CHAPTER XI.

THE INCORPORATED TRADES OF THE BURGH.

HE Burgh of Canongate had Trade Incorporations with various privileges, conferred both

by Charters obtained from the Crown, and grants by the Lord-Superiors of the Burgh; and these privileges were zealously maintained by their respective Deacons and the Magistracy of the Burgh, and the Incorporations on various occasions had the personal support of the Lord-Superior. In asserting the claims of the Freemen" as against those of the City of Edinburgh, the following cases will show the interest taken by the Bishop of Orkney as Superior, in a complaint to the Regent and Privy Council in 1569:

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"Anent the supplicatioune presented to my Lord Regent's Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsall be oure Reverend Fader, Adame, Bischop of Orkney, Commendatore of Haliruidhous, and utheris, his fre tenants and inhabitants of his Regaltie within the Cannogait, Leith, Barony of Brouchtoun, and thair pertinentis next adjacent to the Burgh of Edinburghe, makin mentioun: That quhar it is nocht unknawin

to my Lordis Regent's Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsall how the said Abbacy of Haliruidhous has thir monie and divers yearis bi past fre Regalitie within all the Toune's baronyis, and pertinents thairof in quhatsumevir pairt of this realme, and has been in continuall and peciabill possessioune of the samyn thir monie yearis bi past as said is, quhile lattlie in the moneth of Decembre last, or thairby last bipast, the said Reverend Fader beand with my Lordis Regentis Grace in the partis of Ingland, certane of the Baillies of the Toune of Edinburgh cam to the Cannogait, and by way of deid, thai beand accompanit with a nummer of the communitie of thair Burghe, brak and kast doune thair senyeis of wyne, expres against all ordour, the said Cannogait beand ane fre Burgh of Regalitie, and evir in possessioune of selling of wyne for serving of the lieges of the realme; and beand humely requirit be the Baillies and nychtbouris of the said Cannogait, that thaye wald desist fra thair said way of deid, specilie in respect that it was nocht unknawn to thame how thair was a process in dependance befoir the Lordis of oure Soveranis Sessioun thairanent, answered that thaye wald knaw nathing of the said process in dependance, but wald execute thair enterpryse quharfoir thaye were than cuming to the Cannogait. And sicklike lattlie, becaus the fremen Cordiners of the Cannogait and Leith, within the said Regalitie, wald nocht contribute with the fremen of thair Burghe, thaye maisterfullie and be way of deid reft fra Andro Purvis and William Porteous, Cordiners and fremen of the said Burghe of the Cannogait, thair maid schune and utheris wares, quhilk thaye had to selle in the Mononday's fre mercat in Edinburghe. And sick

like lattlie take and imprisonit certane of the Cordiners dwellan in the said Toune of Leith, within the Regalitie foirsaid, and in special, ane callit David Robertsoun, for the refusin to contribute with thame as said is, and daillie continues in thair molestatioune foirsaid of quhatsumever nychtbouris of Craft alsweil of Taylyiours as Smyths and utheris Craftismen, and wull nocht desist thairfrae, howbeit the nychtbouris of the said Burghe of the Cannogait and Regalitie above written be in no wayis subject to onie jurisdiction inferioure under the Prince, except to thair ain Lord and his Baillies."

"And anent the charge given to William Littell, Adam Fullartoun, and Alexander Clerk, Baillies of Edinburghe, to compeir befoir his Grace and Lordes of Sessioun this daye afternoon, to answer this complaint. Baith the parties comperan personallie,thair reasouns and allegatiouns beand heard and understood, -My Lordis Regentis Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsall, ordanis and commandis bath the saidis parties to desist and ceise frae all attempting of onie thing against uthers be violence or way of deid in tyme cuming, bot to perseu all thair actionis, causis, and controversis be ordour of law and justice under all hieast pane, charge and offence, that thaye and ilk ane of thame may commit and inrin aganis oure Soverane Lord in that behalf." *

Again, in 1576, a supplicatioune at the instance of the "Bailies, Counsall, inhabitants, and haill communitie

* 66

Registers of the Privy Council of Scotland," Vol. II. p. 33. Edited and abridged by John Hill Burton, LL.D., Historiographer Royal for Scotland.

of the Cannogait, against the Provost, Baillies, Counsall, and communities of the Burgh of Edinburghe,” was heard in Holyrood House on 22nd December of that year, before the Regent Morton and Privy Council, in reference to a charge of 3d. per lade on malt bought by the browstaris (brewers and retailers of ale) in the city from the merchants in the Canongate, and delivered to the purchasers without first presenting it in Edinburgh Market and paying the said dues; but it was decided against the Canongate.*

About the same time the Bailies passed a statute decreeing that none of the Deacons receive any freeman with them into their Crafts, "afore he be admitted Burgess be the Bailies," and whoever did, should be "poynded for that man's Burgesschip that shall happen to be admitted." "Four pundis " Scots was the fee for admission at the time.

The Incorporations were eight in number: Wrights, Hammermen, Shoemakers, Tailors, Weavers, Fleshers, Bakers, and Barbers. The Incorporation of the Cordiners or Shoemakers was a very old one. Letters of Licence, dated 6th August 1554, having been granted by the Bishop of Orkney, Commendator of Holyrood and Superior of the Burgh, to "Andrew Purves, Dekin and Boxmaister of the Craft," to levy dues from "craftismen within our Regalitie within the Toun of Leith, Sanct Leonardis Gait, and Baronie of Brouchtoun," as well as Canongate. The Burgh Register or Council Minute in 1574 contains a notice of the election of "William White as Deacone of the

Registers of the Privy Council of Scotland," Vol. II. p. 577.

Cordiners." The Incorporation from an early date was in possession of several properties in the Burgh, and had a hall in which meetings were held; but having fallen into debt and the buildings heavily mortgaged, became insolvent in 1743, and was obliged to dispose of the heritable properties. The Incorporation of Tailyoures or Tailors had also Letters of Licence of same date and to the same effect granted by the Bishop in favor of "James Galbraith, Dekin." The Fleshers were incorporated in 1610, but they had paid certain dues to the Town long previously. It appears that upon 24th June, 1594, they had been in arrears for these dues, for upon the "quhilk daye the Baillies and Counsaill all in ane voce ordanit the haill Flescheauris to be commandit in warde until thaye paye the Mertimes and Whitsundaye maills, and also ordains William. Persoun to remain in warde for his offence in cuming and denying of thair acts of Counsaill quhair he was actit of befoir for payment of XIs. for hes stok maill, during thair willis."*

The Seal of Cause, dated 6th April, 1612, erecting the Wrights and Coopers into an Incorporation, was granted by Sir William Bellenden, Baron of Broughton, as Heritable Bailie and Superior of the Burgh of Canongate; but as he was at the time under age, the Charter had the concurrence of Dame Lady Elizabeth Ker or Bellenden, his mother, who was a sister of the then Earl of Roxburghe. It erects "the vocatioune and airts of Wryghts and Couperis of the Cannogait into ane fre airt and vocatioune, onlie to be usit

* Registers of the Burgh of Canongate. Maitland Club papers, Vol. II., p. 330.