[1594/4/67]¹

Act in favour of the city of Glasgow

Our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament, understanding by supplication given in to them of before [by]² the inhabitants, freemen, indwellers above the Greyfriar's Wynd of the city of Glasgow regarding the establishing of a market at the wynd head thereof, for the support and relief of them, their wives, families and bairns and upholding of their houses and lands, the same being the most commodious and chief part of the said city for receipt of his highness and his court when occasion offers of their repairing in the country, now altogether become ruinous and almost decayed by reason of the removing of the clergy since the reformation of religion that sustained and upheld the same of before; and also the whole markets ought not to be placed at a port of the said city, but should be set at diverse parts thereof for the common commodity of the whole inhabitants thereof, since at all occasions of stents, taxations and other impositions they bear equal burden, commission was given and granted to the late Robert [Boyd], lord Boyd, Walter [Stewart], prior of Blantyre, the provost and bailies of the said city, for the most part thereof, for establishing of the beer market or salt market above the wynd head, who thereafter placed the salt market there, which was altogether incommodious by reason the same was far distant from the bridge and water of the said city where the salt is most used, and put the merchants and fishers who bought the same to great expenses of carriage and transporting thereof from the said wynd head to the bridge by the space of one mile and more. Likewise the sellers of the salt upon that occasion removed themselves to the old place nearer the said bridge where the same was sold of before, and the said commissioners were minded to have placed the beer and malt market above the said wynd head in place of the said salt market if, by the death of the said late Robert, lord Boyd, the said commission had not expired. For remedy whereof, our said sovereign lord, with advice of his said estates, by this act gives and grants full power and commission to his trusty councillor Walter, prior of Blantyre, lord privy seal, Robert Boyd of Badenheath, David Forsyth of Dykes, the ordinary ministers of Glasgow, the provost and bailies thereof, or the most part of them, to raise and lift the beer and malt market and establish the same above the wynd head of the said city to the effect above-written at any part or place thereof most commodious as they shall think expedient, and to remove the said salt market to the old station where it stood for the common benefit of the whole inhabitants, and generally all and sundry other things to do that to the execution of this present commission appertains, firm and stable etc.