Oppressions of the Sixteenth Century in the Islands of Orkney and Zetland: From Original Documents
History
Oppressions of the Sixteenth Century in the Islands of Orkney and Zetland: From Original Documents
Orkney (Scotland) -- History; Shetland (Scotland) -- History
Item, It is complenit be the maist part of the Comownis of Zetland, that
thai ar oppressit and wranguslie handilit be the Kirkmen and thair
factoris, and specialie in the paying of thair corne teynd; that quhair
thai wount of auld use and custome to pay for thair corne teynt,
equivalent thairoff in fresche fische or hard butter, ulie, or sic vther
mony wourthis as thai might furniss, because of the scarsitie of cornis,
quhilk thai payit zeirlie in maner foirsaid. Quhill laitlie that new
vicaris and factoris are placit in the cuntrie, sic as James Hay, Mr.
William Lauder, Barthol Strang, Andro Giffart, quha hes abolesit and put
away the auld use and consuetude of payment in maner foirsaid, and
compellis thame now to pay butter and ulie allenarly upoun the grit and
new augmentit weyis and messouris, or ellis pryces according to thair
plessure, quairthrow thai ar hevely hurt and dammageit zeirlie.
Thairfoir thai desyir that thai be brocht to the former use of payment,
or ellis to ressaive fra thaim zeirlie, at dew tyme, thair corne teynd
itself in the scheiff. And gif thai refuse to do that, that thai may
have libertie to teynd thair cornis be honest men, and sett it aseid,
and intromitt with their awin stok.
HEIREFTIR THE PARTICULAR COMPLEINTIS followis, giffin in befoir the
Commissionaris, place, zeir, and dayis respective before
specifiit—
In the first, the Comownis of Fetlair—to wit, Nicholaus Patersoun in
Crocebustare, Magnus Spailman, Olaw Gregoriussoun, John
Patersoun—complenis upon the Laird, qua tuik fra thame for ane pece of
see-drewin tre, of twa faddoumis lenth, estemit be estimatioun and
valour of nyne s. allanerlie, the sowmes respective following, quhai
nowther summond, callit, nor dempt. First, Nicholaus Patersoun foirsaid,
was poyndit and compellit to pay fyve dolouris to the Laird; his brother
Johne in Crocebustare was compellit to pay aucht dolouris. Magnus
Spailman was compellit to pay aucht dolouris. Olaw Gregorsoun and his
twa brotheris war compellit to pay amang thame nyne dolouris. This
cleirlie provin be the haill rest of the nichtbors of the Yle foirsaid.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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