ACCEPTANCE of the SEALL OF CAUSE
by the
SEVEN CRAFTS of IRVINE

from the

PROVEIST BAILLIES &COUNSALL
of
THE BURGH of IRVINE
3RD JULY 1646

We Hew Broun Thomas Gariner Daniell Dunlop and Hendrie Dyet younger smyths William Hendersone Lowrence Speir Hew Thomsone and Johne Miller tailzeoris Robert Mainzies wricht Andro bordlan and Hew Thomsone wievers and James Walker glover all burgessis of the burgh of Irvine grant us be thir presentis to haif resseavit from the proveist and baillies and counsall of the said burgh ane Seall of Caus of the dait of thir presentis quhairby they for the reassonis and upoun the consideratiounis thairin conteinit did direct our severall crafts following , To wit the smyth craft includane and comprehendan the haill hemmirmen thairintill , the wobster craft , the tailzeor craft , the cordiner craft , the skinner craft , the wricht craft includane and comprehendan thirintill the hail joyners carpenters squarmen and cowpers all quhilk does mak up in hail the intyre and full number of Sevin crafts by and attour these annext to the smyth craft and wricht craft and ilk ane of theminane free craft to be only wroght usit and exercit be friemem sick as sal be admittit thairto be the severall deacones of the saids crafts respective and swae many maisters as sal be choysin be the deacon of thair awin craft inhabitantis within the said burgh and actuall burgessis thair of in all tyme cumyng

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And for that effect they haif givin and granted full power libertie and licence to the friemen of our saidis sevin severall crafts respective foirsaid indwellleris within the said burgh and actuall burgessis thairof present To convein within the said burgh how soon we pleis efter subscryving of the said seall of caus ilk severall craft be oursrlffis allon and to chuse to ourselffis ane deacon of our awin crafts respective forsaid to serve thairintill quhill Michaelmes nixt to cum and to us and our successouris friemen of the saidis crafts indwelleris within the said burgh and actuall burgessis thairof To convein yeirly thaireftir at the said burgh and to elect nominat and chuse to ourselffis in our awin severall meitings ane deacon of ilk ane of our awin sevin eaverall crafts respective foirsaid to serve thairin for that yeir to cum Togidder with ane boxmaister to ilk severall craft to keip our boxis quhen we sall haif power to chuse for that effect ay as we our awin deaconis and quhilks haill severall deacons respective foirsaidis with so many of the friemen maisters of the saidis crafts respective sal be choysin yeirlie as assessouris to thame sall haif power to try the haill unfriemen of thair awin haill severall crafts respective foirsaid and to resseave and admit thame in friemen of the saidis crafts and to depose and debar all unfriemen frae all useing or exerceing of the saidis sevin crafts and treddis respective feirsaid within the said burgh and territorie thairof yeirlie in all tyme cumying and to resseave prenteissis to ourselffis of our awin severall crafts respective foirsaid and to uplift and resseave all compsitions penulties and fyns from the contraveiners of the saidis deacons respectiveand thair assessours ordinances to be put in and keipit in thair awin severall boxis and to be bestowit and imployet beour saidis deacons respective and thair bretherin for the help of the puir agit and decayit bretherin thair wyffs and bairnes and sick uther reasssonable usses as they think expedient upon this speciall proviso always and no utherwayis vidleicet that it sall not be liesum to ony of our saidis deacons of the saidis crafts respective foirsaidis and thair assessours to impose or exact any compositioun or fyn frae any quhome they admit in frieman of thair awin crafts respective foirsaid bot allanerlie alsmuch as twa pairt of thair burgess fie extendis to quhilk sal be that just rewlland proportiounto be exactit for the saidis craftismens fyn for ever in all tyme cumying and quhair it sall hapin the saidis Magistrats and counsall and thair

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successours to admit ony craftis man of our severall crafts respective foirsaid burges of the said burgh fyne frie that it sall not be liesum to the saidis deacons and thair assessours foirsaid to exact above Ten merkis of fyne from these craftismen admittit burgessis fyn frie as said is and quhilkis haill bretherin of the saidis crafts ar haldin to acknowledge and obey thair awin severall deacons and thair assessouris and boxmaisteris in all liesum things concerning thair saidis crafts and weill thairof And quhilkis deacons respective foirsaid with thair awin severall assessouris hes power to cognosce decyd and tak tryell upoun unsufficiencie of work and maters debetable betuix the maisteris servandis and prenteissis concerning and depending thair saidis crafts allanerlie and to unlaw for unsufficient work and contraveineris of thair acts and ordinances and to uplift thair unlawis to be put in thair awin severall boxis respective and to book thair prenteissis names in the buiks of thair crafts and to tak up thair dewties for the samyn in that same quantitie and maner as the deacons of the crafts and thair betherin does within the burgh of Air in the lyk and that nae persone nor persones sail heireftir be friemen of the saidis crafts within the said burgh bot be the saidis deacons and assessours of the saidis crafts respective nor yit to use any of the saidis craftis occupation and treddis respective foirsaid within the said burgh and territorie thairof bot be the saidis deacons and thair assessouris liberties and permissiouns obleissand the saidis magistrats and counsall and thair successouris th fortifie concur and assist with the saidis deacons in putting of thair acts and ordinances to executioun and in poynding for thair unlawis at all tyms and as neid and occasioun sall requyr the saidis magistratis putteries of the samyn to execution getting alwayis the fourt penny of sick fyns unlawis andpenulties as they sall concurre in with the saidis deacons and gettis payment of thame of obleissand also thame yeirly to chuse twa of the deacons of the saidis crafts upoun the counsall of the said burgh wha sal be of severall crafts quha sal be ather of the deacons then standing in the place the tyme of the electioun of the toun counsall or wha hes bein deacons at ony tyme whatsumevir of before and quhilks twa deacons consellouries sal be chaingit yeirly nad uther twa put in thair places andquhilk does also beir ane declaratioun that the saidis deacons and thair assessouris sall not haif power to resseave any to be friemen of thair craft bot sick as sal be lauchfully creat burgessis first within the said burgh

