[A1641/8/97]¹

[Supplication of the burgh of Perth for repairing the bridge of Tay]

Petition for the bridge of Perth²

Most sacred and dread sovereign, to your majesty and estates of this present high court of parliament humbly means and shows we, your servants, the provost, bailies, council and community of the burgh of Perth, that where in the month of October 1621 by a fearful inundation such as no man living has seen nor read of, not only many private houses of the said burgh were overthrown to the undoing of the owners, but also our tolbooth and works of our common mills and walls were greatly spoiled and overthrown in sundry places. And (which we lament most) our bridge being the only safe and certain passage between the north and south parts of this realm in all kinds of weather was utterly overthrown and run down, the want whereof is most hurtful to many of your majesty's subjects in this kingdom, but of all others most hurtful to us, the burgesses and inhabitants of the said burgh, the trade and commerce thereof being thereby altogether decayed. In commiseration of so hard a state of so ancient a burgh founded by your majesty's royal antecessors, next to Edinburgh many ages in rank, public burdens and services, and commodiously situated in the centre of this realm, has for advancement of trade and ease of the lieges on all parts about the same it pleased your sacred majesty and your late dearest father of eternal memory not only to design monies of your own proper means for re-edifying a new bridge at the said burgh, but also by several letters to recommend the advancing of the said work to the secret council of this realm in such sort that many of them and of the other nobility within this kingdom and sundry noblemen of England were moved by example of your majesty's gracious and pious intention to so good a work to promise several sums of money for that work; which hitherto has been from time to time, partly by the troubles of the times and partly by decease of your majesty's royal father and other intervening impediments, impeded and stopped, so that as yet there is none of the monies promised for that use collected, nor no other course as yet taken for re-edifying of the said bridge, which would in some measure prevent the great decay and apparent ruin of the said burgh. Therefore we humbly beseech your majesty and estates of this high court of parliament that some course may be taken in this present parliament whereby monies may be provided for re-edifying of the said bridge and order given for doing thereof. And that either out of the bishops' rents, whereof a great part may justly be utilised upon this errand, it being a pious, religious and charitable good work, both for the well of the said burgh and of a great part of the whole kingdom, or by any other means or way that shall be found to be most expedient and convenient by advice and direction of your sacred majesty and estates of this present parliament.

29 October 1641

Read in audience of his majesty and parliament, who nominated [John Drummond], earl of Perth and [George Hay, earl of] Kinnoull and [Mungo Murray], viscount of Stormont for the nobility; [Sir Gilbert Ramsay], laird of Balmain, [Sir John Moncreiffe of] Moncreiffe and [Sir Thomas Myreton of] Cambo for the barons; [James Cochrane and Richard Maxwell], the commissioners of Edinburgh, [Patrick Leslie, commissioner for] Aberdeen and [James Sword, commissioner for] St Andrews, to think upon the best propositions and overtures for satisfying the desire of the supplication and to report these to the parliament.³