412 Incorporated Trades of Dumfries. 



in-law, Mr Samuel Young, clothier, that I am indebted for access 

 to them. I have also in my possession an eighteenth century 

 volume of minutes of the Wrights or Squaremen, and to it inci- 

 dental references will be made. The oldest of the Weavers' 

 books is a substantial volume bound in rough calf-skin. If we 

 could accept all the entries in it as literally accurate, it would 

 be much the earliest record of any Incorporated Trade, not only 

 in Dumfries, but in the kingdom ; for four times in succession 

 minutes are headed with the date 1074. It is, however, apparent 

 on the most cursory glance that the scribe has misplaced the 

 numerals, and that what he intended to write was 1704. The 

 date of the actually earliest entry is 1654, and it is in the follow- 

 ing quaint and rather confusing terms : — 



"At Drumfreis the year off God 1654. — The quhilk day 

 James Fergusone, Deacon, Thomas Pattersone, Trasirer, Robert 

 Gibsonne, Nicoll Heslop, Johne Tomson, Richart Dun, Johnne 

 Kennen, William Greir, masters, Thomas Willsone, officer, upon 

 the twallt day of Agust the weivers' loft was fulie complit and was 

 sat upon it. 1653 years." 



The record refers to the erection of a gallery for the use of 

 members of the trade in the old church of St. Michael, which 

 was taken down some ninety years later, but it is not quite clear 

 whether it was on the 12th of August, 1654, that the gallery was 

 first occupied, or whether this was done on 12th August, 1653, 

 and an omission repaired by inserting a minute on the subject in 

 the following year. 



The general records of the Dumfries Incorporations extend 

 back to 161 2. This minute book of the Weavers is the earliest 

 known to be extant of any of the particular trades. Before 

 proceeding to examine its contents we may recall several of the 

 more saliant facts connected with the origin and functions of 

 incorporations of crafts or trades as they existed in Scotland. 

 These obtained their first statutory sanction in 1424, when an 

 Act was passed by the Parliament sitting at Perth requiring that 

 in every town of the realm the members of each craft should, 

 with consent of the officer of the town, choose a wise man of 

 their own number, " whilk shall be holden deacon or master over 

 the rest for the time, to govern and assaye all works that bes 

 made by the craftsmen of that craft, so that the King's lieges be 

 not defrauded and skaithed in time to come as they have been 



