he concept of the Burgess oath belongs - Aberdeen City Council

he concept of the Burgess oath belongsto feudal times and is mentioned in TheLaws of the Four Burghs, traditionallyascribed to King David I. An Aberdeen textwritten on the original flyleaf of theCouncil’s Register for 1585-1589 may wellbe the original medieval oath, and reads -I Salbe Leill and Trew to the King of Scotland hisairis and successouris to the burgh and fredome ofabirdeneNevir Skayth other Manis proffeit for feeI sall obey to the officiaris of this burgt to quhatestgait that ever I cumI sall voit, cheis nominat nor elect na persone norpersones to be provest nor baillie of this burgt botburgessis merchandis traffiquaris, and actualindwellaris of the samynI shall giff leill and trew counsale and the bestquhen I am requyritI sall conceile the counsale of this burgt warnethaime of thair skaythe and lat it at my powerI sall governe na unfre manis gudis under colour ofmy aininI sall scat, lott wache walk and ward with theinhabitants therofNa lordship to seikit in contrar the liberte of thisburgtSwa help me god be my awin hand and all that godmaid.TranslationI will be true and faithful to the King of Scotland,his heirs and successors, and to the burgh andliberty of Aberdeen(I will) never injure another man’s well being forprofitI will obey the office bearers of this burghwhatever position I reachI will not choose, nominate, vote for nor elect, anyindividual or individuals to be provost or baillie ofthis burgh except burgesses (who are) merchanttraders and actual residents of the same burghI will give true and honest advice to the best of myability when neededI will keep secret the deliberations of this burgh(I will) forewarn them (sc. the burgesses in council)of harm and prevent it if I canI will manage under pretence of ownership thegoods of no one (who is) not a burgessI will pay my due share of taxation and undertakewatch, patrol and guard duties in turn with theinhabitants of the burgh(I will) seek no patronage to the injury of thefreedom of this burghSo help me God - by my own hand and by allGod’s creation

BURGESS OF GUILDABERDEEN1214This page: Castlegate with Tolbooth and Mercat CrossOpposite: Medieval Oath with TranslationCover: William the Lion Charter 1201

Dean and Assessors with the pre 1824 City Weights and MeasuresStanding: Alex Cocker, Dorothy Cryle, Joan Catto, James BarrackSeated:Colin Crosby, Dean of Guild Bill McKimmie, Senior Assessor Fred Dalgarno

erdeen can look back on a long andinteresting history, especially from1124 when, as a growing centre oftrade and commerce, it became a Royalburgh and therefore won special distinctionwith other principal burghs in Scotland.Much of that history stems from theactions of its early Burgesses, thoseresponsible citizens who, appointed asfreemen, were charged with guarding theburgh’s laws and customs as well as theburgh itself. Their loyalty to King andcommunity brought its own rewards byway of trading privileges as well as thegeneral esteem in which they were held.The intention of this booklet is topresent a simple account of the roleplayed by Burgesses down through theyears, a role that helped lead the burghto a more organised and, later,democratic system of local governmentwhereby in time a broad band of citizenscould claim the right to vote or, indeed,to stand for the local Council.Under a charter granted by KingAlexander II, who reigned from 1214 to1249, merchant Burgesses were giventhe sole right to form a Guild, and thisbody exercised considerable power inthe composition of the local Council.That Guild, now no longer confined tomerchant members, remained an integralpart of the Council for than 700 yearsand played a considerable role in thegrowth and development of Aberdeen,but the role of Burgesses of Guild todayis very different from that of theirpredecessors.While it is essential we retain andnurture the traditions of the organisation,I feel that the time has come for thatnew role to be more clearly defined sothat the huge wealth of talent andexperience in our ranks can be put tobetter use in this modern era.It takes only a brief glance at the longlist of names, professions and businessesand therefore interests, experience andexpertise within the present membershipof our Guildry to see the potential insuch a body acting as ambassadors,collectively and individually, in takingevery opportunity to further thepromotion of the City of Aberdeen.Bill McKimmie, Dean of GuildApril 2002

Detail from Plan of Aberdeen 1661

ecognition of Burgesses as citizenswilling to accept publicresponsibilities goes back a longway. This is exemplified in the earliestRoyal charters granting them exclusiveprivileges, in return, of course, fortheir support, especially in financialterms.It was necessary, therefore, thatBurgesses possessed the means, as wellas the willingness, to meet theseresponsibilities and be capable ofguarding not only local laws andcustoms but also the burgh itself.By definition, Burgesses were burghcitizens, involved in many aspects ofbusiness and trade, but not everyinhabitant became a Burgess. Employeeswere excluded, as were women, eventhose who ran their own businesses.Fishermen, clergy and lawyers similarlyfound no place in the ranks of themedieval Burgesses, all of whom had topay a fine, an entry fee, to the TownCouncil which went towards theCommon Good.A new Burgess took the oath to respectand further the economic interests of theburgh, to pay the King’s taxes and todefend the burgh against its enemies ­the medieval formula of liability to payScot and lot, watch and ward. Each newBurgess had to present a weapon to theburgh’s armoury and, as a mark ofacceptance in the community, had to payfor a feast for the Provost andCouncillors.So, it is easily seen how it was that onlycertain citizens were regarded as eligibleto be admitted as Burgesses.

