Scottish Bukgiial Lifk. 91 



of Parliament ; and the i^articular mode of appointment in use 

 during- the period with which we are concerned was regulated by 

 an Act of the Convention of Burghs passed in the year 1552. 

 That Act directs that the "auld Council" shall choose the new o'; 

 the Wednesday before the feast of IVIichaelmas (29th September) ; 

 that the two bodies shall meet jointly on the next Friday to 

 choose leets of candidates for the various offices of Provost, 

 Bailies, Treasurer, and Dean of Guild ; and that on the Tuesday 

 following Michaelmas, the old Council and its child, the new, 

 sliall again convene, having this time associated with them the 

 Deacons of Crafts, to make the final election from the leets thus 

 drawn up. In the case of Kirkcudbright, however, there were no 

 Deacons of Crafts until 1681, when the trades were first incor- 

 porated. 



The first of the Kirkcudbright minutes is of date 3d October, 

 157G, and is a record of " the chesing of the office men." This is 

 the first : " The qlk day Robert M'Clellane is chosin dene for ane 

 yeir, and sworne." Entries in identical terms follow with refer- 

 ence to other appointments in the order given, viz. : — 



Herbert Gledstanis and Jon Meckill, bailies. 



Thomas Andersoun, clerk. 



Johnne Crauford and three other '• officiaris." 



Thomas M'Clellane of Bomby, Provost. 



Johnne Gledstaines, thessaurar. 



Thomas Cant, kirkmaster. 

 Then comes a list of the Council, which consists of the Provost, 

 the two Bailies, and ten councillors. It will be observed that 

 neither the Dean nor the Treasurer is of the Council. This first, 

 " Thomas M'Lellen " — to use the spelling of the name adopted by 

 himself — was afterwards knighted, and was the father of the first 

 Lord Kirkcudbright. The castle which he built still stands in the 

 town over which he ruled. Of the Bailies, Herbert Gledstanis 

 sat in the Scottish Parliament as the burgh's representative. It 

 would appear that the hon. member's education did not include 

 the art of writing-, for he was one of four members of the Con- 

 vention of Burghs in 1582 who subscribed the Acts then passed 

 " with our hands at the pen, led by Johnn Guthrie, notar, at oure 

 command." The deficiency was one which he shared with the 

 commissioner from the city of Glasgow. 



