(SECOND ARTICLE). by DAVID MARSHALL, F.S.A
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4 41 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE , 18998 TH Y F . O SMA , I. E EECORNOTETH N O DSE CIT ROOTH Y F MO O F PERTH (SECOND ARTICLE). By DAVID MARSHALL, F.S.A. SCOT. e Sessio th e honou th f n 1895-9I o nd o submi t r ha o thit I 6t s Societ yseriea f e contentNoteso th e Recor n th s o f o s d Roo mf Pertho , which I had been employed by the Magistrates in arranging. I then stated that there was still a remnant of the papers untouched, which it was hoped might, in the near future, be overtaken. After giving in a report, at the request of Lord Provost Dewar, of what more I thought shoul s recallee doneb dwa I o complet,t d e arrangementth e t i d an , seems desirable tha furthea t r notice given e shoulb w .dno It was my misfortune to underrate the extent of the work involved in the second undertaking, and the time which had to be spent in free- inpapere gth s fro e extraneoumth s matters among which the chiefly yla y upon the floor of one of the attics, every movement of the pile raising cloua f dustdo , whic e firsth htf o affected en lungsy e m d tha th o s ,t a t month I thought it would be necessary to give it up; but after a few days' res I returnet it again to d , and, after month laboursof ablewas , to restore many valuable documents to the principal Eecord Room, from which they had from time to time been ruthlessly torn. There is greater variety in the second series of papers than in the first, and o somt , e extent a rearrangemen, s e necessarfirsth wa t f o t y to bring the relative parts together, which would have been obviated paperthe s had been dealt a wholbeginningwit the as han at e and , amount of unseen labour prevented, irksome to myself, and, I fear, but little understoo employersy m y db . As in the case of the first series of papers, Processes-at-law and Decreets bulk largely. The shelves also groan under Criminal Processes, Confessions, Declarations, Sentences, Proceeding f Circuio s t Courts, E EECOENOTETH N SO DE CIT PERTHF BOOTH O Y5 F 41 O M. Death Sentences, Respites, Transportations, Petitions from poor im- prisoned Debtors for Aliment and Act of Grace, Dispositions by Debtors in Priso o Creditorst n , revealing muc f wha o hs bee ha t n termee th d seamy sid f humao e n life. Ther e als ar ee Licenceso Al Spiri d an t , with relative Certificate f Charactero s d Licencean , Carterso st , Brokers, e foregointh etc. l al , g extending ove a perior f froe o hundred on m d to one hundred and fifty years. Railway papers include e firsthosth tf o eprojecte d railway between Pert Dunkeld han d (1835), whic surveyes hwa Messry db s Roberd an t Allan Stevenson, civil engineers, Edinburgh (fathe d grandfathean r r of Robert Louis Stevenson) thosd an , e relativ e lineth so et subsequently carried out. x paperTa e s consisTh f Personao t l Stent Rolls, 1720-99; Window Tax Rolls, 1747-99; Assessed Tax Rolls, 1769-99; other Tax papers, 1750-1866. Among these may be noted two receipts granted to the Laird of M'Nab. e ClaimTh f Serviceo s f Heirso s , General Service d Decreetan s f o s Cognition, extend from 173 o 18501t , amon gnamee b whic y e th dma h General Service of John, third Duke of Atholl, as heir to Jean Murray, only child in life of the deceased David Murray, dyer, Provost of Perth (1694-95),—said Jean Murray being a cousin of Amelia Murray, the Duke' e onlth sys motherchil wa heiresd o dan f Jamewh ,o s s Murray of Glencarse, younger brother of Provost Murray,—of a tenement of land, workhouse, etc., lying withou e Castlth t e Gavel Port, buily b t Provost Murray, dated Perth, 28th September 1771. The Mandate Duke oth f encloses ei datf do t Dunkeldea , 25th September 1771. Another noteworthy documen a Genera s i t l Servic n favoui e f o r James Lindsay d hei ,f an Martio eldesr n so nt Lindsay, writen i r Edinburgh d grandsoan , f Jameo n s Lindsay, last Lair f Dowhillo d , Kinross-shire, of certain subjects in the Southgate of Perth, dated Perth, 12th June 1792. The Mandate of James Lindsay is enclosed of date at London, 23rd May 1792. The Shipping Papers are not numerous, and relate to the Good Will, 416 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAY 8, 1899. and Margaret of Perth, 1761-75; Breadalbane, 1792-94; Duchess of Atholl, 1801; Lord Gray, 1816-21; Eagle, and