We do not know who were the firstBurgesses in Aberdeen nor do we have afirm foundation date for the burgh, butthere are several pointers.The earliest document in Aberdeen cityarchives, a charter of King William theLion from c.1180, claimed that theprivileges of those burghs north of theMounth - a recognised track crossing thehills and leading to south markets - wereestablished by his grandfather, KingDavid, who died in 1153.King David had fought severalcampaigns against old established Celticleaders to extend his Royal authoritythroughout Scotland and one of his actswas to confer on Aberdeen the status ofa Royal burgh which was also a meansof ensuring more taxes being raisedfor his coffers. It also allowed him, inturn, to confer trading privileges onthose who offered their loyalty.The attraction of living and working in aRoyal burgh for anyone with drive andinitiative in the 12th Century is simple tounderstand. Craftsmen and traders werefree men in relation to everyone excepttheir lord, the King. They could callupon the support of Royal officials toprotect them from any oppression bylesser lords, and they could be tried onlyin the King’s court. The downside, ofcourse, was the arbitrary nature of Royaltaxation.The organisation of a burgh in thosedays was quite simple. An area withinrecognisable boundaries was designatedas the burgh, within which a code oflaws geared to the needs ofmanufacturers and traders, as well as tothe maintenance of public order, hadauthority.Within the burgh, a market place wasdesignated, streets laid out and buildingstances created on regular lines alongand between streets. In Aberdeen, theCastlegate contained the largest marketsquare in medieval Scotland. Weeklymarkets and annual fairs wereestablished and alongside them a burghcourt for the speedy resolution ofdisputes between buyers and sellers.

While the fairs attracted sellers andbuyers from a wide area, the weeklymarket existed primarily for the benefitof Burgesses. All goods had to bedisplayed for sale in open market onfixed days and at fixed hours so thateveryone had an equal chance to buy.Prices, too, were regulated, whether ofhousehold consumables or of rawmaterials for industry. Breaking the coderesulted in a fine.Those from outside the burgh whobrought goods to the market or whobought from it had to pay market tolls.These tolls and fines all went to swellthe Royal coffers, as did the customs ongoods imported and exported throughthe harbour. The King expectedtownsfolk to act as unpaid collectors andas baillies to run the burgh and add tohis income.A number of charters given bysucceeding Kings show how AberdeenBurgesses benefited from their patronageby the granting of trading privileges andexemption from tolls and customs, notonly in the burgh but throughoutScotland.Another privilege granted by KingWilliam gave Burgesses freedom to actas a corporate body with powers to makeits own rules of local government, aprecursor to the establishment of a TownCouncil.A later charter given by William’s son,King Alexander II, dated only Alyth 27February, conferred on Aberdeen rightsand privileges similar to thosepreviously granted by William the Lionto Perth. These included control ofwholesale trade in wool and skinsthroughout the Sheriffdom of Aberdeenand a grant to my Burgesses ofAberdeen, except waulkers and weavers,that they have their merchant guild.Thus, the Guild was established inemulation of the King’s burgh of Perthand of every other burgh withpretensions to overseas trade in cloth.The surprising thing is that this is thelast mention of the merchant guild ofAberdeen - records of burghadministration beginning in the 14thCentury refer simply to the Guild orGuildry of Aberdeen.While craftsmen, even as Burgesses,were restricted to dealing in goods oftheir own manufacture within Scotland,they could import raw materials fromabroad for their own use.Merchant Burgesses, on the other hand,could buy goods from many sourcesthrough the network of local markets,selling them at home and overseas andimporting manufactured goods andagricultural produce. This kind of trade,not based on manufacturing input, wasthe jealously guarded prerogative of theGuild brethren who paid significantlyhigher entry fees to the Town Council.Craftsmen could join the Guild onlyafter forswearing the practice of theircraft and by making up the entry fee tothe higher rate.In the early 15th Century when regularrecords began, every Burgess paid abasic fee, in real terms probably £100,

