May Culbert, for teaching as aforsaid, they unanimously appoint their Thesaurer to pay to her at Whitsunday next the sum of twenty pund Scots money, and so furth annually during the Councills pleasures. VIII 14.

7 FEBRUARY 1740.

The said day anent the petition given in by Jannet Forbes relict of Mr John Forbes late minister of the Gospell at Slains mentioning that whereas May Culbert who taught a sewing school in this town, by the countenance and incouradgement of the Magistrats and Councill has lately removed from this place, the said petitioner designs along with her daughter [Helen] to sett up a schooll for the same purpose and therefore craving the concurrance and countenance of the Magistrats and Toun Councill, and that they may be pleased to continue the same public encouradgement with her which Mrs Culbert enjoyed; And the said petitioner should contribute all in her power for the improvement of the children of the town who shall be under her inspection and endeavour to give generall satisfaction [granted]. VIII 33.

2 MAY 1740.

The said day it was represented by Baillies Bradfut and Burnet that John Still tennent in Cottown had diverted the course of the channel which has been running to the Chanonrie for the accomodation thereof and other parts of the town which the said town had been in possession of by immemoriall prescription, That the saids Baillies had conversed with Mr Midleton anent that affair and dealt with him to have the water returned to its former course But as these conferences with Mr Midleton produced no effect so as the water of the channell be returned to them in its former course unless (as Mr Midleton desyred) the Magistrats and Toun Councill or any having their order do apply to him the said Mr Midleton by write asking the same as a favour, which representation being fully deliberate upon by the Magistrats and Councill They unanimously resolve not to make any application in writting to Mr Midleton desyring the returning of the water as a favour, as the Town has been in the immemoriall possession of the said water, and as they imagine, the making of such written application might be interpret a ceding of their right. VIII 37.

25 JULY 1740.

The said day the Magistrats and Councill taking into their consideration the distress of the inhabitants of this, as well as other places, by the scarcity and dearth of meall, and being informed that meall may be had in the neighbourhood heirby impower Baillie Burnet, Baillie Molyson, with the Thesaurer and the Conveener of the trades to buy up for the use of the inhabitants of the toun a quantity of meall, a hundred bolls more or less, as they find it can be conveniently had, and of as easie a rate as they can purchass it, And further impower the said Committe of Councill to regulate the prise at selling out the same to the inhabitants, And to do every thing else what they shall find proper and necessary in the premisses. VIII 40.

2 OCTOBER 1740.

The said day the Councill takeing to their consideration the hardship of members being continued in the Councill or in the Magistracy for so long a time as had been useuall of late, unanimously aggreed and enacted that in all time comming one of the Magistrats, three of the Merchant Councellors and two of the trades Councellors shall be changed annually. VIII 45.

7 SEPTEMBER 1741.

The said day it being represented to the Magistrats and Councill, that the inhabitants of this City are greatly distressed by the flocking in of stranger beggars, and especially of late since they have been discharged the Town of Aberdeen, And that the poor of this place greatly suffer and cannot be subsisted on the charity they now but share in common with those strangers: The Magistrats and Councill takeing the forsaid greivance to consideration unanimously statute and ordain, that in all time comming no proprietors or possessor of houses within this City shall lett or subsett houses to any person or persons that cannot or do not first shew to the Magistrats a feasible way of subsisting themselves under the penaltie of twenty pund Scots to be payed to the Thesaurer for the poors behoof. And also require and ordain such strangers as have come into this city or liberties at or since Whitsunday last who cannot show a probable way of sustaining themselves and

familys to remove betwixt and Martimmass nixt under the penaltie of publick banishment. And with respect to the present begging strangers the Council recomend to the Magistrats, that they be instantly discharged out of the town, and the Acts anent vagrants be put in execution. They likeways recomend to the Magistrats, to conferr with the Heritors and Kirk Session of this parioch anent giving of tokens for distinguishing the poor of this parioch from others; and ordain this Act to be publickly intimate to the haill inhabitants by touck of drum, that none may pretend ignorance. VIII 58.

IO OCTOBER 1741.

The said day it was represented for Conveener Hunter, baxter of this city that at the desire of the Council he had stood a proces befor the Magistrats of Aberdein, as admirals for the Shore dues and syss bole of a loading of wheat landed at Don mouth, but that decreet was passed against him at the instance of Alex Peirie Shoremaster, by which he was to the charges of twelve shillings and ten pence sterling and therefor craved that he might be indemnified of the same in respect he had stood the sd. proces Which request the Councill unanimously aggreed to and appoints the Thesaurer to pay the same. VIII 65.

