[1617/5/51]¹

Procedure: commission

A commissioun anent barking of hyidis

The quhilk day comperit personallie in presens of his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis Alexander Craufurde, Jhonne Cleland and Mathow Craufurde, cordoneris, for thame selffis and in name and behalf of the remanent cordoneris and handleris efter mentionat, and presentit the supplicatioun underwrittin humblie desiring that the same² might be red, quhairoff the tennour followis:

We, the cordoneris and handleris not onlie of ane gryit pairt of the ledder maid within this kingdome, bot likwayis of bringing hame of the samen frome forrayne pairtis, duelling in Edinburgh, haveing now efter long prufe and tryell considderit the gryit abuse offerit heirtofore be the barkeris of ledder within this cuntrie, and that moir to the gryit hurt of the liegis in generall as to ws of our treddis in particular, as weill appeir to your honouris, quhilk growes by drawing of thair ledder furth of the bark pottis before the halff tyme expyre that suld bring the strenthh of the bark to the full perfectione and carying it away weit, raw, stinking and undressit to the mercat for present seale; and being bocht efter this maner, no man is able to decerne of the sufficient barking thairof, far les to mak any gude wark athar in schew or substance of the samen as the evill weiring thairoff witnesses to the best and gryitest soirt of the liegis within this realme, spending by this thair often returning of ledder not onlie ten tymes more bark yeirlie nor is requisit, bot likwayis by this thair unnecessarie abuse hes exhaustit the greitest pairt of the woddis within this kingdome, inforceing ws ever that ar pure treddismen to bring our ledder for the most pairt frome Londone, quhair it is often tymes sasit upoun to our utter undoing, haveing transgressit thir statutes prohibiting transportatioun thairoff. Oure humble sute heirfore is according to the lovable ordour observit not onlie in the rest of his majesties dominiones, bot in all cuntries quhatsumevir, that all barkaris off ledder within this realme may be injoyned to lett thair ledder ly in the bark poittis to the full tyme that it ressave the strenth of the bark, and thairefter to bring it sufficientlie dryed to the mercat according to the custome of all uther pairtis quhatsoevir as said is, so sall the sufficiencie of barking not onlie be easilie decernit, the rawnes, filthie and stinking handling thairof awoydit, the woddis, being ane of the ornamentis of the cuntrie, preservit, our poore tred be finding and buying our awin ledder at hame (quhilk heirtofore hes undone ws) enlargit, bot with this the most of all the liegis in generall, both for the more cheap and proffitable wear, bettir furnesit for haveing our awin hydis efter this ordour barkit and handlit, we sall not onlie be enabled to mak a gryit deall more cheaper and bettir wark thairoff, bot likwayis salbe found to prove more proffitable for waring. And albeit this airt off barking is in it selff in uther cuntreyis ane frie tred, evir admitting prenteisse for the space off diverse yeiris, utherwayis not permittit, bot heir, be the contrare, everie man that pleisis makis it his tred, quhilk hes bene the mother of this continewall corruptione. Yit we ar not desirous of the restraint of any man without it seime gude to your honoures, onlie we humblie crave that our ledder suld ressave be thame the awin full strenthe of bark and perfectioun of lying and drying as said is. And for the bettir observeing of this statute, we humblie intreate that your honoures wald be plesed to caus mak ane act heirupone to recommend the setting doun of ane certane ordoure for tryell of the sufficiencye of barking and drying of ledder and making the samen sufficient wair to the right honorable prevye counsall, and that thai caus put the same to dew executioun, without the quhilk we sall nevir be able nather to serve the cuntrey with sufficient geir nor freith our selffis of the daylie harme receaved of our nichtboure cuntrey for transportatioun as said is.

Efter the reiding and considdering of the quhilk supplicatione, his majestie and estaittis foirsaidis gave and grantit and be the tennour heiroff gevis and grantis full power and commissioun to the lordis of his majesties previe counsell to sitt thairupoun and tak sick ordoure thairwith as they sall think most sute and expedient.