder weaver and John and Wm. Beverlayes They all declared that the sd. hand bell to ther certain knowledge did allenerlie pertein to the sd. citie being gifted therto be wmq" John Ross Sacrist and that they never knew any other person or societie pretend any right or title therto or to admitt any person to officiat and goe wt the sd. hand bell except alenerly wmq" Bishop Scougall who as Superior and Patron of the sd. citie installed the sd. Wm. Gald in the forsd. office In respect qrof the Bailies forsds. w' consent of the Council fand pronunciat and decernit. the sd. hand bell to appertain and belong to the toun in all tym coming as in tymes bypast and that they and ther successors in ther revive offices have the onlie good and vndoubted right to admitt any persone they think fitt to be belman in the sd. citię and to enjoy the casualities belonging therto in all tym coming they paying such ane yeirlie salarie therfor as the magistrates and council of the sd. citie sall think fit to impose and ordains the same to be recorded in the tounes court books in futuram rei memoriam. IV 309. 14 SEPTEMBER 1692. The said day the former magistrats wt consent of the Council and Cōmunitie of the sd. citie haveing ordained ane taxation of four hundreth merks to be imposed upon the inhabitants of the sd. burgh for reparation of the musick schooll and Council houss of the sd. citie and for other caussis sped in ane act made theranent 14 March 1691 years and in ane ratification therof dated the sevent day of Jan' last bypast and in prosecution of the sd. designe John Fergusone conveener having in name of the trades offered ane hundreth merks of the sd. taxation as being all they could spare at once till tyme suld discover what might be further needful Therfor the sds. present Bailies wt consent of he forsd. Council ordaines the sd. conveener in name forsd. with all possible speed be advice of George Laing Economus and on or two of the trades to buy sufficient trees and other materialls for reparation of the sd. school and council hous for preventing the ruine therof till the sd. sum of ane hundreth merks be fullie expendit and debursit for that effect qch the conveener promised to doe. IV 314. 19 NOVEMBER 1692. The said day the Baillies by vertue of ane supplicatione given in to them be the hamerman trade anent the electione of ther deacan Allexander Christall ther pnt. deacan not being in the toune bot workeing this longtyme bygane in the countrie and for a power to the said trade to chuise tymouslie to the effect the trade may not be lyable to any fyne the magistrates might impose upon them by reasone of ther not tymous electione of ther deacan Quhilk supplicatione being read and considdered (and the trade declaireing that they hade advertised the sd. Allex' Christall long agoe to come to the toune to the effect ther deacan might be tymouslie chosen and the trade incur no fyne) doe heirby order the said trade preceislie to chuise ther deacan this day eight dayes being Saturuday nixt to come, and on of the baillies themselfes to sit with the trade to sie the electione ordorlie proceided in As lykwise that the flescher trade should chuise ther deacan upon Saturuday nixt under the hazard of what fyne the magistrates sould enjoyne them to pay. IV 318. The said day the Baillies foirsaids in respect of the deceise of William Orem, with the speciall consent of the Thesaurer and Councel as also with consent of Mr. John Johnstone present clerk of the sd. toune Be thir pnts. have nominated and authorized George Adam nottar publict advocat in Abd. to be conjunct clerk with the said Maister John Johnstone dureing all the dayes of his lyftyme and after his deceise (if it shall happen the sd. George Adam to survive him) to be sole clerk of the said citie. . . IV 319. IO DECEMBER 1692. The said day the Baillies in respect the deacan conveiner of the trades was not chosen as yet and the tyme of the electione being now long agoe elapsed heirby ordores John Fergusone present deacan conveiner to caus chairge ane deacan conveiner court against Saturuday nixt the seventeine day of this instant and then chuise ther deacan conveiner under the faillie of Ten punds scots money And the sd. John Fergusone being personallie present faythfullie promeised to doe the same. IV 320. 24 DECEMBER 1692. The sd. day the Baillies fynes the haill deacans of the trades (except the deacan of the hamerman trade who was present) ilk ane of them in ane wulaw of scots in respect of ther not compearance to chuise ther deacan conveiner whois electione was preceislie ordored to have beine this day and declaires John Fergusone wncapable to exerce the office off conveiner any farder in respect of his obstinacie and contumacie against the ordor of the magistrates and ordores James Watt and Andrew Gray deacan of the hamerman trade to exerce the sd. office till farder ordor. IV 321. 