Rose, 1838-49. d othean Ship' rg paperLo s f saiso d Ros f Pertheo , whic s loshwa t on a voyage from Belfast to Archangel, 17th December 1849. An interesting lot are the papers relative to the Royal Perth City V.olunteers, enrolled 7th November 1794, and papers of the County Militia and Volunteers; lists of officers and married men, and allow- ances to their wives and children, and marching guineas; certified Return e Malth f eo s Inhabitant f Perto s h from eightee o forty-fivnt e liable to serve in the Militia (November 1802); Assessments to re- imburse the Government for their aid to the families of militia-men; Lists of the Perthshire Gentlemen Yeomanry (Dupplin Castle, 18th December 1801), etc., 1794-1814; Inlistments, Recruits, Deserters, 1774-1860. Sequestrations and Trusts occupy considerable space, and extend from 1775 towards the present time, and include papers, letters, and accoxmts of James Morriso Co.n& , merchants, 1764-98 f Bailio ; e Peter Duff, merchant, 1759 f Joho ; n Bisset, bookbinder, stationer generad an , l mer- chant, 1754-1806; additional paperMelvile th f so l Trust, 1712-1831. The Tacks of the town's mills, lands, and revenues begin in 1697, and of private estates in 1743. There is an Accompt.of the Rent of e Blackfriarsth , etc. fortr fo , y years from 168 1727o 6t ; als Estimatn oa e of the true and real rent of the Mills, Fishings, Inches, and Burrow Muir of Perth, paper171d an 2; s relativ managemene th o et variouf o t s estates countrye th n i , with inventorie householf so d furniture, etc., 1789-1830. Papers relative to combinations of workmen to raise their wages, 1799-1802; Abstract Act against Combinations among Tradesmen, 29th July 1800; Declaration f somo s e journeymen blacksmiths anent shorter hours; Petitio e Procurator-Fiscath y nb e Magistrateth o t l f o s Perth relative to Combinations of Shipmasters to raise the price of Coal, 19th April 1797,—show that contentions betweee ar n mastema d an r not new, and that what is now regarded as lawful and right, was treated in our great-grandfathers' days as criminal. E EECOKNOTETH N SDO CITE PEBTHF ROOTH YO 7 F 41 MO . papere Th Bridgs w relativ e ne buildin f th Earneo e o th t e ,f go wit h whic e celebratename th hth f eo d John Renni associates ei engineers da , ar f interesteo extend an , d from 182 1824contractoe o 0t Th . r received ,£10,000 for building the bridge, which was let the first year for XI2 9 5, the Postmaster-General paying £27, 12s. quarterly for the mail coach. papere Th s anen pooe unemployee th f tPertth o r d han d extend from speciaof 177 are 1843to l5 interesand , connectioin t n un- wit the h employed hand-loom weaver n 1819i s . The accounts of Mr Patrick Miller, junior, writer in Perth, as doer for Eobert Eobertson, Esq f Tullybeltono . e year,th etc. r s fo ,1789-98 , contain many reference e familth o f Robert yso t Kicol e poetth . , viz., Robert Jficol, tenant of the mill and mill lands of Tullybelton, the poet's paternal grandfather Johd an ,n Fenwick, "Elder John," tenan Holn i t e of Tullybelton, the poet's maternal grandfather, whose character is so touchingly portraye s grandso hi s inimitabl hi y b dn i n e poem, "My Grandfather." In previous Notes, the " Establishment of the Post Office" occupies an important place. Other relative papers have since been found. Among thesa skeleto s i e n tim e Maieth bil f l o l Coach between Edin- burgh and Aberdeen, and Aberdeen and Edinburgh, in 179—, with the contractors' names, and the distances traversed between the various stages. The coach travelled from Edinburgh by Queensferry, Kinross, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Bervie, Stonehaven, to Aberdeen, e distancth e bein hundree on g d thirty-twan d e timoth miles ed an , allowee journeth r fo dy twenty-one hour d fiftan sy minutes, allowing thirty minute r dinnefo s t a Perthr d twenty-fivan , e minuter fo s suppe t Arbroatha r . Passenger e maith ly b sfro m Aberdeen supped at Arbroath, and breakfasted at North Queensferry, for which twenty- five minutes were allowed in each case. This form was issued by the General Post Office, Edinburgh, under the authority of Thomas Elder, the Deputy Postmaster-General for Scotland. The Mail Coach was a vast improvement upo e servicth n e rendere y threb d e poorly-paid 418 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, MAY 8, 1899.