Att the Abbay of Halyroodhouse The Sixth day of January one Thousand Seven Hundered and one years
A1701/1/5
A1701/1/51
Proclamation
Proclamation against Importing of Irish victuall
The Following Proclamation being Read was voted approven and Signed and ordered to be published and Recorded. Whereof the Tenor Follows
William by the Grace of God King of great Brittan France and Ireland defender of the faith To […] macers of our privy Councill, messengers at arms, our Shiriffs in that pairt Conjunctly and severally Specially constitute greeting, Forasmuchas albeit by the Fourteenth act Parliament Jaj vic Eighty Six, The Importing Irish victuall is Strictly prohibite and discharged with certification, That all the Victuall That shall be Imported Shall be Sunk and destroyed, and the Seizer and discoverer for his Reward shall have the Boat Bark or vessell wherin the Said victuall Shall be Imported, To dispose off at his pleasure Together with the half of the fines, Imposed upon the Importers, Resetters or Heretors By The Third Act, Third Session parliament Second Charles Second Ratified also by the act of parliament abovementioned which appoints the other half of the saids Fynes to belong to his Majesty Nevertheless Sundry persons preferring their own privat Interests to their obedience to the Laws and good of the Kingdom, do presume and adventure to Import divers quantities of victuall from Ireland and Vent and Sell the Same in this Kingdom, wherby the sale of the Corns growing within the Same is Stopped, and much money unwarrantably carried out of the Kingdom, and Wee being Resolved for the good of this our antient Kingdom, to take ane Effectuall course for preventing and Restraining such courses in tyme coming. Therfore Wee with advice of the Lords of our Privy Councill, Strictly prohibite and discharge all persons whatsoever, whither Natives or Forraigners, To Import or being into this Kingdom any Victual from Ireland, from and after the date hereof, or to buy, make use of or Retail the Same, under the pains contained in the acts of parliament abovementioned, Requiring hereby all Sheriffs, of the severall Shyres Justices of peace, and magistrats of Burghs within their Respective Jurisdictions, not only to Sink and destroy the forsaid victuall from Ireland if any Shall be Imported, but also to take and apprehend the persons of all such mariners Seamen or Sailers Importing any Victuall from Ireland to this Kingdom in manifest Transgression of the premisses, and to Committ and detain them in prison, untill they shall be thence delivered by Express Warrant from the Lords of our privy Councill to be granted for that Effect. Our Will is Heirfore and Wee Charge yow Straitly and Command, That Incontinent these our Letters Seen ye pass to the mercat Cross of Edinburgh and to the mercat Crosses of Glasgow and Dumfreis, and of the hail head burghs of the Severall Shyres within the bounds betwixt Dumfreis and the Sound of Mull, and therat make publication heirof by open proclamation of the premises, That none may pretend Ignorance, and ordains these presents to be printed, Given under our Signet at the Abbay of Halyroodhouse the Sixth day of January and of our Reign the Twelfth year. 1701 Sic Subscribitur.
1. NRS, PC1/52, 165-6.
1. NRS, PC1/52, 165-6.