The Trade between Dundee and Veere

Articles of Agreement for Settling the Staple Port at Campheer 1676 (Page 7).

Ratified by the Convention. 9th July, and 12th October 1676

Articles 23 to 34

 

23. Tuentie third. And for the better observance of the staple porte, it is by this article agreed unto by the conservator that no staple goods conteined in the list made thereof shall be brought and sold into any harbor of the United Provinces bot to the staple porte, under the paine of confiscation of the saids goods, and that the conservator is holden to persew the contraveners regorously without any connivance according to the lawes of the staple court, that the magistratts of this toun may make ane suteable adres to his highnes Prince of Orange for interposeing his authoritie that in case any of the Scotts nation shall importe any staple goods to any other toun or place in these provinces (besyde the staple port) that the respective magistratts of the saids touns or places may by his highnes be oblidged to assist the said conservator his deputie and other officers for bringing these of the Scotts nation to condigne punishment according to the nautre of the offence, and in case justice cannot be obntained in these touns or places in these provinces in the Netherlands then the conservator shall caus punish the saids persons (for transgressing) in Scotland acccording to the ordinances of the royall burrows and acts of parliament of that kingdom to that effect.

24. Tuentie fourth. It is by this article agreed that besyde the species of wyne and beire which by ancient contracts hes alwayes been free of excyse, so also all salt bought here by any of the Scotts nation shall be free of the said deutie in regaird they have the use thereof for cureing and dressing severall sorts of staple goods, and for the avoyding fraud and deceitt that may happen therein those of the Scotts nation shall take a billott from the pathters under the paine enjoyned to the inhabitants by the publict placcatts of this land, and the said wyne and beire to be caried by the ordinar workman appoynted for that purpose.

25. Tuentie fyfth. And lykwayes, it is agreed that the magistratts doe appoynt ane anchor with a boy thereon to be laid out in the road before the haven quherby shipps belonging to the Scotts nation may gett savely into the road in cases of eisterly and northerly winds.

26. Tuentie sixth. And also if any of the Scotts shipps can help his nighbor with the ballast from his shipp those of the scouttmen shall not be permitted to object against the same, and they shall only demand payment for such quantitie of ballast as they shall be ordered to bring aboard provyding it be no less as sex last.

27. Tuentie sevinth. And that all skippers and masters of shipps, alsweel as the residenters of the Scotts nation, are hereby holden to be free of the excyse of the wyne, beare, and salt that they may have use for thair shipps, and to have constantly bilgets given them without paying anything for the same.

28. Tuentie eight. That the magistratts doe yeirlie and everie yeir in January assemble the cranmasters, weighers, measurers, workmen, and other persones with whom those of the Scotts staple have to doe, and shall caus to be read and opublished before them all and every the tables that shall be agreid upon for the hyre and sallarie that may be demanded by the saids persons, and also to caus read any pairt of these articles wherein the abovementioned persones may be concerned, to the end they the better know how to regulate themselves therein and give all reddy obedience thereto, and in case any person shall contraveen the same they are to be punished by the magistratts according to the demerit of the offence.

29. Tuentie nynth. And whereas it will be necessarie that the saids Scotts staple court should be provyded and furnished with faithfull and fitting messengers officers and servants, and also with brookers, weighers, and measurers, that therefor the magistratts of this town, with the knowledge of the conservator, shall choise and place so many honest good and knowing persones as may be requisite for these offices, to be chosen alsweill out of the Scotts nation as inhabitants of this citie, all which persones so admitted are to take ane oath of fidlelitie before the magistratts of this toun, and also befor the conservator, for doeing right both to the buyer and the seller. The magistratts are oblidged to have in their wieghous here iron weights that may be coform to the weights of Amsterdam.

