The book Arran; - Cook Clan

ARRAN IN POLITICS 95
was for his contumacy condemned to confinement within
the bounds of Arran; but of his entertainment we hear
nothing. Thus may such an island as ours be alternatively
a city of refuge and a prison.
II
Another side of island history comes much into prominence
during the unsettled times that preceded and
followed on the Union of the Crowns in 1603, but it was not
peculiarly a characteristic of Arran ; it marked the course
of affairs in the country as a whole. With so much chopping
and changing in religion and political parties, with so much
violence in high places, it is no wonder that law and order
should be clouded over and disregarded. Hence an increase
of crime, which, too often, was merely a sort of party politics,
and of this Arran had its share. There are earlier indications,
but in 1608 we are definitely apprised that the crimes
of murder, mutilation, theft, and reset of theft have become
' verie frequent ' in the island.^ A few years later the list
runs to ' theft, slaughter, murder, mutilation, witchcraft, and
soming,' ^ with ' pykrie ' ^ as a further annoyance.
We have already had some light on the forms of jurisdiction
there. As part of Buteshire it was within the sphere
of the Stewart sheriffs. The Earl had by charter baronial
rights over his own lands, and the coronership of the FuUartons
has already been explained. These were important
magistral powers, dealing with all petty cases and in certain
of these going far. The owner of a barony, usually acting
through his baihe, had considerable police powers, as far as
hanging for theft, and the sheriff might exercise, as the royal
representative, the highest jurisdiction short of dealing with
• Register of Privy Council, vol. viii. p. 105.
2 Ibid., vol. ix. p. 125. 'Sorning' is imposing oneself as a guest without invita-
tion for an indefinite period.
5 Petty theft.