Order, 15 April 1696, Edinburgh

Procedure: petition, 31 December 1696, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Fifteenth day of Aprile Jaj vjc nyntie six years

A1696/4/751

Order

Proposalls for Calling out the halfe foot Militia

Proposalls for Calling out the halfe of the Militia In severall shires To be offered to his Majesties Consideration read votted and approven And Recommended to the Lord high Chancelor to transmitt the peaper of proposalls to the principall secretary of state in a Letter this day by a flying pacquet to be laid before his Majestie Folloues the tenor of the proposalls
Upon his Majesties Commands direct to the privie Councell for putting the Kingdome of Scotland in a posture of defence against the Late threatned Invasione They have prepared the proposalls follouing for establishing the halfe of the foot militia in the shires aftermentioned To be represented to his Majestie by the secretary as what the Councell Judges the best expedient to secure the peace of the Countrey and putt the kingdome in a posture of Defence against any Invasion which hereafter may be aither threatned or made And that his Majesties Commands may be given therin and approbation therto
Primo att present It is thought expedient to sett up the halfe of the foot militia in the shires sett doun in the Lists underwryten which Ly most obnoxious to Invasione wherof each Company is to Consist of Fiftie men and Each regiment of Eight Companies making Four hundred men to a regiment wherof Three Hundred and fiftie are to be armed with fyre Locks and Bagonets And a Company of Fiftie with Lochaber axes and that ther be a drum to every Company and a pair of Colours to every regiment Secundo Item that the single Companies Doe muster and stay togither tuo dayes in the Last week of May and four dayes in the third week of June And that every regiment muster and stay togither for the whole six work dayes of the second week of July for this year And that the Tennentry pay every souldier six pence for each muster day of the Company or regiment Tertio Item The souldiers Listed for this Militia are to be exeemed from being Levyed to be sent abroad or to be otheruayes Imployed then in defence of the Countrey and so must be of the very best men not excepting the tennents themselves or their sons if themselves be superanwat Quarto Item They are to be Commanded by the Nobility and Gentrie The Collonells Leivtennant Collonells and Majors to be named by the Councell and the List of them to be sent to the King The Captains Leivtennants and one Ensigne for the Collonells Company to be named by the Commissioners of the Militia for every shire by advice and Consent of the Collonells The Captains Leivtennants and Ensigne are to be alwayes present every muster day The Leivtennant Having four shillings starline per diem The major every day to be uith one or other of the Companies by Turns To see them exercise And to have for his pay thretteen shilling starline Every muster day of the Company and regiment and the Ensigne to have three shillings starline for every one of the saids muster dayes which pay of the officers and also the Drummers pay Is to be payed by the King out of the supplies of the shire at tuelve shilling scotts per diem for the Drummers and six pence to every serjant besyds the pay he receavs as a souldier from the tennendry and the Drumms and Colours are to be furnished at the expence of the severall shires Quinto item That the militia arms Be keeped by the Heretors in Good order betuixt the Muster dayes And if any of them be Imbazled or urounged upon the Muster dayes so much of the souldiers pay Is to be detained as will putt them In order And wher the Heretor is not qualified by taking the oath of alleadgance and assurance The Captain to keep the arms of the men that belong to these Heretors Sexto Item that ther be Commissioners of the Militia named in every shire The Largest shires not exceeding the number of nyne wherof three to be officers And the smallest shires not under the number of Five wherof tuo to be officers The Greatest halfe of them being the Quorum aither the Collonell Leivtennant Collonell or Major being one of the Quorum Septimo Item The Commissioners of the Militia are to be appointed to meet at the head burghs of every shire upon the dayes follouing viz upon the first weekly mercat day after the tuo Rendivouz dayes in May And upon the first weekly mercat after the four rendivouz dayes in June And upon the tuo Last dayes of the six Rendivouz dayes in July To Act doe and determine in the points and conforme to the pouer Committed to them by the acts of parliament made anent the Militia which Commissioners are to be present every meeting or the absents to send to the Commissioners who shall meet a sufficient excuse which shall satisfie these who are Conveened or that the absents shall pay Three pounds scotts for each dayes absence Octavo Item that proces may be Intented before the Lords of privie Councell or Commissioners of supplie uithin the severall shires whose arms were taken from them in the Late tymes against such as took the saids arms from them and Keeped and detained the samen Nono Item that the Lords of his majesties privie Councell Doe Recommend to the Lords Commissioners of his majesties Thesaury To Cause provyde a sufficient quantaty of fyrearms for arming the Countrey in such way as their Lordships shall think best Decimo Item that the persons follouing Be Recommended to his Majestie to receave Commissions as Collonells Leivtennant Collonells and majors of the severall regiments of militia to be raised out of the respective shires In manner after set doune The Inferior officers being to be named by the Commissioners of the militia and Collonells Conform to the Act of parliament viz For the shire of Edinburgh one regiment Four Hundred men The Earle of Lauderdale Collonell Sir John Clerk Leivtennant Collonell Alexander Burnet Major The shire of Haddingtoune one Regiment Four Hundred men The Lord Yester Collonell […] Nisbet of Dirletoune Leivtennant Collonell […] Major The shire of Berwick one regiment Four Hundred men The Lord Poluarth Collonell Sir John Home of Blackader Leivtennant Collonell Captain Alexander Cockburn major The shires of Roxburgh Selkirk and Peebles tuo seven Hundred and nyntie nyne men The Earle of Dalkeith and the Earle of Roxburgh Collonells Sir Frances Scott of Thirlestaine and William Bennet of Grubet Leivtennant Collonells […] Keir of Neutoune and […] Murray of Chirrietrees Majors The shires of Linlithgow Stirling and Clackmannan one regiment Four hundred nyntie nyne men The Earle of Annandale Collonell Patrick Murray of Livingstoune Leivtennant Collonell […] major The Toune of Edinburgh one regiment Four Hundred men The Lord provost for the tyme Collonell […] Leivtennant Collonell and […] major The shires of Fyfe and Kinross tuo Regiments Eight Hundred men The Lord Lesly and the Lord Elcho Collonells […] Douglas of Strathendrie and […] Balfour of Damboig Leivtennant Collonells and […] Arnot of Auchmore Major The shire of Perth The Lord Murray and the Lord Ruthven Collonells […] Hay of Balhousie Leivtennant Collonell and […] as Major And Because the shires of Lanerk Air Renfrew Wigtoune Drumfreis and Argyle Having a Custome to traine their whole fencible men by Companies and having gott armes in the begining of the revolutione And now offered themselves to Come out In caise of any Invasion or Insurrectione Being Generallie most affectionat to his Majestie and the Government We find no necessity of forming them at present into a Militia But to Call togither the fencible men of these shires as shall be needfull And for the other northern shires a Great pairt are Highlands or Islands The Councell Having Cited in the heads of the Clanns in these Countries against the fourth day of June nixt to Come For making them give bonds to Keep the peace according to a Late Act of parliament and the antient Custome established by former Laus we Conceave it will be then most propper to establish the halfe foot militia ther after the method proposed as to other shires