ut Guild members had to pay a furthersum greatly in excess of that. Sons andsons-in-law of Burgesses paid at thelower end of the scale, but newcomers tothe burgh had to pay handsomely for theprivileges they sought.Economic pressures were partlyresponsible for the deterioration inrelationships between the crafts and theGuild in the later Middle Ages. Robertthe Bruce encouraged the developmentof his burghs to generate wealth and tohasten the economic recovery ofScotland in the aftermath of the first Warof Independence.In 1357 the need to pay the English for aKing’s ransom and to conclude thesecond War of Independence seriouslyinhibited economic development of thekingdom.To raise this ransom, £20 million attoday’s prices, foreign trade needed to beencouraged by all possible means, andthe merchants were favoured as a classover their competitors - foreignmerchants and native craftsmen.A general charter of privilege to theBurgesses of all Scottish burghs, issuedin 1364, effectively reinforcedAberdeen’s control of exports fromAberdeenshire and, by restrictingcommerce to the merchant class,undercut the position of craftsmenBurgesses.Thus when the pages of the AberdeenCouncil Register first opened to view in1398, the merchants and Guild brethrenwere well on their way to dominatingMonumet to commemorate the Battle of Harlawthe burgh. But soon after came the Battleof Harlaw, one which gave all ofAberdeen’s Burgesses a walk-on part inthe pageant of Scottish literature andhistory, for it was as a united body thatthey joined the force raised from theburgh by Provost Davidson to face theLord of the Isles and his invadingHighland army at that historic encounternear Inverurie.

As the years of the Middle Agesunrolled so Aberdeen’s Burgessescontinued to enjoy their tradingprivileges. As in other large Scottishburghs, so in Aberdeen no one couldtrade in goods not of his ownmanufacture unless he was a Burgess ofGuild. Trade Burgesses, however, couldmanufacture and sell their products, butlittle more.As each new Burgess, of Guild or Trade,was admitted to the privileges of hisorder he had to pay to the Town Councila sum called his composition.These were then allocated by the TownCouncil to various accounts kept in theirbooks. To our modern eyes they bearunusually colourful titles such asCasualties, Arms’ Money, Guild Wine,Guild Box and Additional Fund to GuildBox.Arms’ Money replaced the weapon in thehand of the entrant Burgess, Guild Winewas in place of the payment for themedieval feast, and the Guild Box wasset up in 1600 to collect small paymentsfor the relief of poverty among Guildbrethren. The box was banded with irnehavend four lockis and four keyis heldby the Dean of Guild, the City Treasurerand two merchants.Income and expenditure fluctuated overthe years, but in 1710 the Dean of Guildwas in a position to invest £19,000 Scotsfrom the Guild Wine Fund in a halfshare in the first half of the Lands ofSkene, out of which the Lands of Cairnieremain, held today for the Guildrycharitable funds, the BridgeworksAccount and the Common Good.The Burgess oath underwent severalmodifications. One clause belatedlyinserted by the Town Council in 1678sought to impose a severe restriction onnon-Protestants. Such was the outcryagainst it that an order was obtainedfrom the Privy Council in Whitehall in1714 to rescind it.In 1819 the Convention of Royal Burghsvoted to abolish the oath, replacing itwith an undertaking by Burgesses todischarge every civil incumbent duty bylaw, the wording which remains on theBurgess ticket to this day.Burgess Oath before 1714

Although it was agreed that theGuildry’s charitable funds beadministered by the Town Council solelyfor the benefit of impoverished Guildbrethren, their widows, orphans andunmarried daughters, control of thesefunds has lain with successive localauthorities.On a number of occasions in the mid­19th Century members of the Guildryfound their claim to ownership ofGuildry funds angrily rebuffed by theTown Council, all of whose memberswere, of course, members of the Guild.Possession being said to be nine-tenthsof the law, and the Guildry being anunincorporated body, the Council wereable to persuade the Court of Session oftheir rights to the funds labelled asGuildry funds.There had been earlier conflicts betweenGuild and Council. In 1782 and again in1817 Burgesses were involved in localagitation for political change, but it wasonly after the reform of Parliament in1832 that the Royal Burghs Reform Actof 1833 began the slow democratisationof local government.Aberdeen, still within its ancientboundaries, was made up of three wardsand councillors were elected by thevotes of all qualified electors withineach ward, men who were owners ortenants of property with an annual rentalof at least £10.This was, of course, a long way short ofthe democratic process we have come toknow, especially when we bear in mindthat until 1871 votes were not secret butrecorded by the Town Clerk’s staff invoting registers still preserved in cityarchives.With introduction of the Police Act of1871 the role of Burgesses was changedcompletely. No longer could they belooked upon as guardians of the burgh,and with removal of trading privilegestheir position no longer held therelevance of earlier days.Their numbers then also went intodecline and, with a considerablereduction in the role of their Dean,interest in the Burgess movementflagged over the years, so much so thatextinction looked possible.Membership of the Guildry has variedwidely over the years. As the privilegesand rights of Burgesses declined, andwith less need for their presence tosafeguard laws and customs of theburgh, their numbers decreased.At the start of the 19th Century, whenAberdeen had a population of about40,000, there were about 1,000Burgesses. In 1817, there were 820. By1867 the number was down to 337 and acentury later the number was much thesame, dropping to 300 in 1981 - and stillall men. But all that was soon to change,just as the city had changed with thediscovery of oil under the North Sea.

