Procedure: petition, 31 December 1696, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Sixtein day of Jwlly J^aj vi^c nyntie Six yeirs

D1696/7/20

D1696/7/20¹

Act

Act James Hamiltowne

Anent the petitione given in to the Lords of his majesties privie Counsell By James Hamiltowne keeper of the Cannongate tollbwith Shewing That wher the petitioner and his predicessors in office haveing bein allwayes in wse to gett from the Flanders officers for house Dwes of each man of ther recrwits only two Shilling Scots and a penny to the Servants per night ther Lordships upon consideratione of the petitioner and his Servants ther great pains and trouble in keeping Swch wnrwleie prisoners in order and under Safe cwstodie (the petitioner being lyable to the payment of Ten dollars for each man that Shall make his escape) did by ther act awthorize the petitioner to take Subscribed Securitie As to ther payment of the recrwits house Dwes And which allwayes continwed Duely performed Conforme to the said act till the Last recrwits were a takeing owt at which tyme the petitioner and his servants were Discharged from exacting any thing from any of the Saids officers altho they had ther money in readines to pay the petitioner as formerly As to which ther Lordships will be pleased to consider that the Takeing owt of recwrites without paying ther house Dues was never practised befor Save once by Major generall Mckay when (upon applicatione to the saids Lords and ther recomendatione to the Thesaurer) The petitioner was payed everie farthing by ther Lordships for these recrwites so taken out as will appear by The Thesaurie books in the yeir J^aj vi^c and nyntie And The Dwes of the recrwites is the petitioners only benefite and his place is bwrdened with a monethly aliment to the poor And the petitioner (to mentaine the tollbwith and fwrnish provisiones to the vast numbers of recrwits and other publict prisoners these yeirs bypast) Hes not only Long Since Laid out his whole Stock But hes Likewayes rwn himself considerablie in Debt So that he is in continwall hazard of Captiones for the mentainance of the saids prisoners And now wnles ther Lordships will be pleased will be pleased² to cause Speedie payment be made the petitioner of the above recrwites house Dwes as were the dues of the former recrwites taken out by Generall Mckay And also of the house dwes of the former recrwites taken out by Generall Mckay And also of the house dwes and aliments of the coyners and clippers It will be wtterly impossible for the petitioner to Subsist And therfore humbly craveing ther Lordships in consideratione of the premisses And that it is now more then Seventyn weeks Since the petitioner had any precepts That therfore they will be graceowsly pleased to Commiserat his sad circumstances so as to recommend him to the Lords of the Thesaurie for Speedie payment of the above recruits Dues and of the clippers and coynes Dwes and aliments As the said petitione Bears The saids Lords of his majesties privie Counsell haveing Considered the above petitione They heirby recommend to The Lords Commissioners of his majesties Thesaurie to cause make payment to the said petitioner of the above recrwites Clippers and Coyners ther Dwes and aliments resting to him