The Market Cross of Dumfries. 205 



be taken by the low oblong buildings with shops " laigh and 

 heigh " on the north of the Midsteeple, commonly known at the 

 present day as the "Midsteeple Buildings." The explanation is 

 to be found in the financial condition of the burgh during the 

 years 1567 to 1576 or thereabout. During that period the burgh 

 was in debt. The cause of the debt is obscure, as no records 

 seem to exist for the period at which it was incurred, but the 

 results of the debt were considerable. The Council was forced 

 to put in wadset first, in 1567, two of the booths under the 

 Tolbooth, each redeemable on payment of £30 Scots, ^^ and in 

 May, 1569, "the haill Tolbuyth " to Thomas Newall, who 

 granted a letter of reversion abrogating his rights whenever the 

 burgh should pay him " seven score and ten pounds Scots, ^'^ and 

 these appear to have been all redeemed in 1575 and 1576.^5 To 

 remove the debt and redeem the Tolbooth was the reason given for 

 the disposal of the Greyfriars' Convent,^^ and we may reasonably 

 conclude that the same state of affairs caused the Council to feu 

 out the site of the Market Cross, which, with the markets so 

 close to it, would be an admirable position for shops. It is 

 probable that the feuing of the site was not so much for the sake 

 of the ready money as for the additional advantage of having the 

 Cross rebuilt without expense to the burgh. 



We may reasonably conjecture that, prior to 1575 the Cross 

 was similar in design to other market crosses in Scotland, a pillar 

 upon a raised platform reached by a few steps. The extent of 

 the ground upon which it stood was 13.35 feet north and south 

 and 11.98 feet east and west ; that is, almost square. In 1575 the 

 pillar had fallen, nothing but the stump remaining. 



On 13th January, 1575, " the counsell fyndand the mercat 

 corce of this burght falling and decayit ordains the samyn to be 

 ropit and sett in fewe to him that will bid maist therfore provyding 

 that the f ewar quhasomever obtenand the Rycht yrof and byggand 

 the samyn to his awn vtilitie and profett be buthis ane or ma sail 

 big the said corce In alss sufficient forme as the samyn was befoir 

 the falling and fewing thairof and sail vphald the samyn thair 



13. To John Gile&pie, Sheriff Court Books, 3, ix., 1567; to 

 Thomas M'Mynnes, 3, ix., 1567. 



14. Inventory of Charters, Etc. Burgh Charter Room. 



15. Burgli Court Books, 18, xii., 1575; 3, iv., 1576; 6, v., 1576. 



16. Op. cit., 1, xi., 1571. 



