Legislation
Mesuris and wechtis and the just quantitie thairof

c. ult.

Forsamekle as in oure soverane lordis lait parliament haldin at Edinburgh the xxix day of Julii last bypast, his hienes and his thrie estaitis convenit thairin, moved be the generall complaint of all his loving and guid subjectis, bot speciallie the guid firmoraris and laubouraris of the grund, gaif, grantit and committit full power and commissioun of parliament to his trustie and weilbelovit counsalour and wtheris eftir specefiit: thay ar to say, Maistir David Makgill of Neisbit, his hienes advocat, Maistir David Carnegie of Colluthie, Robert Fairly of Braid, Schir Archibald Naper of Edinbillie, knycht, generall of his hienes cunyehous, Johne Arnot, commissionar of Edinburgh, Williame Flemyng, commissioner of Perth, Robert Forrester, provest and commissioner of Striviling, Hew Campbell, provest and commissioner of Irving, or ony sevin, sex or fyve of thame conjunctlie, the said lord advocat being ane, to convene in his lugeing within the burgh of Edinburgh als oft as thay sall think expedient betuix and the last day of August bipast, and thair eftir sicht and consideratioun of the lawis and actis of parliament maid anent mettis, messores and wechtis in tyme bygane, and grundis quhairin thay haif procedit, haveand regaird to equitie and indifferance, to set, mak and establische ane mett, measour and wecht to be commoun and universall amangis all oure soverane lordis liegis to by, sell, ressave and gif out, and to present the same to his hienes and his privie consall betuix and the xxvj day of Maii nixtocum, that the same micht be notefiet to all our soverane lordis liegis with all convenient speid and diligence thairefter, as the saidis comissionaris wald anser to his hienes upoun thair obedience, ordaning lettres to be direct to chairge and compell heirto, gif neid be, in forme as effeiris, lyk as at mair lenth is contenit in the said commissioun gevin be act of parliament in maner foirsaid. According to the quhilk, ane sufficient number of the saidis comissionaris convening and haifinge sene and considderit the saidis lawis and actis of parliament maid anent mettis, measouris and wechtis in tyme bygane and grundis quhairon thay haif procedit, haifand regaird to equitie and indifferance, hes set, maid and establischit ane met measour and wecht to be commoun and universall amangis all oure soverane lordis liegis to by, sell, ressave and gif up, and thairupoun hes delyverit the repoirt and conclusioun, subscryvit with thair handis, beirand in effect that thay haif sichtit and red and considerit the saidis lawis and actis of parliament maid anent mettis, measouris and wechtis in tyme bigane, the perfyt grundis quhairon thay haif proceidit: that is to say, the elvand, the pund trois and the stane proportionat and effeiring thairto, the boll, mett, firlot and peck, the pynt, quart and galloun, everie ane in thair awin degrie and proportion; and hes fund that maist wyslie the proportionis and grundis of all thir wechtis, mettis and measouris hes bene sa establischit of auld that everie ane of thame comptrollis utheris and be just conferance makis and establischis ane certane measour and wecht, and thairfoir hes thocht maist expedient that the same proportioun and comptrolment be observit in all tyme cuming. And first, hes fund the eln and stand thairof committit to Edinburgh contening threttie sevin insches, the stane contening sextene pund trois, ilk trois pund contening sextene unce, the pynt of Stirling contening tua pund and nyne unce trois wecht of cleir watter, all the premisis to observe ane just proportioun according to the lawis and actis of parliament; and as to the firlot, quherof thair hes bene mentione maid in the act of King James the Secund to haif bene of auchtene pyntis, having tryit and comptrollit the same in deipnes and breid be the elwand and in quantitie and wecht be the said stoipe of Stirling, hes fund the same les in proportione nor it aucht to be, beand comptrollit be the rest of the wechtis and measuris abonewrittin, and this as appeiris earest be errour of the prentair be ressoun that be just calculatioun, tryell and comptrolment the same extendis to nyntene pyntis and a jowcat; and for eschewing of fraud, hes thocht expedient that all wictuall in tyme cuming salbe messorit be straik; and be ressoun that malt, beir and aittis hes bene usit to be measorit be heip, hes fund be examinatione and tryell that the heip in proportione is the just thrid of the firlot or peck, thairfoir remittit to the kingis majestie and lordis of secreit consall quhither thay thocht it maist expedient to caus mak a particulair measour for metting malt, beir and aittis be straik, or that ane measour suld stand universallie to ressave and delyver thrie for tua or sex for four of malt, beir and aittis according to the proportione of wictuall and stuff usit in tymes bipast, to be met be straik sic as quheit, ry, beanis, peis, meill and quheit salt sauld in the mercattis or in the cuntry, except the watter met to remane according to the use of the cuntry. Siclyke the saidis commissionaris hes thocht expedient that thair be double standertis of all the foirsaidis wechtis, mettis and measouris maid of brais, the ane of every ane of thame to remane in the register and the uther with the tounis to quhome thay haif bene committit of auld, to be direct furth to the haill liegis to be usit universallie, and this without prejudice to ony personis quha ar foundit, infeft or addettit be tak or contract of auld or new formes of utheris measouris, bot that thair fundatioun, infeftment, tak or contract sall stand in effect and the measour of thair fundatioun, infeftment, tak or contract salbe proportionat to the measour now to be establisched by his majestie, his parliament and consall, sua that the samen quantitie sall remane with the gevar and the ressaver, but prejudice of ony of thame, as the said repoirt exhibit to the lordis of secreit consall at