[A1601/9/2]¹

Regarding the cloth making

Our sovereign lord and estates presently convened, considering that the profitable enterprise and device of cloth-working within this realm and of importing of strangers within the same for the better accomplishing of that errand was accepted and taken in hand by the burghs, and that diverse announcements have been made by the lords of his highness's privy council to the magistrates and council of Edinburgh to have that matter effectuated, which as yet by negligence and oversight has taken very small success; therefore, it is declared by his majesty and estates presently convened that, in case between now and the feast of Michaelmas [29 September] next the said burghs in the importing of strangers and provision of them shall not satisfy that which was enjoined to them and which shall be found fit and expedient by the lords of his highness's privy council to have been done in that matter, in that case they shall lose whatsoever privileges and immunities which they pretend to have of the said cloth-working allegedly granted to them by any of his highness's predecessors; and it shall be lawful for his highness, with advice of his said privy council, to give and grant power and liberty to any that his highness shall make choice of to undertake the said cloth-working that thereby both his highness's profit may be advanced, the country benefited and such a work receive no longer delay.