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And quhilk seall of caus foirsaid hes relatioun that the expeiding has bein delayit this whyll bygain upoun sum differences betuix the saids magistratis and counsall and us the saids crafts tuitching thair feir of our arysing in ane mutinous and hostile way against the saidis magistratis and thair successouris In the quhilk caice they did strictlie urge ane claus irritant for foirfaulting and loseing to the craft or crafts so arysing of our seall of caus and libertie thairin contenit and quhairunto we wald not agrie and eftir agitatioun thairof be us against thame before tha burrowis the commissioneris of burrowis be thair generall convetoun haldin at Lanerk in Julij 1645 did allow our agriement swa far as did mutually aggrie upoun and did moderat the penultie in the cais foirsaid to be as followis: Videlicet, that if our saidis crafts sould ayther togither or any the saidis crafts sould ayther togither or any ane of the saidis crafts for the maist pairt sould aryse in ane mutinous and hostile maner against the saidis magistratis and thair successouris for the time or sould mak nay convocatioun contrair to the lawis of this kingdome the crafts or craftis for quhom the deacon or deacons and the remanent craft or crafts sould be answerable for the samyn and the pairtie making the convocatioun ilk ane of thame sould pay ane unlaw of ffourtie pundis without prejudice alwayis of farder censure to be inflictit upoun the transgressouris be the sadis magistratis and counsall and thair successouris for the tyme conforme to the lawis of this kingdome And that the saidis burrowis did ordain the saidis Magistrats and counsell to give unto us our seall of caus conforme to the said agriement upoun the penultie foirsaid and that the saids magistratis and counsell hes givin to us the said seall of caus accordinglie conform to the said agriement and burrowis act and ordinance foirsaid and upoun the quhhilks expres provisions conditiouns limitatiouns and restrictiouns particularly foirsaid both tuitching the liberties abonewritten grantit be thame to us in forme and maner abonementionat and in thair same selff extent and upoun the penulties and utheris censures moderat be the saidis commissioners of burrows in the caice foirsaid the saids magistrsts and counsall hes be the said seall of caus declait thameselffs to haif givin the samyn to us and no utherwayis And hes also conditionat that how soon the walkers of the said burgh quha ar not for the present of ane competent societie to mak up ane incorporat pollitick bodie attains

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unto ane competent societie and number to mak up ane incorporat pollitick bodie that they sall give thame thair seall of caus frielie but compositioun with the lyk priviledgis as we haif our and upoun the alyk caveatis restrictions and penulties foirsaid and in the meintyme to debar all unfriemen quha ar not burges of the said burgh to exerce the said walker craft as the said seall of caus of the dait of thir presentis proportis And quhilk seall of caus we for our parts ilk and of us for our awin severall crafts respective foirsaid doe heirby as for us and our successouris of our saids crafts to haif acceptit and imbraicit from the saids magistrats and counsall upoun the saids haill severall conitiouns provisiouns restrictiouns caveats and extent and undir the penulties and censuris particularly foirsaidis mentionat in the said seall of caus and act of burrowis And we are content for us and our successouris friemen of the saidis crafts thir presentis be insert and registrat in the buikis of counsall and sesioun thairin to remain ad futuram reimemoriam, and for this effect we constitute our procuratouris promittentes de rato In witnes quhairof (writtin be George Garven servitour to Robert Broun comoun clerk of the said burgh) we haif subserivit thir presentis with our hands as follow: At Irving the Third day of Julij jm vj fourtie-sex yeiris before thir witnessis James Harper and Adame Cunynghame eldir merchandis burgessis of Irving.

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We Hendrie Dyett younger smythe James Walker glover and John Millar tailyeour abonnamit with our handis at the pen led be notaries following at our command becaus we cannot wrytt ourselffs

Ita est Robertus Broun notarius publicus ad premissa requisitus de mandatis antedictorum Testantibus his meis signo et subcriptione manualibus.

Ita est Georgius Garven conotarius ad permissa requisitus de mandatis antedictorum teste manu propria.

At Edinburgh the Tent day of Junij 1656. – I undersubscryvand compeir as procurator for Hew Broune Thomas Gairdner Daniel Dunlope and Hendrie Dyet younger smithes William Hendersone Laurence Speir Hew Thomsone and John Miller tailzeours Robert Menzies wright Andrew Bordlan and Hew Thomsone weivers and James Walker glover all Burges of Irvine and consents for them to the regestratioun heiroff in the Court builkis of Justice
A. Abernethie

The principal band within writtin one sheit of paper presentit be George Garven wreitter in Irvine and registrat beme William Downie ane of the clarks of the Court of Justice as witnes my subscription manuell
W. Downie.