6 Anniversary Addref^s. 



been published. His account of the state of the fortifications 

 at various times, I, as an old military engineer, have read 

 with much interest ; and those who were present at the last 

 meeting at Berwick will remember the able manner in which 

 he pointed out the traces of the old works, which were de- 

 molished to make way for the present walls, constructed in 

 the time of Queen Elizabeth. He gives a good account of 

 the ecclesiastical history of Berwick, and, as was to be ex- 

 pected, a very complete record of the educational establish- 

 ments of the town, than which, few better of their class 

 exist in the country. But complete as this work is, there 

 are still many things contained in the records of the Cor- 

 poration which would form the foundation of a book enter- 

 ing more into the details of every day life ; which would 

 show the more homely character of Berwick in the early 

 days, by touching upon such matters as presentments of 

 juries and other domestic matters, descents of property, 

 boundaries, measurements, &c. ; matters not of much im- 

 portance perhaps, in themselves, but yet interesting, as 

 showing the manners and customs of the people in days 

 gone by, and which have not been touched upon by previous 

 historians of the town. 



To exemplify this I will make a very few remarks about 

 the doings of the Guild, in the 16th and 17th centuries, 

 which I have compiled from an old manuscript book kindly 

 lent to me by our fellow member, Mr R. G. Bolam, which 

 gives a good insight into the ways of the rulers of the town 

 between two and three hundred years ago. I will so far as 

 possible not refer to anything contained in Mr Scott's book. 

 This manuscript book is written in a very neat and distinct 

 hand by one Samuel Wilson, of whom all that I know is 

 from what he tells himself. It appears that he was presented 

 and approved before the Guild as apprentice to Mr Mark 

 Scott, Town Clerk, on the last day of May, 1678, and that 

 on the 13th day of August, 1686, he was sworn in and en- 

 rolled as a burgess before Ferdinando Forster, Esq., Mayor, 

 Ralph Widdrington, Esq., John Harper, Vicar of Berwick, 

 and other Justices of the Peace, and several Aldermen and 



