Edinburgh the sixth day of June Jaj vjc nyntie thrie years
D1693/6/7
D1693/6/71
Act
Act The Inhabitants of the Canogate.
Anent a Petition given in to ther majesties high Commissioner and the Lords of privy Councill be the magistrates Heritors and Deacons of Trades within the Cannogate for themselves and in name of the poor inhabitants therof and these in use to bear quartering with them Shewing That quher the Cannogat these severall years bygone has most sadely and lamentablie groaned under great and insupportable burdeins (as at present) not only through the Locall and transient quartering of the officers of their majesties forces which from the fifth of december Jaj vjc Eightie nyne to the fith of June Jaj vjc nyntie extended to twelue thousand one hundred thretie one pund 16ss 8d Scots money Bot through a vast burdein of officers2 foot and horse which has Lyen on the place since the Eight of December Jaj vjc nyntie one amounting to Seven Thousand five hundred nyntie five pund scots money as the instructiones therwith produced doeth testifie besydes one hundreth nyntie two pund Scots as the expence of the ordinance Chamber and thrie Hundred pund money forsaid yearly for Coall and Candle to the guard by and attour a Considerable stent payed yearly for their land and trade to the good toune and annuitie and other incidents to quhich the petitioners are Lyable wherby the inhabitants are reduced to such straits and deficulties that their very bed Cloathes are daylie poynded for their respective proportiones And therafter the samen are forced to desert the place liveing behind them their wyfes and Cheldrein to the Charity of the remaineing inhabitants (which without Seasonable redress) will in a short tyme bring the place to utter ruine, Those who bear the burdein being for the most part a few poor tradsmen Toppers of aile and setters of Chambers with have no other way of Lively-hood, And albeit by severall acts of Parliament frie quartureing either Locall or transient be Discharged yet the officers have allwayes taken upon them to limit and restrict the Samen to the horss meat and mens meat And doe not think themselves therby oblidged to pay for their Chamber maill Coall Candle or stabling, And heirin is the petitioners case most Singullar that in other Cities and tounes quher quarterings are any burdein They Sustaine from the officers is3 Readily Compensed by the profitt of the consumpt, Wheras the Cannogate by its being contiguous to Edinburgh and near to Leith and severall other considerable burghes has nothing but burdein and the profitt of what is consumed intercepted by the forsaid adjacent places, And farder seing the keeping and furnishing of the guards in the Cannogate and ordinance Chamber are perpetuall and the publict concerne of the haill natione alse weell as the Abbay guards It was humbly conceived that the publict ought to pay the necessar provisiones of the samen, And the poor Supplicants Disburdeined therof And Therfore Humbly Craveing the saids Lords would take the petitioners case to their Serious consideration as being Specially circumstantiat and differenced from the most places of the kingdome by reason of the great number of Soldiers who upon all occasiones are constantly quartured upon them by quhich a thrid part of the place is allready Laid waist and their ruine every day encreasing, That Therfore the saids Lords would be pleased to appoint the expence of the guard and ordinance Chamber to be payed out of some publict fond, And ordaine the Commissionat officers whither of foot or horse who shall heirafter be quartured amongst them to make payment of their Coalls, Candle Stabling, and Chamber maill according to their respective accomodationes and at such rates as the saids Lords should think fitt, or at least with regaird to what incident charges may yearly amount to, To allow to the petitioners for the behoove of the inhabitants a certaine soume annually to be payed in what way and method their Lordships should appoint, That so the place might be preserved from a totall parishing and decay And the better enable to serve the government and pay their cesses and other publict burdeins to quhich they are Lyable, as the said petition bears Their Majesties high Commissioner and Lords of privy Councill haveing Considered the above petition with the report of Comittie of their oun number To whom it was Remitted to Consider the said petition and instructiones given in therwith, They heirby Orrdaine all Comissionat officers alse weell horse as foot or Dragoones to provyde themselves with Coall and Candle in their respective Lodgings or quarters at their oun charges, And Ordaines the baillies of the Canongate with the Comander in Cheiff or such as he shall appoint to adjust and modifie the pryces of every officers Lodging, Chamber and Stable maill effeiring to the ordinary rate these lodgings Chambers and stables are sett at, And Ordaines the saids officers to pay according to the said modified pryces to their respective Landlords to be fixed by the saids magistate themselves if no officer be appointed to concurr with them And the saids Lords Doe heirby appoint and Ordaine the magistrats of Edinburgh to cause provyde a Chamber of Ordinance, with its necessary stabling and other appartinances in the grass marcat of Edinburgh upon their oun oun4 charge, Otherwayes pay the rent of the ordinance house keept in the Cannogat for this year and in time comeing And Recommends to the Lords Commissioners of their majesties thesaurie to give allowance for Coall and candle to the guard in the Cannogate And appoint some persones for doeing therof and releive the Cannogate of the same And ordaines horning on six dayes and others in forme as effeirs.
1. NRS, PC2/24, 223r-224r.
2. Insertion.
3. One illegible word scored out here.
4. Sic.
1. NRS, PC2/24, 223r-224r.
2. Insertion.
3. One illegible word scored out here.
4. Sic.