mair lenth proportis. Quhilk being sene, considerit and allouit be thame, thay thairfoir, according to the power and auctoritie of the said parliament maid report of the saidis comissionaris, haif decernit and ordanit and, be thir presentis, decernis and ordanis the firlot to be augmentit and the standert thairof to be of the forme eftirspecefiit and to contene nyntene pyntis and tua jowcattis, and this to be the measour of all wictuall and stuff usit in tymes bipast to be sauld be straik, sic as quheit, ry, peis, bennis, meill and quheit salt sauld in mercattis or in the cuntry, the wydnes and braidnes of the quhilk firlot under and abone ewin ovir within the burdis sall contene auchtene insches and sext part of ane insche, the deipnes, sevin insches and half insche, and the peck to be maid effeirand thairto; and that the steppis of the said firlot be of the auld proportions in thiknes, of bayth the burdis, ane insche and ane half, that the bottom thairof be corssit with irne naillit to the same and to the ryng of the firlot and the edge of the bottom entering within the laggyne be pairit outwith toward the nethir syde, and to be maid inwith plane and just rewll richt, that the mouth be ryngit about with a circle of girth of irne, inwith and outwith, haveing a croce irne bar passing ovir fra the ane syd to the uther, thrie squarit ane edge down and a plane syde up, quhilk sall gang rewll richt with the edge of the firlot and every squair salbe a just insche of breid, and that thair be a prik of irne ane insche in roundnes, with a schulder under and abone, ryssing upricht out of the centrie or middis of the bottom of the firlot and passing throw the middis of said ovir cors bar ruiffit bayth onder and abone, and that the couper caus the richt straik of the said firlot pas fra the ane end of the said ovir irne bar to the tothir. And be ressoun that malt, beir and aittis hes bene usit to be mesorit be heip, and for eschewing of fraude, thinkis expedient and ordanis that all victuallis salbe measorit be the straik in tyme cuming, seing be just tryell and examinatioun the heip in proportioun, is fund the thrid of the firlot or peck, and that the foirsaid measour of the firlot and peck stand universallie, ressaveing and delyvering thrie for tua or sex for four of malt, beir and eittis according to the proportioun abone wrettin, except the watter met to remane according to the use of the cuntrey; and that thair be double standertis of the firlot maid of brasis be the burgh of Linlithgow, and of the foirsaidis utheris mettis and wechtis be the utheris burrowis to quhome they haif bene committit of auld, and ane of every ane of thame to remane in the register and the uther with the saidis burrowis, and the just measour and quantitie of the same to be directit furth be the saidis burrowis to the haill liegis of this realme, to be usit universallie in maner and forme befoir rehersit. And that the foirsaidis wechtis, mettis and measouris with the quhilks all and quhatsumevir personis salbe haldin to by, sell, mett, measour, wey, ressave and delyver haif cours allanerlie within this realme eftir the tuentie sext day of Maii nixtocum, and na utheris wechtis, mettis, messores, under the panis contenit in the actis of parliament maid heiranent in his umquhill darrest moderis dayis. And that all firlottis to be usit in mercattis, baith to burgh and land, be brint and seillit with the birning irne of the heid burgh of the schire quhair the saidis mercattis ar haldin, and that all provestis and baillies of burrowis and cities, bayth of regalitie and ryaltie, and als the baillies of burrowis in barronie and utheris, quhatsumevir places quhair mercattis of victuall ar haldin, salbe bund that all messoris to be usit salbe of ane forme and quantitie according to this present act; and gif ony different measouris be fund in ony of the places abone wrettin, the saidis provestis and ballies of ryalteis and regalities and baronies to be accusable thairfoir, conforme to the saidis actis and lawis maid be his hienes darrest mother of befoir, provyding alwayis gif ony personis be fundin or infeft or addettit to tak or contract of auld or new fermes of uther measouris thane ar abone wrettin, thair fundatioun, infeftment, tak or contract, quhidder it be mair or less, salbe proportionat to this measour that now is sua that the same quantitie sall remane with the gevar and ressaver but prejudice of ony of thame. And ordanis the clerk of register to insert this present act in the buikis of parliament, ad futuram rei memoriam, and that lettres be direct for publicatioun of the premisis be oppin proclamatioun at the mercat croces of the heid burrowis of this realme and uther places neidfull, that nane pretend ignorance of the same, commanding and charging all and sindrie the saidis provestis and ballies of burrowis and cities, baith of regalitie and ryaltie, and als the ballies of burrowis in baronie and utheris, quhatsumevir places quhair mercattis of victuall ar haldin, to put in executioun this present act and every pairt thairof sa far as concernis thame, sua that the same may tak full effect efter the said xxvj day of Maii nixtocum, eftir the forme and tennour of the saidis actis of parliament and under the panis above wrettin contenit thairin, with certificatioun to thame, and they failyie, thay salbe callit, accusit and the panis of the saidis actis salbe execut upoun thame with all rigour in example of utheris.

  1. NAS, PA2/13, ff.153v-155r. Back
  2. 'V' written in margin. Act written in a different ink, and possibly a different hand, from the rest of the 1587 material. Back
  3. This may be an abbreviation for 'last act'. Back
  4. This act, as indicated by the first line, refers to a parliamentary commission, which is recorded here because it was expressly given legislative powers outwith the meeting of parliament. See PA2/13, f.86v, 1587/7/21. Back
  5. End of the volume, except for what appears to be draft material from 1593. Back