86 Arms of the Royal Burgh of Sanquhar. 



■" the craftsmen had not attained to such liberty and privilege 

 as their craft had done in other burghs within the realm." 

 It has been suggested that the original " seals of cause " had 

 Tjeen destroyed by the fire which, in 1714, consumed so many 

 of the burgh papers. The language, however, that is used 

 l)y the craftsmen in their application does not seem to bear 

 that out. There is not a single word to indicate that they 

 had ever had possessed anything in the form of a " seal of 

 ■cause " before. It does not appear probable either that 

 these " seals of cause " would be kept along with the burgh 

 papers, for under date September 20th, 181 1, we find that 

 Robert Gumming, Clerk to the Hammermen, was fined five 

 shillings sterling for not attending the meeting, he having 

 the " seal of cause " and other books in his possession. 

 There is no mention in the " sett " of the Royal Burgh in 

 1 713 of Deacons of Craft having any seat in the Town 

 Council, but from 1719 onwards the Deacons sit along M-ith 

 the rest of the Councillors. We may take it, I think, that 

 though the trades would exist long before 171 4 they were 

 not incorporated until then. Sanquhar was, as the trades- 

 men said, behind the other burghs. In Dumfries the trades 

 were banded together by the year 1569, while in Kirkcud- 

 "bright they were incorporated in the year 1681. 



The Colours on Our Burgh Shield. 



We have now to consider the colours on our burgh 

 -shield. The ground is azure or blue, the castle is argent or 

 silver, while the masonry marks are sahle or black. The 

 ^' blazon " suggests that the arch roofs of the towers should 

 be sahle also. Wade in his book on The Symbolism of 

 Heraldry remarks that blue symbolises loyalty and truth, 

 white peace and sincerity, and black constancy, but there 

 can be no doubt, I think, that such colours were used long 

 TDefore such symbolism was thought of. The arms of the 

 Crichtons Lords of Sanquhar consist of a lion rampant 

 azure on a shield argent, and it has been generally held that 

 the colours on our burgh shield have simply been copied 

 from them. It will be observed, however, that while the 

 two colours are the same the wav in which thev are used is 



