Burgh Records.—No. 4.

BURGH RECORDS . —No . 4 .

Bx W . P . BTJCHAH - .

( Continued from page 491 . )

( JFrom Extracts from the Council Segister ofthe Burgh ¦ of Aberdeen . —Spalding Qliib . Instituted A . D . 1839 . ) Amongst the extracts which I am giving , I think it would be wrong to omit the following interesting remarks from " The Editor ' s Preface , " which preface is signed , " John Stuart , " and is dated , " Aberdeen , : 23 rd November , 1844 : " —

" The most valuable materials for national history have frequently to be sought for in sources far different from the works of the general historian , whose pages are more frequently devoted to the political than the social position of the people , whose history is the object of his labours . To obtain a limpse of their actual state under the existing

ing stitutions of a particular period , we must examine them working out their system of jurisprudence in legal pleadings ; we must see them engaged in the various professions and trades—in their pageants and sports—and we must be acquainted with their manners and dress . It is almost in vain to expect in ordinary

histories an accumulation of incidental facts bearing on all such points , although these are to be regarded in proportion as they have incorporated in them such disjointed facts , as a reference to the chronicles , judicial proceedings , familiar epistles , aud fragmentary relics of past times will amplafford .

y "The records of the Burgh of Aberdeen present us with a greater combination of these than is generally to be found in similar sources ; and their historical importance has long been acknowledged by those who have had access to them .

"They reach back to a very remote period , and ¦ enable us to trace the effects wrought on society by the political and religious changes which occurred ; while they are full of many minute incidents which serve to fill up a picture of the condition of our forefathers in all its parts . " These Records comprehend the proceedings of

the Council of the Burgh , of the Baillie Court , and the Guild Court . From 1398—when the first volume commences—to 1745 , being the period comprised in the selections to be printed for the Club , they extend to 61 folio volumes , containing on an average about 600 pages each . With the exception of volume third , containing the proceedings from 1414 to 1433 , there is no blank in the series .

" In ' The Catalogue of the registeris and baillie court buikis of Abirdene presentlie extinct , or hes bene during the memorie of man , thir tbre scoir yeiris bygane , maid and collectit treulie , as thai ar , be Mr . Thomas Mollisvne , clerk of Abirdene , primo Septembris 1591 , " * it is stated that there then existed ' and partis of four aid imperfyt and informall

peces buikis consumitt and eittin he mothes , for aldnes and antiquite euill to be red , yit to he keipit for a monument be resoun of the antiquite . " The same scribe conjectures that there was ' na register nor court buik of Abirdene extant , nor yit knawin that ony bmk or register of the said court wes before the yeir

of God ane thousand tbre hundred and iourscoir yeiris . Befor this , scrowis on parchment coutening sum eourtis of the Burght of Abirdene writin in Latyne all , and for ilk yeir ane skrow : na mater of importance or weycht extant or registrat thairin , nothir yit ony ordinance or statufc sett dounn , onlie suittis and actionisor processus for annuelliseuil to

, , be red , be resoun of the antiquite of the wreit , and forme of the letter or character , weray schortlie and eompendiouslie wretin , quhilk is not now vsit ; and skairslie gif ony man can reid the satnyn . ' None of these scrolls of parchment have come down to our times . "

The following extract includes an early use of the word "Mason : "" 1399 , Tuesday after the Feast of St . Michael the Archangel . " Copia Lambyntoun and Craufurd , " This is the cunand made betwex the comownys

of Abden on the ta part , and Jon Lambynton and Crawford , mason , on the tother part : that is to say , that the forsaid masonys sale hew to the forsaid commownys xii durris and xii wyndowys , in fre tailly , and sail delyvir frely thaim at ony key of Abirden , or ellis at the sandis at Lawrence of Lethis howss

, and that werk sal be sufficiand gude , but freything borth ilk ane for oyther . " Et dictus Johannes Lambynton obligauit se bona fide ad deliverand . diet , ostia et fenistras apud le key de Abirden ante festura Pasche proximo futur . siepso pleg . "

22 nd November , 1498 . "The said day , Mathow Wrieht oblist him be his hand vphaldin to mak gude seruice in the luge and vteuche to the bigin and furnysing of the queyr , at the commavnd and sicht of the alderman , consal , and the master of the kirkwerk , and he sal nocht pass to nay vther werk without speciale licence of the

alderman and the consal ; for the quhilkis seruice to be done , thai sal nocht [?] content and pay to the said Mathow tuenty tua merks * vsual mony of Scotland , the autre of the said Mathow was thiarwith that at

Mertymes last bigane . " The said day , Nichol Masone and Dauid Wrieht oblist tham be the fathis of thar bodiis , the gret aithe sworne , to remane at Sanct Nicholes werk in the luge aud vteuche , ther to mak dely gude seruice , aud to be leile trew in all pontis , and nocht to pass fra the saide werk without leif of the aldermanconsaleand

, , maister of the werk ; for the quhilkis gude seruice to be done , thai sal content and pay to the saide Dauid auchtene merkis . "t 3 rd February , 1510 . " The said day , the provest , bailzeis , counsaile , and communite present for the tyme , ordanit George

Bissit , master of the kirk werk , cause the plumbar to pass and eude his werk , and theik the body of thar kirk with leide . " 30 th April , 1511 . In prospect of a visit from the Queen Margaret ( of James IV ., 1488 to 1513 ) , this extract orders the people "to devoid , red , and cleng ony myddingis