[A1706/10/21]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Unto his grace her majesties high commissioner and the right honourable the estates of parliament, the petition of the magistrates and toun counsell of the burgh of South Queensferry, for themselves and in name and behalf of the comunity of the said burgh,
Humbly sheueth,
That your petitioners having some years agoe fallen upon ane good and profitable enterprise to the building of ane harbour, and being convinced that any common stock of their own was not sufficient to effectuate such a great and good design, did, upon the thoughts that the profits arising from the same might be a mean to satisfie all that should be expended therupon, borrow sixteen hundred merks out of the sea box fourteen years agoe, and we not being able to pay principal nor annuallrent yet resting are a heavie burden upon your petitioners by reason of the late and present wars, wherin we sustained great loss of our ships by privateers and other misfortunes at sea, which, with our harbour's present ruinous condition and our want of any common good, oblidges us to apply to your grace and lords that we may be in a condition to pay our debt, repair our harbour and prevent the utter ruins of our burgh.
May it therfor please your grace and lords to take your petitioners case above represented to your serious consideration, and that seing there is no common good for payment of debt already contracted or for repairing and upholding the harbour already gone to ruine, that your grace and lords would be pleased to allow us to exact shore dues within the bay and harbour of South Queensferry so far as the priviledges of the said burgh do now or shall extend in time coming, conforme as the same is payed and exacted at Bruntisland or any other royall burgh on Fife side having shore dues, for freeing of your petitioners of these incumbrances and repairing and upholding of our said harbour. And your petitioners shall ever pray.
†Edinburgh, 7 March 1707
Her maties high commissioner and the estates of parliament, having heard this petition, they grant the desire of the petition to commence from the first day of Aprile next.
Seafield, cancellar[ius], I.P.D. p[arliamenti]