[1587/7/150]¹

Act in favour of the town of Polwarth

²Our sovereign lord, remembering how careful his majesty's most noble progenitors have been in appointing of particular fairs and market days to be yearly held in certain towns and places within this realm, most necessary to the commonwealth thereof and inhabitants within the same, whereunto his majesty, bearing the like good will and considering how necessary it is to have two particular fairs and market days to be set and assigned each year in the town of Polwarth, within the sheriffdom of Berwick, for buying and selling of cattle, sheep, corns, goods and others accustomed to be cost and sold within the said bounds, to the great profit and commodity of the inhabitants within the same and others resorting to the said town for buying and selling of the said goods, who must be reset and maintained upon their expenses within the said town, which lies in the most commodious and frequent part within the said sheriffdom; wherefore our sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates of this present parliament, has prescribed, appointed and assigned and, by the tenor hereof, prescribes, appoints and assigns two several and particular fairs and market days to be held yearly in the said town of Polwarth, namely, the one thereof on 24 August and the other on 13 January, to be called and named in all time coming the fair days of the said town of Polwarth, so that all his highness's lieges may resort and repair thereto for buying and selling of all such goods and merchandise; and ordains letters to be directed hereupon for publication of the premises within the said bounds in the appropriate form.