Gill Patersons research
Gill Paterson, a Burntisland Heritage Trust volunteer, has examined and transcribed several old records in the National Records of Scotland relating to Burntisland in the year 1633 - the year in which King Charles I baggage ferry sank in the Firth of Forth. Gill has been assisted by Andrea Morrison.
[Transcription of the image on the right, which is the first page of the 30 October 1633 entry.]
Penultimo Octobris 1633
The quhilk day
being appointit for setting doun of the
townis parte of the fyft termis payment
of the kingis ordinare taxatione grantit
by the estaittis of this kingdome to his
Majestie at the General convention of the
estaittis hauldin at edinburgh in the moneth
of July 1630 herein. And of the
townis parte of the taxatione grantit
to the senators of the college of justice
by the estaittis of this kingdome in the last
parliament hauldin at Edinburgh in the month
of [June] 1633 herein.
The townis parte of the fyft terme of the
King his majestie his ordinare taxation extends
To the somme of [not transcribed]
Transcription of the image on the right, which is a specimen page from the stent list. We do not know what the 'x' in front of some names means; nor were we able to transcribe the sums due.]
(Left hand column)
jone anderson alias [brasone]
alexander gib
johne arnot
jone stedman
jone watsone
wm andersone
walter malcolme
wm broun skippar
andro barclay
adame stevinsone
margaret danzeill
jone henrysone
david bissitt
robert schaddo
james angus
jone [ninckarsie]
alexander stanhone
andro cregh
jone broun younger baxter
jone stoddart flesher
(Right hand column)
james orrok
janet geddie
margaret russell
jone cusing
david gourlay
alexander ged
agnes broun
jone scot younger
james huntare
rbt huggone
james wat elder
david marshall
david archibald
jone [hainisun]
jone allane
bessie thomsone
w(a)m hair
alexander finlay
National Records of Scotland B9/12
National Records of Scotland B9/12
The Burntisland Town Council minutes of 1633 were a major source in Gill Paterson’s research into the Burntisland events of that year. For example, the minutes of 30 October 1633 contained the stent list (taxation roll) which gave us the names of 277 residents at that time
The Town Council records are contained in narrow bound books and are not available online. They are written in secretary hand and contain many archaic Scots words. Spelling is haphazard, as is the use of punctuation and capitals. Words are often abbreviated to save space. The Council usually met weekly. This extract is from the record of the meeting at which the stent list was discussed: “The Council meetings were held with strict decorum and regularly weekly. The hours of meeting were unearthly, modelled on the daylight-saving lines.”
