full contentatione of ane act of the townes court qherby their obledgit to paye the sd. sowme to the bayllies of the said cittie and their successores and the bayllzies to the present Reader of Sanct Macher and his successores the sd. reader and his successores allwayes doeing their ordienarie service according to the townes act maid their anent of the dait the day of ane thousand sex hundreth thrittie sex yeirs in faithfull wittness to their pntis. subscryvit with our hands q'of the bodie is wryttine with the hand of Thomas Mercer notar publick in Old Abd. our seall is appendit At Aberdine the penult of December ane thousand sex hundreth thrittie sewine yeers befor their wittness. ADAM: ABErdeine. 2. Charter of Confirmation by Bishop George Haliburton in favour Be it Kend To all men whom it effeires be thir presents We George be the mercy of God Bishop of Aberdeen with the express consent and assent of the Provost Bailzies Councell and Communitie of the City of Old Aberdeen, M' Alex' Middleton Principall of the Kings Colledge of the same, with express consent and assent of the remanent Masters Members and Conservitor of the sd. Colledge, and with consent of the Minister and Session for ther severall rights and entress in the matter underwrittein For certain reasonable causes and good considerations moveing Us The Cōmone Weill utility and profit of the City of Old Aberdeen and Cathedrall Church thereof, being heard seen and considered by us, and being well, maturely and riplie advysed herewith and with the address and desyres made to us by Alex' Cristall wright present Deacon Conveener of the Trades of the sd. Burgh for himself and in name and behalf of the remanent Trades and Craftsmen in the sd. City To have ratified approven and confirmed and be the Tenor hereof ratifie approve and confirm ane certain Charter made and granted be Adam by the mercy of God Bishop of Aberdeen ... [The charter of 1637 given above is then recited.] And whilk Charter wee consent above written for us and our successors Doe ratifie approve and confirme as sd. is in the haill heads 1 From a copy in the possession of the Hammermen Trade, Old Aberdeen. clauses articles and priviledges therein mentioned with and under the provisiones therein contained and for payment of the foresd. soume of Tuentie pounds money foresd. with the soume of four pound in augmentation thereof making in all twentie four pound at the Terms of payment therein mentionate And by thir presents De Novo doe for us and our successors forsds. Give grant and committ full power warrant and authoritie To the sd. Alexander Cristall present Deacon Conveener and principall visitor of the haill Crafts and present Visitor of the haill hamermen of the sd. Cittie, William Volum present Deacon of the Weavers, George Machattie present Deacon of the Tailors, Thomas Anderson present Deacon of the Cordiners Deacon of the Baxters Patrick Thomson present Deacon of the fleshers and their successors in their rexive. offices in all tymes to come to exerce and use the whole priviledges mentioned in the foresd. Charter and to enjoy the samen as fullie and freelie in all respects as any of ther predecessors did exerce use and enjoy the samen at any tyme heretofore after the forme and Tenor thereof in all poynts Declaring the samen to have been from the beginning and to be now and in all tyme comeing ane good sufficient right and warrant to them for the haill intents and purposes therein mentioned in all tyme coming And further witt ye ws with the advyce and consent above written to have given and granted and hereby gives and grants full power warrant libertie and priviledge to the present members of the Hamerman Trade, Tailor Trade and Cordener Trade of the sd. Citty of Old Aberdeen to erect and build ane loft for ther own proper uses in the Cathedrall Church of Old Aberdeen And that in lieu of ther rexive. pews and dasks belonging to and presentlie possest be them builded in the floor of the said Kirk (Qlk pewes and dasks are to be removed, and the ground therof to be at the disposall of us wt advyce and consent as aforesaid and the minister serving the Cure for the tyme in all tyme comeing) Qlke loft is hereby designed to be builded in the bounds following viz. in the north side of the Church above these pewes and dasks formerlie belonging to them from the south to the north Twentie six foots of English Measure of the Carpinters rule, and the breadth of the sd. loft from the east to the west to be off Twentie four foots, and the forebreast of the sd. loft to be off tuo English foots of measure foresd. from before the pillar eastward towards the pulpit Qlk pillar nixt and westward from the sd. pulpit at which pillar the head of the hamermens seat was fixt formerly and the south syde or breast of the breast of the sd. loft to be off six foot of the foresd. measure from the sd. pillar towards the body of the sd. Church With full power to the sds. Hamermen Tailors and Cordeners and ther successors in ther rexive. Trades to brook joyss and possess the foresd. loft so to be erected and builded by them in maner foresd. with all priviledges that may belong thereto without any interruption trouble or impediment whatsomever in all tyme hereafter and to sitt in the sd. loft as they presentlie sitt in their pewes and dasks and after the same method and order viz The Hammermen with their Incorporation nixt to the pulpit, The Tailor Trade nixt to them, and the Cordener Trade nixt to them And the Weavers dask to stand as it presently is possest be them. And to be possest by them and ther successors in the sd. calling conform to their former rights and possession of the samen And Seing the Trades of the sd. Cittie of Old Aberdeen hath been in constant use and had the priviledge of keeping