Series 6 > Perth Kirk Session books, 1577-1590

THE PERTH KIRK SESSION BOOKS: 1589
413
Seing this town is overlaid with strong idell and oncouth beggers abstracting
be their continual residence the fude and almes that jusdy appertenis to our
awin puir membris born and gottin within this town, sa that thai able17 to
starve for hungar in cais remedy be not provydit incontinent, it is ordanit
that na inhabitant within this town ressave ony of them in ludging nor gifft
them almes except to thes only that hav the haly lamb the towns mark and
takin on thar brestis.18 And that nane pretend ignorance appointis Jhon Jak
on Tuysday nixt to gang about the town and mak this knawin to our haill
nychtbores, that nane have excuse in caise thai contravene. (Act Beggers)
Quhilk day Bessie Young dochter to Walter Young swacschman19 is delatit
ane woman suspect in fornication with Thomas Schairpe parochiner of
Kynfaunis becaus scho was sene to repar to Marion Blairs house with the
said Thomas the last day of the convention and there to abyd allane with
him ane certane space being under acquentance in drinking and commoning
afore at sundrye tymes. Thairfoir ordanis the said Bessye to behave hir self
mair onsuspectly in tymes to cum, assuring hir that gif that this admonition
tak no place bot the elyk suspition fallow in that caice the suspition salbe
constit as the fact and punisit accordingly. And for observation of this scho
tuitshit the pen and consentit herto.20 (Bessie Young)
[25r] Ordanis Marion Blair seing Bessie Young hes bene sene to repair suspi¬
ciously to hir house that scho ressave not hir in this maner again nor yit na
uthers nor yit to hald sik ane house under the pane of rigorous punisment
as salbe devysit. (Marion Blair)
And seing that Cristen Gloik spouse to Alexander Connynghame is ane
greit flyter and sklanderous speiker, ordanis hir mair cristianly to leife with
hir nychtbores and not to flyt with them and sklander them and incaice scho
be found sik ane in tymes coming according to the act maid against flyters
to be punisit. (Cristen Gloik)
17 Are liable.
18 The badging of beggars native to the town was a common practice in late sixteenth-century
Europe; ‘stranger’ poor in most realms were forced back to their own parishes of origin
so that they would not place unbearable demand on the local supply of alms. Perth’s town
emblem was the lamb associated with its patron saint, John the Baptist.
19 Street sweeper.
20 That is, she put her hand on the notary’s pen when he wrote the act as an indication that
she agreed and would have signed the obligation had she been able to write her name.