The town was honoured in 1681, by the visit of James, Duke of York and Albany, (afterwards James II.,) who then resided in Scotland, in a sort of honourable banishment, to escape the hostility of the Monmouth and Shaftesbury party, who were endeavouring to procure his exclusion from the throne. The magistrates and council, under date, October 21, 1680, ‘recommendis to the dean-of-guild and conveiner, to speik to thair respective incorporations, anent the provyding of partizans agane his Royal Highnes reception, and to report thair opinions to the magistrats, Saturday nixt.’ On the 4th of February 1681, the magistrates and council, in full convention, received and admitted to the honours and privileges of their burgh, ‘James, Duke of York and Albanie;’ besides a great number of his attendants, among whom is conspicuous, ‘Collonel John Churchill, attending on his Royall Highness.’ This person, at the time in question, was page to the Duke; but, in after times, reached the pinnacle of greatness and fame as Duke of Marlborough. It would appear that the magistracy presented the freedom of the town to his Royal Highness, in an expensive gold box, as the following entry occurs in the register, under date, March 14, 1681: ‘Ordains the thesaurer to pay William Law, goldsmith, thrie hundreth eightin pundis, fiftein shilling, for the gold-box he furnished to his Royall Highnes burges ticket.’ [This Law must have been the father of the celebrated projector of the Mississippi Scheme.] As a farther testimony of the loyalty of the town at this period, the following entry may be quoted: ‘The seavint day of October 1681, admittis and receaves Captain John Graham of Claverhouse, Sir Andro Bruce of Earlshall, Mr David Grahame, brother to Claverhouse, James Montgomerie, ane of the corporalls of Claverhouse troupe, Alexander Scott, writer in Edinburgh, William Dickison, son to ________ Dickison, proveist of Forfar, David Buchanan, servant to Claverhouse, John Cuming and Adam Galloway, Claverhouse trumpetters, burgesses and guild brethren of the said brugh gratis; and they present made faith, as use is. And also admittis and receaves David Neve, Robert Kerr, William Sluthers, and John Purveis, servitors to Claverhouse, John Simpson and Alexander Watson, servitors to Earleshall, John Wallace and Alexander Luggat, servitors to William Grahame, cornet of Claverhouse troupe, and John Watson, servitor to Robert Murray, ane of the said troupe, neighbours and burgesses of the said brugh, and that gratis; and ilk ane made faith, as use is.’