122 DervorGILLA BALIOL AND OLD BRIDGE OF DUMFRIES. 
custom, with the pertinents, to the said Warden and Friars as 
freely, quietly, fully, honourably, well and in peace, in all and 
by all without any contradiction or drawback, as fully, quietly, 
or honourably as it was held, received, or in any manner pos- 
sessed, by us or our predecessors. Rendering therefor yearly 
the foresaid Warden and Friars, the offering of holy prayers, for 
every other secular service, exaction and demand, which can in 
any manner be asked or required from the said toll or custom. 
And we forsooth the foresaid James, Earl of Douglas, shall 
warrant, acquit, and for ever defend the above-mentioned toll or 
custom, to’ the foresaid Warden and Friars, as said is. In 
Witness Whereof we have commanded our seal to be appended 
to this our present charter. | Witnesses:—Hugh, Earl of 
Ormonde, our dearest brother; Master William Croyster, 
protho-notary of the Apostolic See; Sirs William Stewart and 
Symore of Glendynewyn, of Dalswynton and Glendynewyn 
Knights ; Master John Olyver, vicar of Kyrkleyn and Sir Thomas 
Gilbagy, vicar of Tralflate, with many others. At Dumfries, 4th 
day of January, 1452. 
I am advised that these charters follow in form the usual 
mode of confirmation peculiar to the times, and they are not 
original grants. 
It is made abundantly clear by the terms of these charters 
that the bridge was in existence and a going concern before 
1425, and that the customs had been in the possession of the 
Douglas family for an indefinitely earlier period. Obviously 
the bridge was a pertinent of the lordship of Galloway included 
in King David’s charter, and we must search for the era of its 
origin prior to the infeftment in favour of Archibald the Grim, 
and in connection with the establishment of the Friars-Minors in 
Dumfries, for whose benefit the customs it bore were imposed. 
The Friars were established at Dumfries prior to the year 
1265, say the middle of the thirteenth century. This is proved 
by the Exchequer accounts of that year (1265), in which are 
noted items of payment in connection with an embassage by the 
Friars to the Isle of Man.* Devorgilla Baliol, as already stated, 
at that time possessed the lordship of Galloway, and as superior 
the duty and privilege lay with her and no one else to rear the 
fabric of the bridge and, with the King’s consent, to impose the 
tolls or customs. ‘There is no competing name claiming to be 
