Series 3 > Ayr Burgh accounts, 1534-1624

xcviii AYR BURGH ACCOUNTS
the case elsewhere. Not only were the bailies responsible
for unlaws ; they usually collected stents 1 and watch-
money, the payments by the neighbours to raise a feed-
watch or burghal police, a system which alternated at
Edinburgh in the seventeenth century with periodic returns
to the primitive burgher-watch.2 Thus the bailies sub¬
mitted annual accounts of three kinds—for fines, stents,
and watch-money.3
At Ayr the bailies were responsible for the burgh-mails
(£3) and the feus of the Burrowfield (£10), but these ancient
dues were normally in arrears. Only one compt of the
unlawis is included in the Accounts, showing three blood-
unlaws and one fine for a cuff or blow—all paid to Bailie
John Osburne (1603-04).4 No reason appears for the
omission of other bailies’ compts ; if fines were not regarded
as a regular department of the Common Good of Ayr, no
doubt they were still collected by the bailies, and annually
expended on works and other common affairs of the burgh,
as in the one surviving compt. From time to time, how¬
ever, special revenues were allocated to the bailies, so that
several extraordinary compts are included in the Accounts.
The bailies received £l, 10s. for each of 141 acres of the
sands leased in 1553,5 roughly half the grassums that fell
due that year,6 and feu-duties in 1557,7 1559-608 and 1591-
1592.9 Other receipts included profits of roups,10 a mer¬
chant’s license,11 sales of the burgh’s timber12 and portions
of stents.13 The feu-duties of 1591-92 went entirely on
work at the quay (for which purpose the feus were given),
and the revenues of 1613-14 paid for work at the bridge ;
1 Infra, cix-cx.
2 For the paid watch, Edin. Rees., VI, 34, 46, 66 ; VII, 234. For the
burgher-watch, ib., VI, 282-3 ; VII, 240-1.
2 E.g. ib., VI, 270-1. 4 Infra, 53.
* P. 116. * Pp. 118-9. 7 P- 127.
* P. 33- 1’ p- I74- 10 P- 32.
11 P. 53- 12 P- 65- 12 Pp- 33. 65.
* Pp. 118-9.
* P. 174.
12 P. 65.