s the city’s population swelled to morethan 200,000 so, too, did membershipof the Guildry, reaching about 850in the year 2000. But it was in 1983 that,by a major change in the rules ofadmission, women were admitted as fullBurgesses and, at an historic TownCouncil meeting on November 28 of thatyear, seven women received theircertificates of admission.Subsequently, one went on to be electeda member of the team of six Assessorswho support the Dean of Guild inrunning all areas of the organisation.Membership was not the only area thatwas regarded as in need of change. In1981, the then Dean of Guild raised hisconcern that Guildry funds were notbeing used to the benefit of thecommunity. Informal talks were heldwith the Town Clerk on ways in whichfunds, surplus after paying all annuities,might be used, but it was felt thatnothing could be done.

BURGESS OF GUILDABERDEEN1214Left to right:Mrs Lilian StephenMrs Freda MutchDiane MorganMrs Dorothy GrassieMrs Anne G CockerMiss Marjorie BosomworthMrs Elizabeth BlacklawSome nine years later, followingagreement among all Burgesses and withthe Council, a petition was submitted tothe Court of Session in Edinburgh toallow a variation in the use of surplusfunds. After much legal argument, andthe proviso that the payment of annuitiesremained as the first obligation, thispetition was finally granted in 1996.Under it, the Guild won the right to givefinancial support to selected citizens ineducational or vocational training orotherwise to further proposed careers.Subsequently came introduction of theGuildry Award Scheme.Guidelines for the award state thatsupport will be considered to assistpersons born or habitually resident inthe City of Aberdeen and intending topursue careers that, if pursued, wouldqualify them for admission as Burgessesof Guild of Aberdeen, to pursue educationor vocational training courses or otherwiseto further their proposed careers.

he first such award was made in2001 to Mrs Pauline Gerrard,enabling her to attend a course ofneuro-developmental delay studies.These involved training in techniquesdesigned to help young childrenovercome learning and behaviouraldifficulties, techniques which MrsGerrard hoped to introduce for thebenefit of children in the Aberdeen area.Another significant change in Guildactivities in keeping with modern timessaw the introduction of a series of socialevents, with visits to places of interest inthe area, a special evening to support thecity’s annual International YouthFestival, a film show that captured somelocal historic occasions, andopportunities afterwards for Burgesseswith their guests to make new friendsand renew acquaintances.One event that helped to highlightMillennium Year for the Guild and tostrengthen a historic connection was avisit to Trinity Hall, home of the SevenIncorporated Trades of Aberdeen whosemembers also share an important placein the annals of the city.For the Burgesses of Guild themselves,the second Tuesday of May each yearholds special significance. That is thetraditional date set for their AnnualGeneral Meeting, with an equallytraditional start time - 12 noon.Presentation of First Guildry AwardLeft to right: Bill McKimmie, Dean of Guild, CouncillorDavid E. Clyne, Master of Mortifications, Pauline Gerrard,Alan T. Towns, Assistant to the Chief Executive, AberdeenCity Council, Bill Wyllie, Dean of Guild 1981 to 1998.

Royal authority for the formation of anAberdeen Guild of Burgesses did morethan that - it also hastened a serioussplit within the ranks of the Burgessesthemselves.When King Alexander II decreed thatthis new Guild be formed, he laid itdown that it be open only to thoseBurgesses who were merchants. Others,the manufactures, traders and craftsmen- waulkers and weavers in the King’swords - were to be excluded.And so arose a serious conflict betweenmerchant and trade Burgesses that wasto continue for centuries not only inAberdeen but throughout Scottish burghs.Following their exclusion from the newGuild, the Aberdeen traders turned moretowards their own trade associations, theWeavers, the Hammermen, Wrights andCoopers, Bakers and the like. Later, inthe 16th Century they decided to joinforces in a corporate body, theIncorporated Trades of Aberdeen, to helpprotect their position, their rights andprivileges and to promote their standingwithin the burgh.This also led to the setting up of theirown hospital and meeting rooms under agroup of corporate officials, the principalbeing the Deacon Convener whopresided over his court of craft deacons.And so began a separate chapter ofAberdeen’s history.These Burgesses, who became known asBurgesses of Trade, remained on theburgh’s Burgess list with all attendantresponsibilities but without a number ofprivileges accorded the merchantmembers. At one time they were alsorefused entry into the new Guild unlessprepared to renounce their own craft.This kind of exclusion strengthened thepower base of Guild members whoseinfluence upon the composition andconduct of the Town Council wasconsiderable and even led to furtherreductions in trading privileges grantedto the traders.Despite these difficulties between Guildand Trade Burgesses, obligations andduties remained the same for allregarding the need for personalresidence within the burgh, Scot and lot,watch and ward, and the provision ofweapons for local defence.The oath taken by both categories alsoremained largely the same and this unitywas exemplified by the willingness of allBurgesses to join the force raised in1411 by Provost Robert Davidson tohelp halt the southwards advance ofDonald Ross, Lord of the Isles, as hisHighland attackers advanced on Aberdeen.Confrontation between the armies cameat Harlaw, near Inverurie, where theHighland invaders were beaten, but onlyafter considerable loss of life on bothsides, one such casualty being ProvostDavidson who was seen as something ofa hero and was buried in the burgh’s StNicholas kirkyard.St Nicholas Church oak steeple burned down in 1874 .

