1590 Document of Arbitration
Transcription and Translation by Gill Paterson & Andrea Morrison
Cover Page
Burntisland Heritage were fortunate in receiving several old Title Deeds and assorted legal documents belonging to long deceased people and families, from Ian Gordon, when retiring from his legal practice in town. Most of these documents dated from the eighteenth century, written on parchment and vellum. Among these I discovered a small piece of folded paper held together by dried and browned Sellotape. On carefully opening this single sheet I was intrigued to see the date, 1590. It would be amazing for this flimsy hand produced paper to have survived over 430 years; However, it has proved to be genuine.
The document itself is a simple agreement between parties to go to arbitration over a boundary dispute. Its greater importance is the insight it gives us into some of the early families of Burntisland. The document was drawn-up prior to the Union of the Crowns, (1603). Scotland was a fully sovereign independent country. Burntisland Town Council had been inaugurated barely two years previously. Building of the Parish Church had not commenced (1592), The early spelling of the town is used, (Brintiland). The document precedes the official records of the town by six years. We have the names of 18 local people, many of them long-term residents of the area such as Orrock, descendants of whom lived in the town until recently, Ged, of Ged’s Mill. Also, the name Clephane appears, a John Clephane was elected provost in 1588. We come across reference to Glassmount, Geds Mill, Wester Kinghorn, all identifiable today.
We are fortunate in having among our members, Gill Paterson, and her friend Andrea Morrison, they have spent many hours in translating the document, written in both Latin and Scots, into modern English.
Burntisland has a long and rich recorded history, this document adds to our knowledge. Who knows what Gill and Andrea may find when they dip into our remaining treasure-trove. GMcL
INTRODUCTION TO I590 DOCUMENT
The document was written in 1590, before the Union of the Crowns, when James VI was on the throne. It is in Secretary Hand and contains many archaic Scots words and legal terms. At some point it has been mended with sellotape, which has now yellowed, making some words difficult to read. In the original document Burntisland is written as “brintiland” and Kinghorn Wester as “ Kingorne Waster” (the part of town around the Kirkton church, outwith the burgh). It contains the names of eighteen local people, many of them burgesses of Burntisland. In the following translation these names have been written with more modern spelling eg “Johnnne Bosuell” has been updated to John Boswell. Punctuation has been added to the translation. Words that we’ve been unable to decipher or are unsure of are contained in square brackets.
Gill Paterson & Andrea Morrison. Document in possession of George Mclauchlan, Burntisland Heritage
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Page 1
My initial thought when I discovered this document was to criticise whoever stuck it together with Sellotape, however, on reflection, it is probably the tape that has kept the page together and in one piece. We now know never to use ordinary sticky tape to mend papers and documents, in this case we forgive whoever thought the document worth saving. GMcL.
Town Drummer by Douglas Gray
