Memorials of the lineage, early life, education and development of the genius of James Watt

30 MEMORIALS OF
the commencement of the record " the baillie for the tyme." The
second act of court, which is titled on the margin, " Act anent the
church loft and bridge," &c, is as follows : —
" Eod. die. — James Sinclair, Archibald Murcliie, Matthew Kamsay, James Eae,
and James Hugh, Thomas Watt, the baillie for the tyme, togyr. wt. the clerk, ar
appoynted to meitt with James Tailzeor, and advyse and consult among themselves
anent repairing the church loft in the west isle, and anent the raiseing of fyftein
pound Scots dew to James Galbreath, skipper, for pouther furnished by him to the
toun in December '88, and anent the expense laid out for heids to the drum and
dressing yrof, and the expense of building the bridge wider — the expense yrof sail
be paid out of the first end of what of the mortclaith money is in James Tailzeor's
hand ; or if they will lay it on the inhabitants be way of stent, and be publictlae read
in Court, the whole vassalls and tennants of the toun assented to and ingadged to
observ as it sail be declaired and appoynted by the comittee above named, who ar
appoynted to convein for the object foresd. betwixt and the twentie of this instant ;
also appoynts the sd. comittee to lay on the vassalls of Crawfordsdyke the propor-
tioun taken of by them of Carsburns valuatione, for the sds. ten months cess payable
at the terms mentioned in the former act, qch proportiouns of the vassalls extends in
money to the soume of twentie fyv pound Scots or yrby, and it is heirby declaired
that in caise of the neceser absence of any of the comittee that any fyv of the foirsd.
persones ar to be a quorum, and the cess is to be laid on betwixt and the twentie
instant, and the money when uplifted is to be put in the hands of Thomas Watt, and
to be payed out by him when requyred."
(Signed) " Will. Campbell, Clr."
It will be remarked that one of the purposes for which " the baillie
for the tyme" and his associates were to " meitt, and advyse, and con-
sult" about, was for raising fifteen pounds Scots (equal to twenty-five
shillings sterling) due to James Galbreath, skipper, for "pouther"
furnished by him to the town in December '88, (the very month and
year in which James II. took flight,) and anent the expense laid out
for "heids to the drum, and dressing thereof." 1 One would scarcely
1 The drain seems to have been an important Crawfordsdyke, in their warlike demonstrations,
instrument in (he hands of the good people of for I find, in December 1716, a minute of the