Proclamation, 9 June 1696, Edinburgh

Procedure: petition, 31 December 1696, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the Nynth day of June Jaj vjc nyntie six years

A1696/6/261

Proclamation

Proclamation against regrating of virtuall and forstallers and allouing Importation of foraign victuall free of publick burden

The Follouing proclamation Being read uas votted approven and signed wherof the tenor Folloues
William By the Grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the faith To […] Macers of our privie Councell messengers at arms our shirreffs in that part Conjunctlly and severallie speciallie Constitut Greeting Forasmuchas By severall acts of parliament The keeping of victuall to a dearth is strictly prohibited and particularly it is stant by the acts James the second parliament sixth chapters tuenty tuo and tuenty three That for the Escheuing of dearth shireffs Baillies and other officers burgh to burgh and to Land Doe Inquire what persons Buyes victuall and holds it to a dearth And that the saids shirreffs and officers make such knouen That in caise they hold more then will sustaine them and their menzie to new Corne They may be punished and Demeaned as as2 ockerers and usurers and the victuall Escheated to us and that the same be presented to mercats and sold as the pryce goes And by the Act James the second parliament nynth Chapters threttie Eight and threttie nynth It is ordained That nae manner of victuall be holden in Girnell by any man to a dearth but allenarly what is needfull for their oun persons and sustentatione of their households And that the saids persons present all that they have more to the mercat under the paine of Escheat therof and searchers are appointed in Edinburgh and Leith to make the saids Acts effectuall As Lykeuayes the Crime of Forstalling is forbidden by severall acts and statuts And particularly by the Act James the sixth parliament tuelvth Chapter one hundred and Fourtie Eight It is declared that who Buyes any merchandize or victuall Coming to fare or mercat or makes any Contract or promise for the buying of the same before the said merchandize or victuall shall be in the Fare or mercat place ready to be sold or shall make any motion by uord uryte or message for raising of the pryces or dearer selling of the said merchandize or victuall or whosoever shall dissuade any from Coming and bringing the said merchandize and victuall to Fare or mercat shall be esteemed and Judged ane Forstaller And It is ordained that all such Forstallers may be pursued before the Justices or magistrats of burghs and that uithout a speciall Lybell But only upon forstalling in Generall And the persons Convit to be fyned for the first fault in Fourtie pounds For the second in ane Hundreth merks, and for the third to incurr the tinsell of Moveabls And seing that through the not due observance and the executione of the forsaids acts The Calamity of the Countrey by the present scarcity and dearth is Greatly Increassed Therfore we uith advice of the Lords of our privie Counsell Have thought fitt to revive the same and ordaine them to be putt to strict executione And for that effect to Impoure and requyre all shirreffs of shires steuarts of steuartries Lords and Baillies of Regalities and their deputes and magistrats of Burghs as Lykewayes all Commissioners of supplie and Justices of peace To Cause Inqwyre and search to be made who holds up or Girnells victuall or keeps stacks Contrary to the forsaids Laus And to Command and Charge the Keepers of the saids victuall in Girnells stacks or otheruayes Contrary to the saids statuts aither to thresh out Bring and expose the same for sale in open and ordinary mercats or otheruayes to open their Girnells and other houses wher the victuall is keeped and ther sell the same as the saids shirreffs steuarts of steuartries Lords and Baillies of Regalities and their Deputs and Magistrats of Burghs or any tuo of the saids Commissioners shall find the ordinary pryce to rule for the tyme in the Countrey not below the Last Candlemes Feers with Certification that if they failzie therein They shall be proceeded against and the paines of the forsaids acts of parliament execute upon them with all rigor And in the mean tyme The victuall Girnelled and unlaufullie keeped up as said is arreasted and sequestrat by the forsaids shirreffs and others as escheat And further we with advice forsaid Command and charge all magistrats of burghs and other officers of the Law to take Care that all mercatts and fares Be deuly regulat Conform to the Laus uithout extortion And to Cause putt the forsaids acts of parliament against forstallers to due and vigorous execution Certifying the forsaids shirreffs magistrats and others who shall faill in their deuty in the premisses That upon Information given to the Lords of our privie Counsell They shall be therfore severely punished as the Lords of our privie Counsell shall see cause And furder for the better releiff of the Countrey under the present Great scarcity wherin the pryces of victuall are arrysen above the rates mentioned in the Act of parliament for prohibiting the Import of Forraign victuall We uith advice forsaid doe heirby Grant Licence and full Liberty to all persons to Import victuall and Cornes of all sorts from any forraign Kingdome or Countrey and that free of Custome excyse or other imposition And for that effect Recommends it to the Commissioners of our Thesaury to discharge the exacting therof for the said victuall to be Imported as said is after the day and date heirof And that notwithstanding of any act of parliament or Book of rates Imposing the same Declaring that this Licence and Libertie is to Endure untill the first day of september next to Come and noe Longer Our will is heirfore And ue Charge yow strictly and Command That Incontinent these our Letters seen ye pass to the mercat Cross of Edinburgh and to the mercat Crosses of the remanent head burghs of the severall shires and steuartries uithin this Kingdome And ther in our name and authority by open proclamation make Intimation hereof That none pretend ignorance And ordaines these presents to be printed Given under our signet at Edinburgh the nynth day of June and of our reigne the Eight year 1696 sic subscribitur Poluarth Cancelar Southerland Leven Annandale Carmichaell James Steuart Arc: Murray John Maxuell T Burnett

