| Description | The Old Aberdeen Miscellaneous Papers is a collection of bonds, petitions, warrants, receipts, proceedings, correspondence, oaths and allegiance, and other papers, primarily relating to the administration of the burgh during those years. The collection also includes a significant amount of early eighteenth-century material relating to the Justices of the Peace for Aberdeenshire. The following is an attempt to highlight key document types that feature within the collection. Please note that this does not amount to a complete listing of all of the items.
Aberdeenshire Justices of the Peace records:
The sizeable amount of material has emerged relating to the Justices of the peace for Aberdeenshire, the bulk of it dating to the years 1707-1710, but carrying on in sporadic fashion into the 1710s (and carrying through into the 1720s, at least (see OA/1/6/4)). It is unclear why there seems to have been a sudden explosion of such material in 1707. What is noticeable is that for the years 1711-1712 there is an increase in bailie court material, thus perhaps indicating that the bailie court began asserting itself as the preferred route by which to obtain justice. Little is heard of the bailie court during the years 1712-1719 when there was no legal magistracy in the burgh, but then there is a surge in material for 1719 when the council was reconstituted. The documents relating to the Justices of the Peace for Aberdeenshire are as follows: OA/1/6/3/195, 198-204, 211, 214, 215, 222-241, 245-251, 253, 256, 260-263, 265-274, 276-278, 281-287, 290-292, 299, 305, 327, 331, 351, 352, 356, 362, 363, 365, 371, 372, 375, 376, 378, 380, 393, 394.
Bonds:
These consist of signed statements in which individuals commit themselves to carrying something out. Common examples include promises to make a payment of some kind, or to act as a cautioner on someone's behalf. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/39, 49, 90, 93, 99, 101, 103, 110, 119, 124, 147, 149, 154, 155, 157, 159, 165, 167, 170, 177, 179, 185, 186, 188, 197, 205, 207, 209, 213, 219, 220, 221, 254, 264, 290, 313, 328, 338, 444.
Burgh court records:
These documents record processes and proceedings relating to courts held within the burgh of Old Aberdeen, principally the bailie court. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/18, 106, 108, 121, 125, 135, 143, 144, 156, 175, 182, 183, 192, 306, 308, 332-336, 346, 379, 382, 383, 428, 429, 432, 438-440, 443, 445-447, 455.
Correspondence:
Little in the way of official burgh correspondence survives for these years. They are: OA/1/6/3/19, 58 322, 326, 339, 342, 343, 347.
Crown executive directives:
These consist of directives and decisions made in the name of the crown and addressed to the council of Old Aberdeen. Prior to 1707 these seem to have come from the Privy Council of Scotland, and in many cases they were in response to petitions that had been submitted to that body. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/16, 44, 46, 80, 104, 140, 162, 163, 168, 178, 288, 294, 295, 296, 368, 369.
Head Court records:
Between the years 1712 and 1719 no legal magistracy sat in Old Aberdeen. The reason for this break in official council governance remains obscure, but it is certainly noticeable that the bailie court seems to have stopped functioning during these years. During this period, administrative matters were still being discussed and voted on in general public meetings of the inhabitants of the burgh. A number of documents survive which attest to the existence of this 'Head Court': OA/1/6/3/181, 348, 350, 353, 355, 358, 367, 392(1), 373, 461
Messenger confirmations:
Messenger confirmations are signed and witnessed statements by town messengers, officers and town sergeants attesting to the fact that they have carried out a warranted action on behalf of the town council of Old Aberdeen or on behalf of the Justices of the Peace for Aberdeenshire. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/14, 100, 102, 115, 120, 125, 132, 161, 174, 201, 202, 229, 230, 240, 246, 249, 250, 252, 253, 268, 269, 270 (1), 270 (2), 271, 272, 273, 274, 287, 297, 310, 311, 312, 315, 316, 317, 320, 324, 327, 329, 330, 352, 362, 366, 371, 386, 387, 390, 391, 393, 430, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 449, 455, 462.
Monetary accounts:
Many documents relate to monetary accounts. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/37, 50, 51, 53, 61, 73, 77, 87, 94, 105, 117, 123, 127, 128, 130, 131, 169, 194, 208, 210, 331.
Oaths of allegiance:
The papers for 1609-1719 include a sizeable number of anti-Jacobite oaths of allegiance. Typically, these consist of statements of loyalty drawn up by the council of Old Aberdeen, with space provided for the inclusion of signatures of magistrates and burgesses. The oaths are as follows:
OA/1/6/3/133, 134, 139, 301, 304, 384, 385, 451, 452, 454
Petitions:
For the most part these consist of complaints by people who were looking to achieve a just settlement of some kind, either from the council or from someone who has committed a crime. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/63, 88, 226, 227, 231, 237, 260, 267, 278, 281, 286, 363, 365, 374, 375, 381, 425, 431, 444. There are also a large number of petitions from people requesting admission as burgesses. Most of these date to the year 1719 when the council was reconstituted. The burgess admission petitions are as follows: OA/1/6/3/155, 357, 359, 392 (2), 395, 397, 398, 399-405, 407-413, 415-422, 426, 427, 441, 460, 463.
Precepts and warrants:
These are formal instructions or commandments issued by either the town council or the Justices of the Peace for Aberdeenshire. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/54, 69, 70, 171, 172, 173 228, 258, 265, 323, 360, 380, 414, 450.
Receipts and discharges:
The collection contains a significant number of receipts in which individuals provide record of the fact that they have paid, or have been paid, certain sums of money. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/15, 17, 28, 35, 43, 52, 59, 75, 79, 86, 87, 97, 107, 137, 142, 145, 146, 148, 151-153, 160, 166, 176, 180, 193, 196, 211, 216, 218, 251, 321, 437.
Taxation records:
These are records relating to the collection of customs, excise and cess payments for the burgh. They are as follows: OA/1/6/3/1-4, 6-11, 16, 38, 45, 46, 48, 55, 57, 60, 61, 68, 71, 73, 76, 78, 95-97, 104, 111-113, 122, 254, 337, 361, 396, 406, 457.
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