Att Edinburgh the Fifteenth day of Aprile Jaj vjc nyntie six years

A1696/4/751

Order

Proposalls for Calling out the halfe foot Militia

Proposalls for Calling out the halfe of the Militia In severall shires To be offered to his Majesties Consideration read votted and approven And Recommended to the Lord high Chancelor to transmitt the peaper of proposalls to the principall secretary of state in a Letter this day by a flying pacquet to be laid before his Majestie Folloues the tenor of the proposalls
Upon his Majesties Commands direct to the privie Councell for putting the Kingdome of Scotland in a posture of defence against the Late threatned Invasione They have prepared the proposalls follouing for establishing the halfe of the foot militia in the shires aftermentioned To be represented to his Majestie by the secretary as what the Councell Judges the best expedient to secure the peace of the Countrey and putt the kingdome in a posture of Defence against any Invasion which hereafter may be aither threatned or made And that his Majesties Commands may be given therin and approbation therto
Primo att present It is thought expedient to sett up the halfe of the foot militia in the shires sett doun in the Lists underwryten which Ly most obnoxious to Invasione wherof each Company is to Consist of Fiftie men and Each regiment of Eight Companies making Four hundred men to a regiment wherof Three Hundred and fiftie are to be armed with fyre Locks and Bagonets And a Company of Fiftie with Lochaber axes and that ther be a drum to every Company and a pair of Colours to every regiment Secundo Item that the single Companies Doe muster and stay togither tuo dayes in the Last week of May and four dayes in the third week of June And that every regiment muster and stay togither for the whole six work dayes of the second week of July for this year And that the Tennentry pay every souldier six pence for each muster day of the Company or regiment Tertio Item The souldiers Listed for this Militia are to be exeemed from being Levyed to be sent abroad or to be otheruayes Imployed then in defence of the Countrey and so must be of the very best men not excepting the tennents themselves or their sons if themselves be superanwat Quarto Item They are to be Commanded by the Nobility and Gentrie The Collonells Leivtennant Collonells and Majors to be named by the Councell and the List of them to be sent to the King The Captains Leivtennants and one Ensigne for the Collonells Company to be named by the Commissioners of the Militia for every shire by advice and Consent of the Collonells The Captains Leivtennants and Ensigne are to be alwayes present every muster day The Leivtennant Having four shillings starline per diem The major every day to be uith one or other of the Companies by Turns To see them exercise And to have for his pay thretteen shilling starline Every muster day of the Company and regiment and the Ensigne to have three shillings starline for every one of the saids muster dayes which pay of the officers and also the Drummers pay Is to be payed by the King out of the supplies of the shire at tuelve shilling scotts per diem for the Drummers and six pence to every serjant besyds the pay he receavs as a souldier from the tennendry and the Drumms and Colours are to be furnished at the expence of the severall shires Quinto item That the militia arms Be keeped by the Heretors in Good order betuixt the Muster dayes And if any of them be Imbazled or urounged upon the Muster dayes so much of the souldiers pay Is to be detained as will putt them In order And wher the Heretor is not qualified by taking the oath of alleadgance and assurance The Captain to keep the arms of the men that belong to these Heretors Sexto Item that ther be Commissioners of the Militia named in every shire The Largest shires not exceeding the number of nyne wherof three to be officers And the smallest shires not under the number of Five wherof tuo to be officers The Greatest halfe of them being the Quorum aither the Collonell