Att Edinburgh the Nynth day of June Jaj vjc nyntie six years

A1696/6/261

Proclamation

Proclamation against regrating of virtuall and forstallers and allouing Importation of foraign victuall free of publick burden

The Follouing proclamation Being read uas votted approven and signed wherof the tenor Folloues
William By the Grace of God King of great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the faith To […] Macers of our privie Councell messengers at arms our shirreffs in that part Conjunctlly and severallie speciallie Constitut Greeting Forasmuchas By severall acts of parliament The keeping of victuall to a dearth is strictly prohibited and particularly it is stant by the acts James the second parliament sixth chapters tuenty tuo and tuenty three That for the Escheuing of dearth shireffs Baillies and other officers burgh to burgh and to Land Doe Inquire what persons Buyes victuall and holds it to a dearth And that the saids shirreffs and officers make such knouen That in caise they hold more then will sustaine them and their menzie to new Corne They may be punished and Demeaned as as2 ockerers and usurers and the victuall Escheated to us and that the same be presented to mercats and sold as the pryce goes And by the Act James the second parliament nynth Chapters threttie Eight and threttie nynth It is ordained That nae manner of victuall be holden in Girnell by any man to a dearth but allenarly what is needfull for their oun persons and sustentatione of their households And that the saids persons present all that they have more to the mercat under the paine of Escheat therof and searchers are appointed in Edinburgh and Leith to make the saids Acts effectuall As Lykeuayes the Crime of Forstalling is forbidden by severall acts and statuts And particularly by the Act James the sixth parliament tuelvth Chapter one hundred and Fourtie Eight It is declared that who Buyes any merchandize or victuall Coming to fare or mercat or makes any Contract or promise for the buying of the same before the said merchandize or victuall shall be in the Fare or mercat place ready to be sold or shall make any motion by uord uryte or message for raising of the pryces or dearer selling of the said merchandize or victuall or whosoever shall dissuade any from Coming and bringing the said merchandize and victuall to Fare or mercat shall be esteemed and Judged ane Forstaller And It is ordained that all such Forstallers may be pursued before the Justices or magistrats of burghs and that uithout a speciall Lybell But only upon forstalling in Generall And the persons Convit to be fyned for the first fault in Fourtie pounds For the second in ane Hundreth merks, and for the third to incurr the tinsell of Moveabls And seing that through the not due observance and the executione of the forsaids acts The Calamity of the Countrey by the present scarcity and dearth is Greatly Increassed Therfore we uith advice of the Lords of our privie Counsell Have thought fitt to revive the same and ordaine them to be putt to strict executione And for that effect to Impoure and requyre all shirreffs of shires steuarts of steuartries Lords and Baillies of Regalities and their deputes and magistrats of Burghs as Lykewayes all Commissioners of supplie and Justices of peace To Cause Inqwyre and search to be made who holds up or Girnells victuall or keeps stacks Contrary to the forsaids Laus And to Command and Charge the Keepers of the saids victuall in Girnells stacks or otheruayes Contrary to the saids statuts aither to thresh out Bring and expose the same for sale in open and ordinary mercats or otheruayes to open their Girnells and other houses wher the victuall is keeped and ther sell the same as the saids shirreffs steuarts of steuartries Lords and Baillies of Regalities and their Deputs and Magistrats of Burghs or any tuo of the saids Commissioners shall find the ordinary pryce to rule for the tyme in the Countrey not below the Last Candlemes Feers with Certification that if they failzie therein They shall be proceeded against and the paines of the forsaids acts of parliament execute upon them with all rigor And in the mean tyme The victuall Girnelled and unlaufullie keeped up as said is arreasted and sequestrat by the forsaids shirreffs and others as escheat And further we with advice forsaid Command and charge all magistrats of burghs and other officers of the Law to take Care that all mercatts and fares Be deuly regulat Conform to the Laus uithout extortion And to Cause putt the forsaids acts of parliament against forstallers to due and vigorous execution Certifying the forsaids shirreffs magistrats and others who shall faill in their deuty in the premisses That upon Information given to the Lords of our privie Counsell They shall be therfore severely punished as the Lords of our privie Counsell shall see cause And furder for the better releiff of the Countrey under the present Great scarcity wherin the pryces of victuall are arrysen above the rates mentioned in the Act of parliament for prohibiting the Import of Forraign victuall We uith advice forsaid doe heirby Grant Licence and full Liberty to all persons to Import victuall and Cornes of all sorts from any forraign Kingdome or Countrey and that free of Custome excyse or other imposition And for that effect Recommends it to the Commissioners of our Thesaury to discharge the exacting therof for the said victuall to be Imported as said is after the day and date heirof And that notwithstanding of any act of parliament or Book of rates Imposing the same Declaring that this Licence and Libertie is to Endure untill the first day of september next to Come and noe Longer Our will is heirfore And ue Charge yow strictly and Command That Incontinent these our Letters seen ye pass to the mercat Cross of Edinburgh and to the mercat Crosses of the remanent head burghs of the severall shires and steuartries uithin this Kingdome And ther in our name and authority by open proclamation make Intimation hereof That none pretend ignorance And ordaines these presents to be printed Given under our signet at Edinburgh the nynth day of June and of our reigne the Eight year 1696 sic subscribitur Poluarth Cancelar Southerland Leven Annandale Carmichaell James Steuart Arc: Murray John Maxuell T Burnett

1. NRS, PC1/50, 546-8.

2. Sic.

1. NRS, PC1/50, 546-8.

2. Sic.