9 SEPTEMBER 1742.

The said day the Council having taken to their consideration the former petition anent women shopkeepers given in the tenth of April. last. They resolved that for the future the daughters of Merchant Burgesses while they continue unmarried shall have the priviledge of keeping shops And that they be obliged to pay for that priviledge yearly the sum of one pound ten shilling scots at the term of Lammas for the year preceeding under the failzie of having their shops shut up, and that the first years payment be at Lammas Mvij and fourty three years And they further resolved that no other woman (except the daughters of merchant burgesses or their widows) shall be allowed the keeping of shops upon any terms. VIII 79.

20 NOVEMBER 1743.

The which day the Committe appointed for inspecting the present state of the Towns revenue reported that there was exhibited to them

by the late and present Thesaurers a scheme of the yearly fixed rent of the Theasury and of the ordinary anuall necessary expenses which being perused they find the Towns yearly fixed income to be scrimply sufficient for discharging necessary debursments And remark that a guinea payed annually to Mr Richard Gordon, Advocate in Aberdeen in name of retaining fees for the Towns bussiness is ane unnecessary expense and should be in the future discharged. VIII 108.

25 APRIL 1744.

The same day compeared the said William Thomson Baillie and produced ane missive Letter signed by Mr James Molyson master of the musick Schooll of this City, dated the 24th of Aprile instant addressed to him the said William Thomson mentioning that he was now in providence called ordained and admitted to a pastorall charge in the neighbouring County1 and must forthwith leave this place, in order to go and look after the said charge. He thereby signified to the said Baillie Thomson and the uder members of the Councill, That he did demitt and upgive the office of Master of musick Schooll of said City in manner mentioned in the said letter, as the samen of the date forsaid more fully bears. VIII 117.

28 APRIL 1744.

The Councill considering that it would be a great advantage to the inhabitants that book-keeping were taught in their Schooll as weell as writting and arithmetick They therefore do recomend it in the strongest manner to Mr James Paterson to accomplish himself in that study which he informs, he has already began, that he may be qualified for teaching the same, as soon as possible. VIII 117.

6 OCTOBER 1746.

The said day it being represented to the Councel that as Mr James Mitchell was to be preferred to the benefice of first minister of the parish of Old Machar, in place of Principal Chalmers deceast, That thereby the charge of second minister would fall vacant, and that Mr George Bartlet presently minister of Crimmond had been recommended

1 Presented to St. Cyrus in December, 1743-Scott's Fasti.

by a great part of the heritors, and several of the elders, as a person qualified to fill the vaccancy, and that they were sure the said Mr Bartlet was also agreeable to, and to be chosen by the University The Council being well satisfied with the abilitys and qualifications of said Mr George Bartlet, whom they had often heard while minister at Footie, in this neighbourhood, unanimously agreed to concurr with the others concerned in prosecuting his settlement, And hereby impower Baillie Andrew Burnett their Preses to signify their inclinations in proper form, and to do every other thing requisite thereanent. VIII 151.

6 FEBRUARY 1749.

Thereafter the Councel received in from Peter Mutch Deacon of the Hammermen a petition, signed by him and severall more of the Hammermen trade, Craving they would receive John Martine a hammerman and farrier, and which had been before them before this time, and deferred to this day, And the said petition being read and considered, and also having received a memoir by way of answers to the said petition given in and signed by the conveener in name of the Trades, Showing cause why the said John Martine should not be received and which was also read, and the question being put to proceed or not, It was carried by a majority to proceed in the said affair Thereafter the Councel having considered the forsaid petition and representation and having fully debated the same among themselves, And for the severall reasons therein contained, They putt the Question whither or not the occupation of a Farrier has been in use to be considered as a branch of the Hammermen trade, and whither or not the report made of the essay prescribed to John Martine of his qualifications therein qch is acknowledged to have been, the fitting and nailing on a horse shoe, be . sufficient to enrol him as a member of the Hammermen trade, It was carried by a great majority that it was not sufficient, The Councel therefore refused and hereby refuse the desire of the Petition and appoints the clerk to keep the petition and representation and to record them. VIII 196.

13 FEBRUARY 1752.

The said day the Magistrats and Councell considering that whereas many good laws and Acts of Parliament have been made from time to