In 1364 a general charter granting newprivileges throughout Scotland had theeffect of reinforcing Aberdeen’s controlof exports from Aberdeenshire and inrestricting involvement in suchcommerce to the merchants.The Trade Burgesses were dealt a furtherblow in 1469 with the introduction of anew Act described as the most damningAct of the Scottish Parliament whichmade burgh councils self-electing,effectively denying the Trade Burgessesany worthwhile say in local affairs.This conflict between Burgesses was notconfined to Aberdeen. A joint appealfrom trade members in Edinburgh, Perth,Dundee and Aberdeen obtained fromKing James VI in 1581 a new charterconfirming old privileges and anextension of their trading rights.However, Aberdeen magistrates andcouncil extorted promises fromprominent traders not to exercise theseprivileges, and, in turn, the traders thenrefused to proceed with their part in theelection of council office-bearers untiltheir rights were restored.In 1587, with both sides possibly tiringof reprisals, their differences went toarbitration and a decree was issuedregulating the dealings of the TownCouncil with the traders.Besides defining the respective libertiesof trading for both sides, the decree - theCommon Indenture - also fixed entrycharges for new Burgesses. But theagreement did not produce the expectedharmony and differences mounted to thepoint where, in 1592, an open-airmeeting at Greyfriars became a violentconfrontation at which blood was spilt.This had the effect, however, of bringingboth sides to their senses and a few dayslater, at a more solemn meeting atWoolmanhill, the parties werereconciled.Gradually, over the years, as the practiceof granting rights and privileges toBurgesses lessened considerably, so toodid division between Burgesses of Guildand of Trade. A new equality began toemerge, first from decisions by theConvention of Royal Burghs and laterby the Reform Act of 1833 which alsoput council elections on a new footing.Now, with those years of division left farbehind, Guild and Trade are united onceagain as Burgesses supporting thewellbeing of the City of Aberdeen.Early 19th Century advert to sell goods in AberdeenPetition from Town’s tradesmen to the Dean ofGuild to stop sale

The Dean in full regaliamaintains a ceremonialtraditionThe title Dean of Guild, denoting thesenior official representing the Guild, orGuildry of Burgesses, came into beingonly in 1427, centuries after Burgesseshad been instituted as a collective groupcharged with upholding the laws andcustoms of the burgh.In the earlier days Burgesses wereheaded by the burgh Alderman, whoseposition was later that of Provost, and itwas he who took charge of the Guildwhen it came into being about 1222.From 1427 until 1833 the Dean’sposition was that of an official of theTown Council and he was appointed assuch but, with the introduction inScottish burghs of the Reform Act in1833, Deans of Guild were madeconstituent members of their TownCouncils, appointed by their Guilds andnot by electoral vote.In the early days the Dean would havebeen very much the town’s man,enforcing burgh regulations relating totrade and responsible for the upkeep ofcouncil property. His name, it wasclaimed, became a terror to evil-doers.If any attempt was made to encroach onthe liberties of the burgh, the Deanwould have been instructed to put a stopto the proceedings.Towards the end of the 16th Century,some Norwegian ships arrived atNewburgh, a few miles north ofAberdeen, and began to unload. ButNewburgh was not a free port as far asforeign trade was concerned and wasunder Aberdeen jurisdiction. The act ofunloading at the little port at the mouthof the Ythan was, therefore, aninfringement of Aberdeen’s rights, so theDean of the day was dispatched with anarmed officer and men to arrest theships and take their sails from themasts.Part of the Dean’s duties also includedsupervision of the loading of shipsbound for foreign ports to ensure thattheir bills of lading were in order. It waslaw then that a ship without a proper billof lading was a pirate and could beattacked without redress.

