[1587/7/54]¹

Concerning proclamation for serving of brieves

²Item, for the eschewing of such hurt and inconvenience in time coming as sundry parties heretofore have sustained through proclamation of brieves at places doubtful and appointing them to be served in places uncertain, far distant from the head burghs of the sheriffdoms where the lands lie, which has most frequently occurred in some sheriffdoms where there are some other jurisdictions of stewartries or bailiaries within the bounds of the same sheriffdoms, and some sheriffdoms whereof the head burghs are decayed or fallen in disuse; for remedy of the which inconveniences and doubts in time coming, it is statute and ordained that all brieves for service of lands lying within the bounds of the stewartries of Strathearn and Menteith shall be proclaimed at the market cross of Perth and to be served at the places used and wont within the said stewartries; all within the stewartry of Fife by open proclamation at the market cross of the burgh of Cupar in Fife; all within the bailiaries of Kyle, Carrick and Cunninghame at the market cross of the burgh of Ayr; all within the stewartries of Kirkcudbright and Annandale at the market cross of Dumfries; and that the places of serving of brieves and holding of courts to that effect be always in the tolbooth of the head burgh of the shire, stewartry or bailiary or other parts of the same stewartries and bailiaries where brieves were most usually served and courts held to that effect of before.