30. Threttie. The conservator and his deputie may fully and freely enjoy all such exemptions, immunities, priviledges and prerogatives as be law and custome belong to the office of conservatorship, in als ample maner and forme as any former conservator had and enjoyed upon all occasions; and also it is granted to the saids Scotts nation the freedom from the imposition of excyse upon wyne, beire, and all other sorts of drink conform to the old contracts, and particularly it is agreed that everie master of ane famillie of the Scotts nation living under the staple court shall have the freedom and exemption from payment of the excyse and uther taxations yeirlie upon sex secks of wheatt, three lasts of turff, four fathoms of wood, sex skaills of coalls, tuo barrells of butter, tuo barrellis of soap, and the conserjerie hous to be free of excyse for vivers, coalls and fryeing, and lykwayes from payment of all such soums of moiney as may be demanded for goeing out and coming in at the gates of this toun by evening, and also from watching and paying the citie watchmen, training and haveing souldiers quartered in their houses; the abovementioned priviledges also to be enjoyed by the widows of the abovesaid persones so long as they remaine widowes, and if any of the abovesaid persons shall have occasion yeirlie to kill a beast or beasts the same to be done at the knowledge of the magistratts.

31. Threttie ane. It is by this article mutuallie agreed that if at any tyme hereaftir it shall be fund convenient, either by the magistratts of this toun or the conservator, with the consent of the burrows, to amplifie or explaine any of the aforesaid articles, or what other poyntt or article shall be fund necessary for the further benefitt and advantage of the Scotts staple in this toun besyds those which stand alredy specefiet in this agreement, and nottice given thairof by the saids magistratts to the conservator and to the saids royall burrows, or by them to the saids magistratts, the same being fund equitable shall be consented unto and observed in all poynts as the articles alredy specifiet.

32. Threttie tuo. It is also by this article mutuallie agreed that for the better encuradgement of the commerce of the Scotts nation within the toun of Campheer, the magistratts are hereby bund and oblidged to caus erect a bank of money within this toun within half ane yeir aftir the setlement of the staple porte, wherby merchands, factors, and others of the Scotts nation may be furnished from tyme to tyme with such soums of money as they may have occasion of, upon securitie to them by delivering of the merchands goods to the factors, and the factors giveing securitie to the bank vpon reasonable interest of ane half per cent in the moneth, and pro rata for the dayes, weeks, moneths and yeirs untill the same be againe payed. It is hereby also provyded that during the present warre with France, money being scarce at hie rates in the interest, the saids merchants, factors, and others shall be oblidged to pey for such moneys as they may make use of at such rates as the necessity of the tyme oblidgeth others to pay, bot so soon as the warr is over then the forrgoing agreement according to the rate of sex per cent per annum to be and continow in full force according to the true intent and meaning of this article; and als it is agreed that there be no confiscation of not entred good coming from Scotland to the said staple porte by the custom office or for short entries bot only ane moderat fyne, and that ther be no more payed for measuring of plaiding then wes in Sir Patrick Drumonds tyme, viz., ane half stiver per taillie, or ane stiver the 100 elns.

33. Threttie Thrie. And if any persone or persones, citizen of inhabitant of this toun, or any depending upon the said staple court, of whatsomevor qualitie or condition, shall be fund to have acted or done anything contrare to this agreement or any poynt or claus therein conteined, yet notwithstanding the agreement mentioned in the foirgoeing articles shall not be understood to be broken or violated thairby, bot the persons contraveening (being a Scottsman) shall be punished by the conservator, and being ane citizen or inhabitant in this toun to be lyable to the punishment by the magistratts according to the qualitie of the offence.

34. Threttie four. And it is hereby agreed that if any dispute shall happen to aryse betueen the Scotts nation and the ballance masters concerning the right of those goods that are to be subject to the said ballance the ballance master shall only pretend the dewes vpon such goods as shall be reallie and truly bought to be weighed at the said ballance and no others; and the merchands to be free to sell their merchandice by the piece, number, or bulk without being oblidged to bring the same to the wiehous; and in lykemaner the cranmaster shall not demand from the Scotts merchands and factors any cran dewes bot allenerly for such dewes as he shall actuallie be employed to liver with the said cran.

Transcribed by Innes A. Duffus, Honorary Archivist to the Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee, from Dundee Town Clerk's copy of Extracts from the Records of the Convention of Royal Burghs (published by the Scottish Burgh Records Society, 1878-1918).

Iain D. McIntosh, 2021