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CHARLES, be the grace of
God king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the faith—To
all and sundrie our leidges and subjects to whose knowledge thir
presents shall come greeting. Be it knowne unto you all, because we
understanding our most nobell progenitors kings of Scotland haveing
consideration and respect to the commonwealth and peaceable governance
of our said kingdome of Scotland and that without artificers and good
craftsmen ane well ordered commonwealth cannot long stand; For that
cause they have given and granted all and sundrie privaledges and
liberties to the craftsmen of all our burghs in our said kingdom
especiallie to our said burghs of Edinburgh, Pearth, Dundie, and
Aberdeen as by the gift granted to them under the great sealls of our
most nobill progenitors doeth appear. Lykeas our dear good dam, of
worthie memorie, Queen Mary by hir majesties gift and donation granted
to the craftsmen of Edinburgh, Pearth, Dundie, and Aberdeen in anno
1556, gave the craftsmen who are free burgesses of the saids burghs the
liberties of power and privaledge to sell and use all manner of
merchandies within and without this our kingdom of Scotland, as they
should think most expedient for them, together with dyvers other
privaledges and liberties to the craftismen of the saids burghs
mentionat in the said gift as the same of the date foresaid under her
majesties great seall at more lenth bears. As alsoe our dear father King
James the sixth, of eternall memorie, granted the lyke liberties and
privaledges to the craftsmen of the forsaid burghs and ratified and
confirmed all other former privaledges, liberties, and faculties
whatsomever as by the gift thereof under his majesties great seall,
bearing date at Dalkeith the second day of Julie, 1581 years, more
clearlie doeth appear. It is theirfor humblie supplicated be the
craftsmen of our said burgh of Aberdeen as they who are only interested
and injured in their saids privaledges contrair to our saids nobell
progenitors, their royall privaledges and gifts granted be them as
saidis that the lyk gift may be granted unto them by us under our royall
hand and seile. Witt ye theirfor us and for sundrie other reasonable
causses moveing us to have ratified, granted, and given, and be the
tenor heirof ratifies, gives, and grants to all and sundrie the
craftsmen our loyall subjects of our said burgh of Aberdeen, all and
whatsomever liberties, privaledges, and faculties granted of before to
them or any of our burghs within this our kingdom by our saids nobell
progenitors and speciallie to use and trade all manner of merchandice
within and without this our kingdome of Scotland, also freelie in all
respects as any of our liedges, craftsmen of the said burghs of
Edinburgh, Pearth, and Dundie ever bath been in use for to do,
dispensand and be the tenor heiroff dispenses with and dischairges all
acts whatsomever, decreits, statutes and proclamationes made or to be
made in the contrair, and all paines contained in the same or any of
them. Wheirfor we command and chairge you and everie one of you our
liedges and subjects, that you nor none of you presume in tyme comeing
to make any impediment or molestation in contrair of then presents unto
the craftsmen of our said burgh of Aberdeen for enjoying and possessing
the liberties and privaledges concerning their crafts and trade of
merchandices, as said is, notwithstandeing of any acts, decreits,
statutes or proclamationes made on the contrair or any paines contained
in the same under all highest paine danger and offence which you, or any
of you, may incur at our hands. To the witnes wheirof we ordaine our
great seall to be appendit heirunto and Tres to be dirrect hereupon in
forme as effeirs if need beis. Subscryved be our royall hands at our
palace of Halyruid House, the 14th September, 1641. |