In 1597, the Dean was required tosupervise the burning of a number ofwitches as well as the execution of fourpirates. In the same year he had tooversee the rebuilding of part of theTown House and was paid a specialallowance for carrying out these tasks.Above all, it was the duty of the Dean tocarry out the instructions of themagistrates and Council.It was about this time that the Dean ofGuild was empowered by statute toexercise the authority of a judge indisputes between merchants and alsobetween merchants and mariners. Withthe assistance of his Assessors,appointed by a Town Council somewhatjealous of this extension to the Dean’spower and authority, he could decide insuch cases in a summary manner.However, he never possessed the powerof judging any case with regard toproperty within the burgh, and there wasnever a Dean of Guild Court, ascommonly understood in Scotland, inAberdeen.The charter granted by Charles I to theburgh in 1638 specifically mentioned theresponsibility of the Dean of Guild formaintaining the standard weights andmeasures - a service absolutely vital tothe population. An inspector of weightsand measures, a paid officer of the TownCouncil, was appointed for this task inthe 19th Century.The Dean’s duties down the years wereindeed varied. In 1774, for example, hewas responsible for estimating the costof keeping the streets in repair andlighting, together with the cost ofsupplying water to the burgh - and all atan assessment of one shilling in thepound of house rents.Dean of Guild Accounts for burning witches 1597The Royal Burghs Reform Act of 1833brought a number of changes involvingthe Dean. Under it he was elected by hisBurgesses of Guild as the nineteenthmember of the Town Council to sit astheir representative. Over the nextcentury several Deans of Guild went onto serve as Provost, demonstrating thatthe Dean’s position remained asignificant one in local politics.Other outcomes of the 1833 Act wereless helpful to the Guildry. No longercould the Dean call upon the resourcesof manpower and finance which hadbeen his as an office-bearer of theCouncil.While the Act did not change therelationship between Guildrymembership and the exercise of tradingprivileges, the spirit of the age waseffectively undermining a situationwhere, throughout Scotland, smallgroups of individuals could claim tocontrol the wholesale and retail trade oftheir locality.The monopoly on trade had beeneroding since the late 18th Century andin 1846, on the recommendation of theDean of Guild, the Guildry offered noopposition to the proposal to abolish theright of exclusive trading by the

Guildries of Scottish burghs. At a strokeof a pen, the original rationale of theGuildry as a trading monopoly wasswept away. It was truly time to find anew role.However, the Dean’s right to vote onsome Council matters remained until1965. Ten years later the statutory linkbetween Guildry and Town Council wasfinally abolished, and Aberdeen isprobably unique among Scottish TownCouncils in retaining an informal linkbetween local government and the twobodies of Burgesses.With change in the air it was also feltthat the time had come to end the needto have the Dean of Guild electedannually, and in 1994 the Dean waselected to serve for a four-year term,with the option of a further fouryears.It was also felt that the six Assessorsshould also be elected for a four-yearterm and, as a result of the 1995 ballot,the Guildry had its first womanAssessor, Marjorie Bosomworth.Although the Dean no longer exercisesthe role he once held, he still plays a partin the city’s pageantry, representing theGuild in full regalia at ceremonialoccasions, such as the RemembranceSunday parade at the War Memorial andthe Kirkin of the Council, andmaintaining a primary role in theceremony of admission of newBurgesses at the beginning of a fullCouncil meeting.With establishment in 1989 of the Courtof Deans of Guild of Scotland, the Deannow has the additional responsibility ofrepresenting the Aberdeen Guildry onthat body.The Court, through regular half-yearlymeetings, was set up to maintain forposterity the place of GuildryIncorporations and to promote thestanding of those which may not be aswell recognised as others such as that ofAberdeen.The Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland MillenniumDinner in Aberdeen with Lord Provost Margaret E. Smith

