Commission by the Council, 12 March 1695, Edinburgh

Warrant, 31 December 1695, Edinburgh

At Edinburgh tuesday The tuelth day of March Jaj vjc nynty and five years

A1695/3/231

Commission by the Council

Commissione to Drumsiue anent Irish victuall

William by the Grace of God King of great Brittain France and Ireland defender of the faith To all and sundrie our leidges and subjects whom it effeirs Greeting forasmuch as the Estates of parliament by severall acts have discharged the importatione of irish victuall and Cattle into this Kingdome under the pains and certifications therein contained as also the said Lords of privy Councill by their proclamatione of the date of thir presents In persuance of the said acts of parliament having in lyke maner prohibited the importing thereof And we considering the best and fittest way for makeing the said acts effectualle to be the Commissionating some persons of vigilance fidelity and Care To appoynt servants and others to watch alongst the sea Coasts where the said victuall and Catle are brought in and imported Therfore We with advyce of the Lords of our privy Councill doe grant full pouer authority and Commissione To David Craufurd of Drumsuy by himself his deputs servants and such as he shall think fitt to appoynt for whom he is to be answerable to search for seize and apprehend all Irish victuall and Catle imported from Ireland into this Kingdom from and after the day and date hereof from the Sound of Mull inclusive whether one mainland or Isles Southward to Dumfreis which victuall so imported the said David Crafurd and these intrusted by him and hereby authorized to cause stave sink and distroy and to seize and apprehend and take into their Custodie the boats barks and other vessells wherein the samin victuall shall be imported To dispose thereon at their pleasure fore Their owne use and behoove and for the more effectuall prosecutione of this our Commissione We with advyse foresaid grant full power and authoritie to the said David Craufurd and his foresaids within the bounds abovementioned to seize all barks or travelling boats whether Scotish or Irish untill the Skippers and owners thereof find Cautione that they shall import noe Irish victual or Catle hereafter. With power to our said Commissioner and his foresaids to search all barks boats or other vessells wherein any Irish victuall or Catle may be suspected to be and upon discoverie thereof, to put the Lawes and acts of parliament made against importing therof in all vigorous executione and if upon pregnant presumptions our said Commissioner or these intrusted by him shall suspect any persons guilty of importing Irish victuall or Cattle they are hereby Authorized To conveen any such persone or persons before the nearest magistrat of Burgh or Landwart and to lead all maner of probatione against them for proveing therof whereupon the said magistrats are to give present and readie justice and all Shirriffs Stuearts Baillies of Regalities and Barronies and all Heretors are hereby ordered to give their speedie assistance to our Commissioner and these intrusted by him whenever they shall be requyred for the more effectuall executione hereof As also the officers of any Garrisons or troops shall be oblidged to concurr and assist with a partie of Souldiers as they shall be desired upon any extraordinary occasione And the said David Craufurd and these intrusted by him are Hereby impowered with Consent of the magistrat of the place to send any persone to prisone found guilty of contraveening the said Lawes and Acts of parliament against importing of Irish victuall or Catle the magistrats being free of the prisoners charges Lykea’s we with advyce foresaid Grant full power and Commissione to the said David Craufurd and his foresaids to search for, seize and apprehend all Irish horse and mears which shall happen to be imported from Ireland into this Kingdome from and after the day and date hereof wherever the same can be found within the foresaid bounds and value and compryse the same and to exact the penalty of ane Hundred merks scots for each beast imported after the day foresaid to be exacted from the importer thereof The one half of the value both of beasts and fyne to be made furthcomeing to the Commissioners of the Thesaurie for our use and the other half to belong to the said David Craufurd and his foresaid in case of their seizing or discovering and in case any persone or persons shall make open resistance against the said David Craufurd and his foresaids or any called to their assistance by them so that there shall happen bloodshed mutilatione or slaughter to follow through the said resistance The said David Craufurd or these intrusted by him or giveing assistance to them shall never be called in questione or pursued therfore civillie or criminallie in tyme comeing and it is hereby declared That the said David Craufurd before takeing out of this his Commissione shall find sufficient Cautione acted in the books of our privy Councille That for evry boat of Irish victuall or cattle that shall be imported within the bounds foresaid after the day and date hereof and shall not be seized upon by him or these intrusted by him He shall be lyable to pay to the receiver of our Croune Rents the sum of one Hundred pound sterline unless at least they seize upon the men victuall and Cattle and resetters thereof within twentie dayes after the boat hes made its Escape and give account thereof to any of our privy Councill which shall exoner pro tanto and further that the said David Craufurd and his foresaids shall be Coumptable to our Thesaurie for the equall Half of the penalties due by the Law for the importing thereof and this Commissione is to indure for the Space of ane year Commenceing from the day and date hereof Given under our Signet at Edinburgh the tueth day of March and of our Reigne the sexth year Jaj vjc nynty and fyve years sic subscribitur Annandale p Southerland J Morton Cassillis Lothian Forfar Strathnavir Carmichaell Polwarth

