[1706/10/455]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our soverign lady and estates of parliament, considering that by ane act of parliament dated the fourtenth day of August, jM vjC and sixtie three years, the estates of parliament, understanding the necessity to have ane stone bridge built over the river of Clyd att Rammwell Craige, and ane other bridge over the water of Dunnidden, there being common passadges and mercat wayes there, and in which diverse persons have at severall tymes perished, did authorize the deceast William Baillie of Litlegill to build the saids two bridges, and for his encouradgement in the building and keeping up of the samen did appoynt that, for the space of twenty-seven years after the date of the said act, the said William Baillie and his airs should have the collecting, ingaithering and uplifting of the customs following, viz: twelve pennies Scotts of every horse and load; eight pennies Scotts of every cow and horse; two pennies Scots of every sheep that shall pass alongst those two bridges or either of them, or who shall pass that way through the said William Baillie his lands, whither they take the bridges or not, and six pennies Scotts for each single horseman and two pennies for each footman that shall pass alongst the saids two bridges, or either of them, and that the saids two bridges were accordingly builded, and the customs in use to be uplifted by the said deceast William Baillie of Litlegill, and since his decease by Cicilia Wedderburn, his relict, by vertue of ane assignation therto from her husband in implement of her contract of mariadge, and that the upholding and repairing of the saids bridges doe requyre that the saids customs be yet continued, her majestie, with advyce and consent of the estates of parliament, grants order and warrand to the said Cicilia Wedderburn and to William Baillie, her eldest son, and his airs in cace of her decease, for their encouradgement, to uphold and repair the saids two bridges and to exact and uplift the forsaids customs payable at the saids two bridges, excepting the carriadges of the lead and lead ore belonging to the duke of Queensberry and earle of Hoptoun, and victuall and materialls for the use of the workmen and mynes passing the saids bridges and foords, which, with the carriadges, carriers and servants, cart horses and others imployed in the said carriadges, shall have and enjoy free passadges without payment of any of the saids duties or any other impediment or mollestation whatsomever, and that for the space of tuenty-one years after the expiration of the saids tuintie-seven years, they allwayes repairing and upholding the saids two bridges in good condition att the sight of the duke of Queensberry, the earles of Forfar, Hyndfoord, Hopton and the laird of Lamington, or any two of them.