Leivtennant Collonell or Major being one of the Quorum Septimo Item The Commissioners of the Militia are to be appointed to meet at the head burghs of every shire upon the dayes follouing viz upon the first weekly mercat day after the tuo Rendivouz dayes in May And upon the first weekly mercat after the four rendivouz dayes in June And upon the tuo Last dayes of the six Rendivouz dayes in July To Act doe and determine in the points and conforme to the pouer Committed to them by the acts of parliament made anent the Militia which Commissioners are to be present every meeting or the absents to send to the Commissioners who shall meet a sufficient excuse which shall satisfie these who are Conveened or that the absents shall pay Three pounds scotts for each dayes absence Octavo Item that proces may be Intented before the Lords of privie Councell or Commissioners of supplie uithin the severall shires whose arms were taken from them in the Late tymes against such as took the saids arms from them and Keeped and detained the samen Nono Item that the Lords of his majesties privie Councell Doe Recommend to the Lords Commissioners of his majesties Thesaury To Cause provyde a sufficient quantaty of fyrearms for arming the Countrey in such way as their Lordships shall think best Decimo Item that the persons follouing Be Recommended to his Majestie to receave Commissions as Collonells Leivtennant Collonells and majors of the severall regiments of militia to be raised out of the respective shires In manner after set doune The Inferior officers being to be named by the Commissioners of the militia and Collonells Conform to the Act of parliament viz For the shire of Edinburgh one regiment Four Hundred men The Earle of Lauderdale Collonell Sir John Clerk Leivtennant Collonell Alexander Burnet Major The shire of Haddingtoune one Regiment Four Hundred men The Lord Yester Collonell […] Nisbet of Dirletoune Leivtennant Collonell […] Major The shire of Berwick one regiment Four Hundred men The Lord Poluarth Collonell Sir John Home of Blackader Leivtennant Collonell Captain Alexander Cockburn major The shires of Roxburgh Selkirk and Peebles tuo seven Hundred and nyntie nyne men The Earle of Dalkeith and the Earle of Roxburgh Collonells Sir Frances Scott of Thirlestaine and William Bennet of Grubet Leivtennant Collonells […] Keir of Neutoune and […] Murray of Chirrietrees Majors The shires of Linlithgow Stirling and Clackmannan one regiment Four hundred nyntie nyne men The Earle of Annandale Collonell Patrick Murray of Livingstoune Leivtennant Collonell […] major The Toune of Edinburgh one regiment Four Hundred men The Lord provost for the tyme Collonell […] Leivtennant Collonell and […] major The shires of Fyfe and Kinross tuo Regiments Eight Hundred men The Lord Lesly and the Lord Elcho Collonells […] Douglas of Strathendrie and […] Balfour of Damboig Leivtennant Collonells and […] Arnot of Auchmore Major The shire of Perth The Lord Murray and the Lord Ruthven Collonells […] Hay of Balhousie Leivtennant Collonell and […] as Major And Because the shires of Lanerk Air Renfrew Wigtoune Drumfreis and Argyle Having a Custome to traine their whole fencible men by Companies and having gott armes in the begining of the revolutione And now offered themselves to Come out In caise of any Invasion or Insurrectione Being Generallie most affectionat to his Majestie and the Government We find no necessity of forming them at present into a Militia But to Call togither the fencible men of these shires as shall be needfull And for the other northern shires a Great pairt are Highlands or Islands The Councell Having Cited in the heads of the Clanns in these Countries against the fourth day of June nixt to Come For making them give bonds to Keep the peace according to a Late Act of parliament and the antient Custome established by former Laus we Conceave it will be then most propper to establish the halfe foot militia ther after the method proposed as to other shires

1. NRS, PC1/50, 482-5.

1. NRS, PC1/50, 482-5.