At Edinburgh tuesday The tuelth day of March Jaj vjc nynty and five years

A1695/3/231

Commission by the Council

Commissione to Drumsiue anent Irish victuall

William by the Grace of God King of great Brittain France and Ireland defender of the faith To all and sundrie our leidges and subjects whom it effeirs Greeting forasmuch as the Estates of parliament by severall acts have discharged the importatione of irish victuall and Cattle into this Kingdome under the pains and certifications therein contained as also the said Lords of privy Councill by their proclamatione of the date of thir presents In persuance of the said acts of parliament having in lyke maner prohibited the importing thereof And we considering the best and fittest way for makeing the said acts effectualle to be the Commissionating some persons of vigilance fidelity and Care To appoynt servants and others to watch alongst the sea Coasts where the said victuall and Catle are brought in and imported Therfore We with advyce of the Lords of our privy Councill doe grant full pouer authority and Commissione To David Craufurd of Drumsuy by himself his deputs servants and such as he shall think fitt to appoynt for whom he is to be answerable to search for seize and apprehend all Irish victuall and Catle imported from Ireland into this Kingdom from and after the day and date hereof from the Sound of Mull inclusive whether one mainland or Isles Southward to Dumfreis which victuall so imported the said David Crafurd and these intrusted by him and hereby authorized to cause stave sink and distroy and to seize and apprehend and take into their Custodie the boats barks and other vessells wherein the samin victuall shall be imported To dispose thereon at their pleasure fore Their owne use and behoove and for the more effectuall prosecutione of this our Commissione We with advyse foresaid grant full power and authoritie to the said David Craufurd and his foresaids within the bounds abovementioned to seize all barks or travelling boats whether Scotish or Irish untill the Skippers and owners thereof find Cautione that they shall import noe Irish victual or Catle hereafter. With power to our said Commissioner and his foresaids to search all barks boats or other vessells wherein any Irish victuall or Catle may be suspected to be and upon discoverie thereof, to put the Lawes and acts of parliament made against importing therof in all vigorous executione and if upon pregnant presumptions our said Commissioner or these intrusted by him shall suspect any persons guilty of importing Irish victuall or Cattle they are hereby Authorized To conveen any such persone or persons before the nearest magistrat of Burgh or Landwart and to lead all maner of probatione against them for proveing therof whereupon the said magistrats are to give present and readie justice and all Shirriffs Stuearts Baillies of Regalities and Barronies and all Heretors are hereby ordered to give their speedie assistance to our Commissioner and these intrusted by him whenever they shall be requyred for the more effectuall executione hereof As also the officers of any Garrisons or troops shall be oblidged to concurr and assist with a partie of Souldiers as they shall be desired upon any extraordinary occasione And the said David Craufurd and these intrusted by him are Hereby impowered with Consent of the magistrat of the place to send any persone to prisone found guilty of contraveening the said Lawes and Acts of parliament against importing of Irish victuall or Catle the magistrats being free of the prisoners charges Lykea’s we with advyce foresaid Grant full power and Commissione to the said David Craufurd and his foresaids to search for, seize and apprehend all Irish horse and mears which shall happen to be imported from Ireland into this Kingdome from and after the day and date hereof wherever the same can be found within the foresaid bounds and value and compryse the same and to exact the penalty of ane Hundred merks scots for each beast imported after the day foresaid to be exacted from the importer thereof The one half of the value both of beasts and fyne to be made furthcomeing to the Commissioners of the Thesaurie for our use and the other half to belong to the said David Craufurd and his foresaid in case of their seizing or discovering and in case any persone or persons shall make open resistance against the said David Craufurd and his foresaids or any called to their assistance by them so that there shall happen bloodshed mutilatione or slaughter to follow through the said resistance The said David Craufurd or these intrusted by him or giveing assistance to them shall never be called in questione or pursued therfore civillie or criminallie in tyme comeing and it is hereby declared That the said David Craufurd before takeing out of this his Commissione shall find sufficient Cautione acted in the books of our privy Councille That for evry boat of Irish victuall or cattle that shall be imported within the bounds foresaid after the day and date hereof and shall not be seized upon by him or these intrusted by him He shall be lyable to pay to the receiver of our Croune Rents the sum of one Hundred pound sterline unless at least they seize upon the men victuall and Cattle and resetters thereof within twentie dayes after the boat hes made its Escape and give account thereof to any of our privy Councill which shall exoner pro tanto and further that the said David Craufurd and his foresaids shall be Coumptable to our Thesaurie for the equall Half of the penalties due by the Law for the importing thereof and this Commissione is to indure for the Space of ane year Commenceing from the day and date hereof Given under our Signet at Edinburgh the tueth day of March and of our Reigne the sexth year Jaj vjc nynty and fyve years sic subscribitur Annandale p Southerland J Morton Cassillis Lothian Forfar Strathnavir Carmichaell Polwarth

1. NRS, PC1/50, 150-3.

1. NRS, PC1/50, 150-3.