132 KIRKCUDBRIGHT IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 
ane of the bailyeis of the said burgh, accompaneit with ane 
guid pairt of the Counsall and communitie of the said burgh, 
past and perambulat the landis within thair teritoreis: And first 
to thair landis lyane benethe the said burgh, on the southe and 
west sydis thairof, merchand to the land of Sanct Marie Ile on 
the southe, the landis of Meikill Kirkland on the eist, and the 
sey on the west partis, qlk is devydit in fyftie skairis and set in 
few ferme to the burgesses of the said burgh for payment yeirlie 
of ijs [2s] money for ilk skair: Secundlie, to thair landis callit 
the Mylnflat, lyand at the north pairt of the said burgh, merchand 
with the landis of Lochfergus on the northe and eist partis, and 
the sey on the west partis, qlkis lands [extend to] xxv skairs, and 
ar set in few ferme to the inhabitantis of the said burgh for the 
yeirlie peyment of ijs. of few maill for ilk skair thairof: And 
thirdlie, to thair landis of Boirlandis, merchand with the landis 
of Lochfergus, Lytill Stokartoun, and Culdoche, on the southe, 
eist, west, and northe partis, qlk also are devydit in fyftie skairis 
amangis the inhabitantis of the said burgh, and were set in takis 
to thame for the space of xix yeiris, quairof thair is bot ane yeir 
or thairby to rynn, for the yeirlie peyment of xijs money of maill 
for ilk skair of the same: And fand that nathind was alterit or 
removit of the boundis and merchis of the saidis landis, boundit 
of auld tharto, but remaint still, as of befoir, sufficientlie 
merchit and proppit.’’ 
The manner in which the common good of the burgh was 
intromitted with aroused the suspicions of the Convention of 
Royal Burghs that it was not being “set to the best avail,’’ as 
the expression then was; and they called for a strict accounting 
from the Kirkcudbright commissioner. Accordingly a statement 
of the burgh’s sources of revenue, together with the manner in 
which these were set, was submitted to the Convention of 1612. 
So far as regards lands the list is not a correct one, or the 
process of alienation had gone on rapidly, for it is stated that 
there are no common lands pertaining to the burgh except the 
Borelands. These, it is further stated, are divided into a 
hundred skairs, and let at twelve shillings per skair; and it is 
explained that one half is under crop and the other half in 
pasture, “ay four yeirs about.’’ 
The Council in those days sometimes adopted rough and 
ready methods to obtain the money necessary for public 