mortcloaths and hyring out of the samen for the Burials of men women and children within the Town Parish and elsewhere Thairfore wee for us and our successors Doe ratifie and approve the foresd. priviledges Declareing hereby that they shall enjoy the same as fullie and freelie in all respects as they did at any tyme heretofore But Præ judice to or encroatching upon the right and priviledge anent mortcloathes belonging to the Church and Hospitall And declareing that no persone within the Town or Parish shall have or enjoy any such priviledge in all tyme hereafter except the foresds. Trades Church and Hospital And obleidges us and our successors forsds. Bishops of Aberdeen To warrant this present right good valid and effectuall at all hands and against all deadlie: In Witnes whereof thir presents (written by John Anderson writter in Aberdeen) are subscryved with our hands and our seals are appendit (Declaring hereby the foresd. priviledge for punishing and correcting of Trespassers and uptaking of ther unlawes and amerciaments is only extended against the severall Tradesmen in their severall workes and trades anent their workmanship allenerlie and to be extendit no further) Att our Palace in Old Aberdeen the twentie nynth day of Aprile Mvj and fourscore four years Before thir witnesses Mr David Ogilvie our servitor Gilbert Beidie advocat in Aberdeen Lachlan Couper our servitor and the said John Anderson. 3. Extracts from the Minutes of the Convener Court. 5 DECEMBER 1685. The said day it is enacted statute and ordained be the deacan conveiner with the unanimous consent and assent of the haill deacans and members of the deacan conveiner court that in all tymes cuming the velvet mortcloath for men and women sall be hyred furth to persones of qualitie at the rait of four pund Scotis and to any relationes of any of the trades at thrie pund scots, The new cloath cloath at threttie shillings Scots without any defalcatione to q'sumever persone, The old cloath cloath at thretteine shilling four pennies scots and the bairnes cloath at thretteine shilling four pennies and that q'sumever persone who sall keip the mortcloathes in tymes cuming sall give doune any pairt of the foirsds pryces of any of the sds cloathes without the consent and approbatione of the conveiner and remanent deacans of the trades sall pay what he gives doune therof furth of his oune purs and be comptable therfor to the conveiner court. I I. 5 NOVEMBER 1691. The said day forsaemeikill as ther haveing a great contraversie and trouble fallen out in the hamerman trade anent the putting out of James Watt present deacan conveiner as being maister of the sd. trade at the last electione of ther deacan and conveiner lykwyse contrair to old vse and wont And for preventing of the lyk trouble or any other animositie amongst the members of any of the revive. trades for the lyk in tyme cuming and for taiking away the sd. debait, the deacan conveiner court being called and haveing conveined, another lait conveiner sittand being substitute in the pnt. conveiners place, and haveing tackand the sd. bussines and effair to consideratione did ordor that the said James Wat sal be repouned againe in his owne place as ane maister of his oune trade, qlk was imediatlie done and put in executione And to the effect that the lyk may not fall out heirafter It is pntlie. enacted statute and ordained be the deacan conveiner with the wnanimous consent and assent of the haill deacans maisters and members of the sd. court but contradictione at leist the most pairt of them that whatsumever persone shall be ane maister in any of the revive. trades and lykwyse deacan conveiner shall not be changed bot sall continue ane maister of his trade that nixt ensewing Yeir and that under the faillie of tuantie pund scots to be payit be the deacan of the trade in caice of contraventione of this pnt. act for the vse of the conveiner court. I 52. 9 APRIL 1698. The said day it is enacted statute and ordained be the conveiner with the speciall consent and approbatione of the haill deakens and members of the deaken conveiner court (That forsaemeikill as the baillies magistrates and Counsellors of the toune did intend and declaired to the trades that they would see and visite the conveiners compts anent the mortcloathes and there resaits and debursments of the moneyes for the saids cloathes yearlie) That the deaken conveineres compts should wpon no accompt be produced to the magistrates and counsell nor permitted to be seene or visited by them at any tyme heirafter by reasone that the same was never in practise abefore aither in this or any other toune or brugh and that they would in naewayes bring in any new inovatione which was never practised nor sought for abefore as lykwyse for divers others good and reasonable causes moveing them heirto wnles it be done with the speciall consent and assent of the haill members of the conveiner court first hade and obtained thereto. I 13. 28 DECEMBER 1699. The said day the deaken conveiner and haill deakens of the trades with the speciall consent and assent of the haill remanent members of the conveiner court hes enacted and be thir pnts. enactes statutes and ordaines for the future and all tyme comeing That no frieman in any of the trades presume to cunnive with or joyne in working at his trade with any persone whatsumever who is not frieman of the trade whatever trade it be aither openlie or privatlie nor tack in any journayman to work with him in his trade wntill he first acquaint the present deaken of the sam trade q'of he is a member and obtaine his approbatione and allowance thereto under the paine of fyve punds scots for ilk transgressione of any of the premissis and that toties quoties and to be imediatlie poynded for the same. I 132. |