Decreet, 29 December 1698, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh The Third day of March J^aj vj^c nyntie Eight years

A1698/3/17

A1698/3/17¹

Proclamation

Proclamation anent the Poor

The Proclamation underwritten Being Read was votted approven and signed wherof the Tenor follows:
William By the Grace of God King of great Brittain France and Ireland Defender of the faith To […] Macers of our privy Councill Messengers att armes our Sheriffs in that part Conjunctlie and Severallie specialy Constitute Greeting. That where the many Good and Laudable Laws made for mantaining the poor and Suppressing of Beggars vagabonds and Idle persons have not hitherto taken Effect, partly Because there were no Houses provided for them to Reside in. And partly Because the persones to whom the Executions of the Saids Laws was committed have been negligent in their Duty. For Remeid whereof Wee with advice of the Lords of our privy Councill, ordain the proclamations formerly Emitted of the date the Eleventh of august J^aj vi^c nynty and Two the Twenty nynth of august J^aj vi^c nynty Three and Last of July J^aj vi^c nyntie four Ratified and approven by the Twenty nynth act of the sixth session of our Current parliament To be Reprinted and putt to full and vigorous Execution in all points. And in order To make The saids proclamations the more Effectuall Wee with Advice forsaid Revive The Eighteenth act of the Third Session Parliament second Charles Second, In so farr as Concernes The providing Correction houses for the Receaveing and Entertaining of Beggers vagabonds and Idle persones within the Burghs therin mentioned. Viz One Correction House att the Burgh of Edinburgh for these of the Town and Shire of Edinburgh one att the Burgh of Haddingtoun for these of the shire of Haddingtoun, one att Dunce for the Shire of Berwick, one att Jedburgh for the shire of Roxburgh, one att The Burgh of Selkirk for the shire of Peebles, one att Glasgow for the Shire of Lanerk, one att the Burgh of Dumfreis for the shire of Dumfreis, one att the Burgh of Wigtoun for the shire of Wigtoun, one att the Burgh of Kirkcudbright for the Stewartrie of Kirkcudbright, one at the Burgh of Air for the shire of Air, one att the Burgh of Dumbarton for the shire of Dumbarton, one att the Burgh of Rothsay for the shire of Bute, one att Pasley for the shire of Renfrew, one att Stirling for the shire of Stirling and Clackmannan, one att Linlithgow for the shire of Linlithgow, one att Culross for These Twelve paroches in Perth Shire Belonging to the presbetry of Dumblain one at the Burgh of Perth for the rest of the shire of Perth, one att Montrose for the Shire of Kincardin, one att The Burgh of Aberdeen for the shire thereof one att Inverness for the shires of Inverness Ross and Cromarty one att the Burgh of Elgin for the shires of Elgine and Nairn one att Inverrary for the shire of Argyle Four in the Shire of Fife. Viz one att St Andrews one att Couper one att Kirkaldy one att Dumfermling, for the four ordinary divisions of that shire, one att Dundee for The Shire of Forfarr one att the Burgh of Banff for the Shire of Banff one att the Burgh of Dornoch for the shire of Sutherland one att Weel for the shire of Caithness and one att Kirkwall for the shires of Orkney and Zetland Each of which houses shall have a Large Closs sufficiently Inclosed for Keeping in the said poor people That they Be not necessitat to be always within Doors To the hurt or hazard of their Health, And ordains The Magistrats of The saids Burghs To provide the Correction houses and appoints masters and overseers of the samen By advice of the presbetries or such as they shall appoint, To sett these poor persons to Work and that betwixt and the First day of october next under the pain of Five Hundred merks quarterly untill Correction houses be provided, conform to the said act, But in place of the Commissioners of Excise mentioned in the said act, Wee with advice forsaid Require and Command the sheriffs of the shires and their Deputs To putt the said Act In Execution within their respective Shires, as to Every thing that by the said act, was committed to the Commissioners of Excyse. And ordains the saids sheriffs and their Deputes To give ane account of their diligence therin to the Lords of our privy Councill Betwixt and the first day of December next. Under the pain Every one of them of Five Hundred merks who shall failzie and neglect to doe the samen To be Employed for the use of the Poor of the shire and to be lyable for Ane Hundred pounds weekly after the said day before they Return ane account of their Diligence to our privy Councill To be Employed for the use forsaid. And ordains the severall paroches within Every shire and District to send their poor To the Magistrats of the Towns where The Correction houses are to be provided against the first Day of November next. That They may be putt into the saids Correction houses, and in caice the Correction houses be not ready to receave the poor against that day ordains the poor to be sent to be mantained by the Magistrats of the Burgh who were to provide the saids Correction houses and that ay and where the Correction houses be provided and That by and attour the forsaids penalties Imposed by the said act of parliament In case of failzie of providing the saids Correction Houses against the said day, and in the meantime before the saids Correction houses be provided ordains the saids acts and proclamations of our privy Councill to be putt to full Execution. And Because their may some questions arise in putting the saids acts in Execution, for which there can be no generall Rule sett Down in respect of the different Conditions and Circumstances of severall places of the Countrey Therfor that the said act may be more Effectualy and with greater Expedition putt to Execution wee with advice forsaid give power and warrand to the minister and Elders of each paroch with advice of the Haretors, or so many of them as shall meet and Concurr with the minister and Elders upon Intimation to be made by the minister from the Pulpit upon the Sabbath Day before To decide and determine all questions that may arise in the respective paroches, in relation to the ordering and disposing of the poor. In so farr as is not determined by the Laws and acts of parliament and the former acts of our privie Councill which are Ratified by the act of parliament forsaid Our Will is Heirfore And Wee charge yow strictly and command That Incontinent These our Letters seen ye pass to the mercat cross of Edinburgh and Remanent Crosses of the head Burghs of the severall shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom and therat in our name and authority by open proclamation make Intimation heirof that none may pretend Ignorance And ordains these presents to be printed. Given under our signet att Edinburgh The Third day of March and of our Reign the nynth year 1698 sic subscribitur.