106 RECORDS OF THE BURGH OF LOCHMABEN. 
existed as a royal burgh for at least a century before, and owed 
its origin to King Robert the Bruce. 
The original burgh charter, believed to have been granted by 
Robert the Bruce, is said to have been destroyed in 1463, when 
the town of Lochmaben was burnt in a raid made by the Earl of 
Warwick. The early records of the burgh have disappeared in 
some mysterious way, and no trace of them can be found. The 
minute books of the burgh are also defective, and do not go 
further back than 1718. ‘The first minute is dated 29th Septem- 
ber, 1718, when the annual election of the Provost, Magistrates, 
and Councillors was held, William, Marquis of Annandale, being 
elected provost. As shewing the free and easy customs indulged 
in by the inhabitants, it is recorded that complaints having been 
made to the Town Council that the streets were obstructed by 
some of the inhabitants of the burgh being in the habit of building 
peat stacks and laying down middens in the streets, a committee 
was appointed to deal with the matter, and a penalty of 10 pounds 
Scots imposed upon any inhabitant continuing the practice there- 
after. On 24th September, 1720, the Town Council, “taking 
under their consideration the great loss which the community is 
at through the want of a tolbooth, they unanimously resolved that 
whatever money shall be found in the treasurer’s hands or due to 
the town shall be applied towards the building of a Tolbooth, 
and seeing that the town will not of themselves be able to promote 
and accomplish so good and useful a work they request John 
Shand to make application at the next annual convention for help 
that way, also to apply to the Marquis of Annandale, late Provost 
and Steward of the Stewartry, for assistance towards the building 
thereof.’’ In the following year the subject was again considered 
by the Town Council, and, as it was reported to them that many 
’ well-wishers to the burgh were willing to contribute 
towards the building of a  Tolbooth provided _ their 
generosity was not misconstrued, the Council resolved, ‘ to accept 
of what any person pleases to contribute or give that way upon this 
express provision, that the person that is the giver declares by a 
writ under his hand that it is not in view of the elections of the 
burgh, but given as a free gratuity, and the person or persons 
giving are to be recorded in the town’s books with the sums given 
by them, and the Magistrates and Council hereby promise and 
declare faithfully that they shall not on account of anything that 
