[1672/6/24]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forasmuch as anent a supplication presented to the king's majesty and estates of parliament, in name of the provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Cromarty, mentioning that however after his majesty's happy restoration their privileges as a royal burgh were revived and they, accordingly, enrolled amongst the burghs, yet such is their poverty and most deplorable condition, partly for want of trade and partly by the great burdens imposed and incident to the burghs, that they are no longer able to subsist, indeed the people, by reason thereof, daily go to other places to live and now few or none remain, save some that have petty houses, which, in a short time, will also come to ruin, so that they are necessitated to quit their liberties;† humbly therefore, desiring to accept of their demission and resignation of their said privileges given in to the lord register, and ordain them to be deleted from amongst the royal burghs, as is at more length contained in the supplication. Which, being read in presence of his majesty and estates of parliament, and they having considered the same with the demission subscribed by the magistrates, councillors and burgesses of the burgh, which was also read in their presence and whereof the tenor follows.
Be it known to all men, by these present letters, we, provost, bailies and council of the burgh of Cromarty, with the special advice and consent of the heritors, community and inhabitants of the same, forasmuch as albeit the said burgh of Cromarty is erected in a free royal burgh, with all the privileges ordinarily granted to and conferred upon any other royal burgh and, accordingly, have been enrolled and in use of using and exercising the said privileges, yet in respect there has been no trade of a long time bygone, nor at present within the said burgh and that, hereby, many burdens and impositions imposed upon the said place and incident to burghs in general, the said burgh is not only become depauperate, but also dispeopled, the inhabitants daily removing from thence to other burghs and places, and finding no probability of a subsistence for us if we continue any longer in the freedom of a royal burgh; therefore and for avoiding our so apparent ruin we, by this letter, of mature deliberation and previous consideration had in the matter, make and constitute [...], or any one of them, our procurators, with power to compear before the right honourable the convention of the royal burghs of this kingdom, where they shall happen to sit for the time, and there any day lawful and convenient for us, and in our name, to demit our freedom and privilege as a free royal burgh; and consent, likewise we hereby consent, we be deleted and expunged out of the roll of royal burghs and tax roll thereof and, thereafter if need be, to compear before his majesty or his highness's commissioner and the estates of parliament convened for the time, or his majesty's commissioners of exchequer, as seems expedient and as best consists with the laws of the kingdom used and observed in the like cases, any day lawful and convenient, and there, in our names and as procurators for us, to resign, likewise we hereby with consent foresaid resign, surrender, give over and deliver the freedom and privilege of the said burgh and all benefit, profit and commodity that is provided and granted or may accrue to us by virtue thereof, and any grants, gifts, rights and infeftments introduced and conceived in favour of the said burgh, provost, bailies, council and community of the same, at any time heretofore, in the hands of the said majesty, his highness's commissioner, estates of parliament, lords of exchequer and commissioners for the royal burghs respectively, and as best may consist with the law, as said is, to remain with his majesty to remain perpetually in such due and competent form as appropriate, acts, instruments and documents, one or more as need be, in these matters to ask, lift and raise, promising to hold firm and stable all and whatsoever things our said procurators or either of them, in our names in these matters, do or leads to be done; and for the more security, we consent this letter be registered in the books of council and session or others competent therein, to remain for memory, and to that effect constitutes [...], our procurators, in witness whereof (written by Hugh Dallas, commissary clerk of Ross) we and the said heritors, community and inhabitants, in token of their consent, have subscribed this letter at Cromarty, 28 May 1672, before these witnesses: Robert Innes of Muirton, Colin MacKenzie of Logie, Mr Alexander Inglis, student in divinity in Ross, and Alexander Muirson, writer in Fortrose, the date and witnesses filled up by Alexander Davidson, our clerk. Signed thus, J. Urquhart, provost and heritor, J. Lindsay, bailie and heritor, Thomas Clunies, bailie and heritor, Thomas Urquhart, bailie and heritor, Alexander Urquhart, bailie, Jeremiah Williamson, councillor, John MacKenzie, councillor, Alexander Williamson, councillor, Donald Davidson, councillor, Henry Urquhart, councillor, J. Gordon, councillor, John Urquhart, councillor, John Dunbar, councillor, J. Fraser, heritor, William Menzies, indweller, John Simpson, indweller, David Ferguson, indweller, John MacCulloch, indweller, David Miller, there, Charles Fossock, burgess, Thomas Gaire, burgess, Alexander Dondane, burgess, and J. Barkost, burgess; Robert Innes, witness, Colin MacKenzie, witness, Alexander Inglis, witness, Alexander Morrison, witness. The whole inhabitants and community of the said burgh have subscribed this letter, by me Alexander Davidson, notary public, clerk thereof, at their desire, their hands being led to my pen because they cannot write themselves, thus as aforesaid, I, Alexander Davidson, notary public, and scribe of the community of the said burgh in the foregoing, specially requested for subscribing these present letters by witness of my hand.
The king's majesty, with advice and consent of his estates of parliament, allows and accepts of the demission above-written and, accordingly, ordains the name of that burgh of Cromarty to be expunged out of the rolls of parliament and that, thereafter, the said burgh of Cromarty have no commissioner from them to parliament, nor meeting of the royal burghs, and that hereafter it be no more reckoned or accounted a royal burgh.