Description | "Petition by the Provost, Baillies, Council and Community of Aberdeen, To King James VI, shewing that King Robert Bruce, while at Aberdeen, prerceiving the Barrenness and Sterility of the ground round the said Burgh, and considering the love of its Citizens to his person, and their "bauld manheid" in receiving and destroying the strong Castle built by the English for the purpose of keeping fown the Country, had, on these grounds granted to the Burgh the Forest of Stokkat [Stocket], and the Salmon Fishing upon Dee and Don for yearly payment of 320 Merks Scots;
That, lately, within the last 5 years, Goerge Auchinlek [Auchinleck] of Balmanno having acquired right to the adjacent lands of Polgony and Murcour [Murcar], had a right to the Fishings of Don surreptitiously introduced into his Infeftment by means of his Mother's Brother the Regent Norton, had fished for Salmon in the said River's Mouth, to the destruction of the Fishing in the River and had raised a process against them before the Court of Session, which was now Sleeping; the said Court being unfit to judge in the question without ocular inspection of the Ground; that unless said proceedings were stopped, the Burgh would be unable to pay, not only its Feu Mail, but also the Customs upon salmon annually paid into his Majesty's Exchequer;
And therefore beseeching his Majesty that the Court, before Judgement, would choose certain of their number, and certain of the privy Council, to visit the ground and report thereon. The Petition is undated but must have been adopted prior to 22nd June 1580." (Text from Shaw's Inventory of the Charters and Papers relating to the City of Aberdeen, of 1851) |