48 The Dumfries Post Office, 1642-1910. 



bring the bag before brekeawn yrof to the Clerkes Chamber to 

 the effect forsd And further Impowers any of the Magistrats as 

 they shall find cause to take the poistMr aith and his servants lers 

 enent abstracting of Ires or keeping up the same And to doe 

 every uther thing requisit enent the premisses." 



The only other reference to the postal affairs of this period 

 that we have been able to discover occurs under date 3 July of 

 the same year.^^ 



" The whilk day in presence of Robert Johnstone ane of the 

 baillies of Drumfries compeired personallie William M'Goune 

 toun post and enacted himself that he shall cary and behave him- 

 self in all time comeing peicebilie as becomes, acting nothing 

 prejudicial! to the protestant intrest Neither by word nor deid 

 nor yet asperse lyes of the pnt government under the pain of 

 ffiftie punds Scots of liquidat penaltie in caice of failzie. By and 

 attour whet uther punishment the mag. Shall be pleased to inflict 

 upon him." 



Until_ the year 1715, according to various historians of the 

 post office, there were no horse posts in Scotland except those 

 which plied betwixt Berwick and Edinburgh, and from thence to 

 Port Patrick for the sake of the Irish packets. ^^ There must, 

 however, have been earlier attempts to establish such a service. 

 We are able to supply authentic information in respect of a 

 London horse post passing through Dumfries in 1690. Thus in 

 a document preserved among the Records of Dumfries Town 

 Council and entitled, " Petitione, John M'Gillter to the toune 

 counsall of Drumfries 1690," we read as follows : — • 



" Unto the right Honll the 

 provost Baillies Conveiner 

 and toun counsall of Drumfries 

 the petition of John M'Gillter 

 prisoner in the burgh pledge-hous. 

 Sheweth 



that qr the petitioner being in this toun upon wedensday the 

 2d aprylle instant And being exceedinglie drunk Did strike att 



11. Dumfries Town Council Minutes. 



12. Joyce's History, p. 118. Lang's Hist. Summary of the 

 P.O. in Scotd., p. 9. 



