Scottish Privy Council Records

Att Edinburgh 28 July 1702

D1702/7/25¹

Act

Act for ane generall Contribution to the Distresed Inhabitants of Leith who suffered by the Late deadfull fyre

Anent the petition given in and presented to the Lords of her majesties privie Councill by the distressed Inhabitants in Leith who suffered, who suffered² by the bloweing wp of powder ther, Showeing that on the third instant, it pleased the Just and Holy God to visite this toun for ther hynous sins against him, with a very terrible and sudden strock, which was occasioned by the firreing of threty three barrells of powder, which dreedfull and terable blast as at was heard even att many myles distance, with great terror and amazment So It hath Caused great Ruine and desolation in this place, haveing Smitten, Seven or eight persones att least, with sudden death and turned the houses nixt adjacent, to ruinous heaps and tired of the roof, beaten out the windows, and broken doun the timbir partitions of a great many houses and houses and³ biggings, even to a great distance, whence few houses, in the toun, did Escape without Some damnage, and all this in a moment, of tyme, So that the marcifull Conduct of Divine providence, hath been very admirable, in the preservation, of hundreds of people whose lives were exposed to manifold suden dangers, seing they had not So, much previus warning as to shift a foot, for ther own preservation much loss, to remove, the petitioners of ther plinishing and seeing the desolations, made in the said toun by the forsaid terreable stroake, are So Considerabley great; That part of the toun, where It was inflicted⁴ being partly totally destroyed, and partly damnified to the value of thirty six thousand nyn hundred and thirty six pouynds, Scots money by and attour severall other damnages, done in severall back Closes and other parts of the said toun, and by and attour the household plinishing and merchand goods destroyed in the saids houses and victuall destroyed and damnified in Lofts and the loss occasioned by the houses lyeing weast, all which is declaired wpon solemn oath by severall tradesmen and others Imployed by the magistrats to visite the said Ruinous and damnified parte of the toun; as a declaration under ther hands, and herewith produced, doeth more fully bear, and seing the owners of the saids houses, are for the most parte unable to repair them, So that a great parte of the principall Sea port of the nation, will be desolat and Ruinous if Considerable releife be not provyded, wherein ther is not only a Concern, of Charity, but Likewayes other tradeing places are Interested therein, and that in such Cases, both the generall Compassion and Charity of the kingdom with ther Lordships Concurrance, and authority, uses to be assistance for the use of the afflicted and Therefore Craveing to the effect after mentioned as the said petition bears The saids Lords of her majesties privie Councell haveing Considered this petition given in to them by the within distressed Inhabitants in Leith, who Suffered by the bloweing wp of powder, there they hereby ordain and authorize a Charitable generall Collection to be made through all the parochs of the kingdom, and that either all kirk doors or by the elders, and deacons goeing from house to house as It shall please the presbetires and persones, therewith intrusted and appoynted the said Collection to be made betwixt and the first day of october, one this syde of the Tay, and the first day of november nixt to Come on the other syde of Tay and in evry paroch of the respective bounds wpon Intimation made from the pulpet the Lords day preceeding, and the saids Lords ordains the forsaid Collection to be payed, in to Alexander Mathieson present kirk thesaurer in the paroch of South Leith of any haveing his Commission,⁵ In respect he hes⁶ Sufficient Caution acted in the books of her majesties privie Councill to make the money So Collected furthcomeing to the saids distressed Inhabitants, att the Sight of the magistrats of the toun of Leith and the minister and four members of the Kirk session, of the said paroch and the four masters of the Incorporationes of the said toun⁷ mentioned in the said Alexanders bond granted for that effect

Att Edinburgh 28 July 1702

D1702/7/25¹

Act

Act for ane generall Contribution to the Distresed Inhabitants of Leith who suffered by the Late deadfull fyre

Anent the petition given in and presented to the Lords of her majesties privie Councill by the distressed Inhabitants in Leith who suffered, who suffered² by the bloweing wp of powder ther, Showeing that on the third instant, it pleased the Just and Holy God to visite this toun for ther hynous sins against him, with a very terrible and sudden strock, which was occasioned by the firreing of threty three barrells of powder, which dreedfull and terable blast as at was heard even att many myles distance, with great terror and amazment So It hath Caused great Ruine and desolation in this place, haveing Smitten, Seven or eight persones att least, with sudden death and turned the houses nixt adjacent, to ruinous heaps and tired of the roof, beaten out the windows, and broken doun the timbir partitions of a great many houses and houses and³ biggings, even to a great distance, whence few houses, in the toun, did Escape without Some damnage, and all this in a moment, of tyme, So that the marcifull Conduct of Divine providence, hath been very admirable, in the preservation, of hundreds of people whose lives were exposed to manifold suden dangers, seing they had not So, much previus warning as to shift a foot, for ther own preservation much loss, to remove, the petitioners of ther plinishing and seeing the desolations, made in the said toun by the forsaid terreable stroake, are So Considerabley great; That part of the toun, where It was inflicted⁴, being partly totally destroyed, and partly damnified to the value of thirty six thousand nyn hundred and thirty six pouynds, Scots money by and attour severall other damnages, done in severall back Closes and other parts of the said toun, and by and attour the household plinishing and merchand goods destroyed in the saids houses and victuall destroyed and damnified in Lofts and the loss occasioned by the houses lyeing weast, all which is declaired wpon solemn oath by severall tradesmen and others Imployed by the magistrats to visite the said Ruinous and damnified parte of the toun; as a declaration under ther hands, and herewith produced, doeth more fully bear, and seing the owners of the saids houses, are for the most parte unable to repair them, So that a great parte of the principall Sea port of the nation, will be desolat and Ruinous if Considerable releife be not provyded, wherein ther is not only a Concern, of Charity, but Likewayes other tradeing places are Interested therein, and that in such Cases, both the generall Compassion and Charity of the kingdom with ther Lordships Concurrance, and authority, uses to be assistance for the use of the afflicted and Therefore Craveing to the effect after mentioned as the said petition bears The saids Lords of her majesties privie Councell haveing Considered this petition given in to them by the within distressed Inhabitants in Leith, who Suffered by the bloweing wp of powder, there they hereby ordain and authorize a Charitable generall Collection to be made through all the parochs of the kingdom, and that either all kirk doors or by the elders, and deacons goeing from house to house as It shall please the presbetires and persones, therewith intrusted and appoynted the said Collection to be made betwixt and the first day of october, one this syde of the Tay, and the first day of november nixt to Come on the other syde of Tay and in evry paroch of the respective bounds wpon Intimation made from the pulpet the Lords day preceeding, and the saids Lords ordains the forsaid Collection to be payed, in to Alexander Mathieson present kirk thesaurer in the paroch of South Leith of any haveing his Commission,⁵ In respect he hes⁶ Sufficient Caution acted in the books of her majesties privie Councill to make the money So Collected furthcomeing to the saids distressed Inhabitants, att the Sight of the magistrats of the toun of Leith and the minister and four members of the Kirk session, of the said paroch and the four masters of the Incorporationes of the said toun⁷ mentioned in the said Alexanders bond granted for that effect

1. NRS, PC2/28, 192v-193v.

2. Sic.

3. Sic.

4. The words ‘are so Considerably great That part of the toun’ scored out here.

5. The words ‘likewayes first finding’ scored out here.

6. The words ‘In respect he hes’ are an insertion.