Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/482

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NOTES AND QUERIES. tn s. xn. DEC. is, 1915.

as long as the school exists. It would be interesting to know how many other persons have given their names to a comestible. My memory can only recall John, fourth Earl of Sandwich, and Sally Lunn.

HORACE BLEACKLEY.

YESTERDAYS IN OLD EDINBURGH.

THE date at which Edinburgh first received the charter constituting it a Royal Burgh is uncertain. There seems to be little doubt, however, that it was one of the first, as we read of it being one of the burghs forming the " curia quatuor burgorum," (which is referred to in " leges et consuetudines quatuor burgorum Berewic, Rokisburg, Edinburg, et Strivelin "), the four burghs composing the Chamberlain's Court or Air. King David refers to Edinburgh as " meo burgo " ; and he granted to the Abbey of Holy rood a charter of the Church of St. Cuthbert and of lands in and near Edinburgh. The seal of the Burgh was appended to a treaty of alliance with France in 1295 ; to a commission appointed to treat for the liberation of David II. in 1356 ; to conditions of peace between England and Scotland in 1364 ; and to the appointment of the Earl of Arran as Governor of the realm in 1542.

In the long roll of municipal dignatories of the city, the first to be mentioned is William de Dedyk, otherwise William de Fotherig, who had the title of alderman. In 1296, along with twelve burgesses, he signed the Ragman Roll, swearing allegiance to Edward I. of England. The first person to bear the title of Provost was John de Quhitness in the year 1377. The bailiffs or bailies were originally deputies or assistants to the Provost, holding courts within the city and liberties of Edinburgh. One of the principal members was the Dean of Guild, regarding whose office an Act of Parliament was passed in 1469 to the effect that he was to be elected by the members of Town Council and craftsmen, and that no captain or Constable of the King's castles was to be eligible for election to that office. By an Act of 1593 considerable elasticity is allowed in the jurisdiction of the Court " in settling all actions and matters concerning merchants ; betwixt merchant and merchant ; and betwixt merchant and mariner."

A pamphlet published about that time shows that

" he was created a Justice of the peace, with the power of mulcting all persons, merchants, or trades addebted to the town, or carrying on trade without a license ; shutting the shops of those

who sell foreign goods without payment of the higher duties ; making lockfast doors where foreign goods are secreted, either in Edinburgh 01 Leith."

From this same pamphlet it appears there were two classes who could obtain the free- dom of the city. The burgess was created by a " minor payment of the simple ticket,"" which besides required the disbursing of a "weekly penny." The other class consisted of those who held a gild or guild ticket, many of them being

" men of family, as possessing funds, and sailing in merchandizing to Germany, or the towns of the Netherlands, and quite unconnected with the guiiter bluides, or Edinburghers, who paid heavy duties on importation of, or for dealing in, foreign commodities, such as wine, silk, velvet, wax, plumb-damisses, spiceries of all sorts, claith of silk, gpud, or any foreign goods, for which a guild ticket was obtained from the dean."

By a writer of some later date doubt was cast on the statements made in the pamphlet,. but there must have been some ground on which the author based them.

In all Royal Burghs the office of Treasurer was one to which considerable honour and dignity were attached. Like the Provostship it carried with it three years of office, ever although at the time of his election the- nominee had only one year of his term of Councillor to run.

As can be supposed from the nature of the different vested interests of the time, at elections there was often considerable popular clamour, and with a view to control these outbursts an Act of Parliament was passed in 1469 in which the following clause occurs :

touching the Electioun of Ofliciars in Burrows, as Alderman, Baillies, and other officiars,. because of great contention zeirly for the chusing of the samine, thro' multitude and clamour of commons, simple persons, it is thought expedient that na officiars nor Counsel be continued after the King's lawes of Burrows further than on zeir, and that the chusing of newe officiars be in this wise,. that is to say ; that the Auld Counsel of the Town sal chuse the newe Counsel, in sick number a& accordis to the Town, and that the Newe Counsel and the Auld in the zeir aforesaid sal chuse all officiars pertaining to the town, as Alderman, Baillies, Dean of Guild, and other officiars ; And that the said crafts sal chuse on person of the samine craft that sal have vote in the said Elec- tioun of Officiars for the tune, in likewise zeir by zeir."

Among many other decrees, it was noted at different periods that the new standards; of the pint and firlot were to be kept at Edinburgh, along with the measure and standard for herring and white fish, and the- standard ell for cloth measure. Regula- tions were made for the sale of the neces-