he highest honour that the City ofAberdeen can bestow is by grantingFreedom of the City to anindividual or to an organisation, ashappened when the local Regiment, theGordon Highlanders, and the city’sadopted warship, HMS Scylla, weredeemed to merit such an honour.In recent decades those so admitted haveincluded Sir Winston Churchill, QueenElizabeth the Queen Mother, MikhailGorbachev, former President of Russia,and Sir Alex Ferguson, football manager,whose association with AberdeenFootball Club has passed into locallegend.To some general confusion, however,each was admitted not as a Freeman ofAberdeen but as a Free Burgess andGuild Brother (or sister). AlthoughFreedom ceremonies are civic affairsand the decision to admit a Free Burgessis taken by the Town Council, thehonour thus conveyed takes its originfrom the power and prestige of themedieval Guildry.In the time when overseas trading insimple and basic commodities was adriving force in Scotland’s quest foreconomic prosperity, admission withoutpayment to the ranks of the Guildry wasa privilege that few could dream of.From being a mark of gratitude to thosewho had served the burgh faithfully insome particular project or capacity, freeadmission to the ranks of GuildBurgesses rapidly became one of esteemand a means by which the Town Councilstrove to win friends and to exerciseinfluence.The first recorded admission as anHonorary Burgess is that of Robert deErskyne, Earl of Mar, whose entry in theCouncil Register of 28 December 1439reads that he is not bound to Scot andlot, watch and ward, responsibilitiescustomarily laid upon Burgesses. In1451, Andrew Fowler was admitted as aFree Burgess in return for repairing thebell of St Nicholas Church. He,however, was expected to takeresponsibility for Scot and lot, watchand ward.Over time, the convention developedthat honourands - those who, in atranslation of the ornate Latin of theRegister, were admitted in token of themost devoted love and affection and ofthe most distinguished respect - did nottake the Burgess oath.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother admires the FreedomCasket presented by Lord Provost Stephen.Sir Alex Ferguson and Winston Churchill follow the tradition of wearing their BurgessTickets on their hats.A second and much larger categoryadmitted by the favour and good will ofthe Council by the 18th Centuryextended through the social scale, fromjunior officers in marching regiments tominor peers of the Realm. These didtake the Burgess oath on admission andtechnically were entitled to tradingprivileges and obliged to discharge thecivic responsibilities of the Guildry.Trouble arose when stranger merchants,admitted by courtesy, claimed freedomfrom harbour tolls as Burgesses butsomehow forgot about the other side ofthe coin - willingness to be taxed withthe burgh and to stand to its defence intime of need.Originally, all admissions of Burgesseswere recorded in the Council Register,generally collected together on a singlepage just before the record of theMichaelmas Head Court which markedthe beginning of the Council year.From 1632 admissions were recorded asthey occurred during the year in thepages of a separate register. The recordsof entry fees, conditions imposed onentrants and the names of theircautioners, or proposers, can be readdown through the centuries.In 1783 a separate register was openedfor honorary and gratis Burgesses and in1796, when the existing Burgess registerwas completed, new separate registerswere begun for Guild and TradeBurgesses. English replaced Latin as thelanguage of registration for all exceptFree Burgesses in 1777.The last Burgesses admitted gratis by thefavour of the Council were a group ofnaval officers visiting Aberdeen in 1817,and in 1891 Andrew Carnegie, thefamous benefactor, was the first FreeBurgess to have his admission recordedin English.The old register was kept in use until1995 but 200-year-old paper is not goodto write on and the new City Councilcommissioned a new Freedom Registerwhich was inaugurated for Sir AlexFerguson’s Freedom ceremony in April1999.

1834 Henry Brougham, Lord Brougham 1919 Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haigand Vaux 1927 Annie Pearson, Viscountess CowdrayWalter Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Dukeof Cowdray (Weetman Pearson,of Buccleuch and Queensberry Viscount Cowdray of Cowdray, died 1George Hay, Marquess of Tweeddale May 1927)1836 William Hay, Earl of Erroll 1927 Robert Williams of Park1837 Charles Gordon Lennox, Duke of 1928 Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe,Richmond and LennoxEarl Jellicoe of Scapa1839 George Watt of Aberdeen Sir Thomas Jaffray of Edgehill1840 George Granville Leveson-Gower, Reverend Robert Laws ofDuke of SutherlandLivingstonia1841 Robert Wallace of Kelly MP 1931 Sir James MurrayMajor George Thomas of FairleyVery Reverend Principal Sir George1844 Samuel McKnight of South Carolina Adam SmithRowland Hill 1935 James Meston, Lord Meston of Agra1848 HRH Albert, Prince Consort and Dunnottar1849 Sir Robert Peel, Bt MP Field Marshal George Milne, Lord1851 Sir James Graham of Netherby, Bt MP Milne of Salonika and Rubislaw1853 George Howard, Earl of Carlisle 1937 William Lyon Mackenzie King PC1854 Joseph Hume MP Joseph Aloysius Lyons PC1858 Philip Stanhope, Earl Stanhope 1941 Peter Fraser PC1859 David Ogilvy, Earl of Airlie 1942 Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts PCLord John Russell MP 1943 John Gilbert Winant1862 Edward Ellice MP Vi-Kyuin Wellington Koo1866 HRH Albert Edward, Prince of Wales 1946 Winston Spencer Churchill MP1871 William Ewart Gladstone MP 1949 Thomas Johnston PC1876 William Edward Forster MP John Boyd-Orr, Lord Boyd-Orr of1878 Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon Brechin1881 Sir John Anderson The Gordon Highlanders1883 John Gordon, Earl of Aberdeen 1956 Alexander Bilsland, Lord BilslandSir Richard Assheton Cross MPClement Attlee, Earl Attlee1884 Archibald Primrose, Earl of Rosebery 1959 HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen1888 John Campbell, Marquis of Lorne Mother1890 William Hunter MP 1966 Thomas Galbraith, Lord StrathclydeHenry Morton StanleySir Dugald Baird1892 Andrew Carnegie Lady (May) Baird1901 Charles William Mitchell of Jesmond 1981 Mary EsslemontTowers 1984 Nelson MandelaGeorge Stephen, Lord Mount StephenWinifred Mandela1902 Donald Alexander Smith, Lord 1992 HMS ScyllaStrathcona and Mount Royal 1993 Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev1913 Field Marshal Frederick Roberts, Earl 1995 The University of AberdeenRoberts of Kandahar, VCAlexander C Collie1918 William Morris Hughes PC 1999 Alexander Chapman Ferguson