4 MARCH 1693. The sd. day forsaemeikill as ther was many of the fir trees brocken doune cutted and taken away aff of the firhill the tyme of this present storme and after search maid by the tounes officiars for the same by ordor of the magistrates some peices of the samen being found with Robert Lillie tailzeor in the colledge bounds and in his hous the baillies decerns the said Robert in the fyne contained in the acts of parliament maid anent the cutting and stealing of greene wode. IV 326. 19 MAY 1694. The said day it was enacted and ordained by the baylie with consent of the counsell that the wholl inhabitants within the toune shall be bound and obleidged not only for themselves but for ther wyves servants and childring that the Sabath day shall noewayes in tyme comeing be profained by scolding drinking rageing and playeing publicklie on the streets or elsewher But on the contrair that they shall christanlie keep within ther famillies and noewayes to abuse the Sabeth or suffer the samine to be profained by any under ther charge and that under the paine of twentie punds scots money toties quoties to be peyed to the thes for the behooff of the toune and poor in teror to others to comitt such trespases and all parents to be lyable for ther childring wyves servants and others within there revive famillies. IV 343. 29 JULY 1694. The said day the Baylies gave publick advertisement to the haill inhabitants to the end they should make no trouble or abuse in the church to disturb the publick worship least the toune should be troubled or com to danger therefor And for that end seeing they had takine ane list of some persons who gave the former trouble whose names wes read publicklie in Court and advyce given be the bayllies to ther nighbouris that they might disweid them from doeing soe any more upon ther heighest perroll. IV 350. 30 MARCH 1695. The said day the baillies with consent of the Counsell enactes statutes and ordaines that no persone nor persones within the toune nor fredome thairoff presume nor tack upon hand in any tyme after the day and dait of thir pnts. to shear, pluck up, tack away or resett any Bent furth of linx and Bentie hillocks and that under the paine of Ten punds scots to be payit be the contraveiners of this act toties quoties for ilk breach therof and to be immediatlie poyndit for the same. 364. IV IO APRIL 1695. The said day anent the complaint given in be Patrick Knight cordiner in Old Abd. against Gilbert Andersone kirk officiar and James Wilsone in Old Abd. for wncovering and dismantelling of the grave of the deceissed Arthur Knight his sone in the kirkyard of Old Machar contrair to the rules of Christianitie and the samen being confessed judiciallie be the sds. Gilbert Andersone and James Wilsone and the Baillie and Counsell haveing taken the abuse to consideratione did fyne the sd. Gilbert Andersone Ten punds scots money and the sd. James Wilsone in Ten merks money foirsd. by vertue of ther sds. confessions to be payit to the thesaurer for the vse of the toune and they both to be put in firmance and continue therin ay and whill they pay ther fynes or find sufficient cautione for payt of the same. IV 366. 2 NOVEMBER 1695. The said day anent the complaint given in be Mr. William Cuming maister of the musick schoole anent the keiping and teacheing of private schooles within the toune to the prejudice of the musick and hie schooll and the maister and teacher therof The Baillie and counsell haveing considdered the sd. complaint and reasones therof and the bad consequence that might follow by tollerating such privat schooles to be keiped within the toune did with the wnanimous consent and approbatione of the haill counsellors dischairge all privat schooles within the toune after the day and dait heirof except allenarlie such as wherein children ar taught to sew or wyve and that such persones as shall be licentiat to keip privat schooles by the magistrates for groundeing of the young ones shall teach ther schollars no farther than the catechising and the proverbs and that such persones as shall be so licentiat shall give ther bonds to proceid no further than is above restricted and that they shall keip no such schooles after the dait heiroff till they subscryve bonds to the effect foirsaid and find sufficient cautione in these saids bonds sub be ther cautioners and that wnder the failzie of threttie punds scots money. IV 367. 29 APRIL 1696. The said day the baillie haveing mett in the Counsell hous with the Thesaurer and some others people of the toune, and the haill inhabitants and the whole inhabitants at leist the most pairt of them |