The Dean of Guild andCity Archivist, Judith Crippsexamine early volume of theRecords of the Guild storedin the Charter Room of theTown House1833-1834 Thomas Bannerman, merchant 1895-1902 James Walker, merchant 51834-1835 Alexander Forbes, merchant 1902-1905 Alexander Lyon, hide and1835-1837 Neil Smith Jnr, merchant tallow merchant 61837-1838 Peter Williamson, druggist 1905-1911 James Murray, North1838-1839 Leslie Clark, merchant Inveramsey1839-1840 Peter Williamson 1911-1919 William Meff, fish merchant 71840-1842 George Thomson Jnr, 1919-1925 Harry A Holmes, trawler ownershipowner 11925-1927 David M Kilgour, merchant1842-1843 James B McCombie, advocate 1927-1935 John Spencer of Binghill1843-1845 Alexander Milne, merchant 1935-1942 Robert Littlejohn, merchant1845-1847 James Hadden, manufacturer 1942-1950 Joseph Bisset, engineer1847-1849 Alexander Gordon, advocate 1950-1955 George Strathdee, baker1849-1851 George B Bothwell, candle 1955-1971 James R Donald, directormanufacturer1971-1981 James R Leith, shipowner1851-1853 George Inglis, merchant 1981-1998 Bill Wyllie, seedsman1853-1855 Alexander Nicol, shipowner 2 1998-2002 Bill McKimmie, architect1855-1857 William Rose, merchant1857-1860 George Thomson, merchant1860-1863 George Jamieson, merchant 3 1Provost 1847-18501863-1866 George B Bothwell MP for Aberdeen 1852-18571866-1869 George Jamieson 2Lord Provost 1866-18691869-1871 Hugh Ross3Lord Provost 1874-18801871-1873 Lewis Smith, bookseller41873-1880 Alexander Walker, merchantLord Provost 1889-18951880-1885 John Sangster, druggist5Lord Provost 1902-19051885-1889 David Stewart, manufacturer 4 6Lord Provost 1905-19081889-1895 David Macdonald7Lord Provost 1919-1925

Establishment of a town council can betraced back to 1179 when the burgh’sBurgesses were granted a free Hanse ­freedom to act as a corporate body withpower to make its own rules of localgovernment.In early days, a new Burgess had to paynot only an entry fee to the CommonGood, he was also required to wine anddine Council members.When Queen Margaret Tudor, consort toJames IV and sister to Henry VIII,visited Aberdeen in 1511 she wasescorted into the burgh under a canopyheld by four Burgesses.In the 15th Century it was absolutelyessential that each Burgess have apersonal residence and possess propertyin the burgh. Non-resident Burgessescould be deprived of their freedom totrade.In 1576 it was decreed that after thefeast of St Martin no Burgess wouldwear plaid. Penalty - fined 40 shillings.In 1598 the Guild prohibited membersfrom wearing blue bonnets. Penalty - £5.Early Royal charters granted bysuccessive monarchs were all directedtowards the burgh’s Burgesses, someexclusively, others also towards thecommunity.In 1357, three Burgesses from Aberdeenwere appointed with others fromEdinburgh, Perth and Dundee tonegotiate for the ransom of King DavidII held captive, but in comfort, inEngland. The figure - 100,000 merkssterling.Burgh records of November 1736 tell ofa contract drawn up between the Dean ofGuild and William Durward - anent thetown’s dung.In 1296, letters patent were submitted onbehalf of Aberdeen Burgesses and thecommunity promising to serve well andloyally their dear Lord, Edward, King ofEngland, and his heirs.In October 1393, Robert III grantedlicence to Aberdeen Burgesses to build aTown House, 80ft by 30ft, on anysuitable site, but not in the midst of themarket place.It was customary that a new Burgess’sentry fee be handed over ceremonially ina white kid bag. By the 1970s the bagswere in need of cleaning and were dulywashed. They disintegrated.In the mid-16th Century, one Burgessgranted leave of absence from the burghfor three years without losing hisfreedom status had to arrange that afellow Burgess undertook to meet hisshare of taxation and other charges.First mention of the Guild Box fundcomes in burgh records of July 16 1600when the Town Council ordered that asuitable box be made to hold offeringsand fines, such to be bestowit to the helpand support of the dacayit brether ofGild.Assessors to the Dean of Guild werefirst appointed in 1609. Four were then

chosen each year from those who hadheld Council office for at least threeyears.In 1738, William Young of Sheddocksleywas admitted as an infant Burgess at theage of two. He twice served as Provostof Aberdeen, from 1778 to 1780, andfrom 1782 to 1784.A condition of entry to the Guildry thathas remained through the years statesthat no Burgess or any member of hisfamily shall be anywise burdensome onthe Town of Aberdeen for the space often years from the date of entry.In medieval days, Burgesses wereencouraged to practise theirmarksmanship at the Links range.Nowadays, some Burgesses can still befound practising at the Links - on thegolf range.In keeping with modern practice, bothmen and women can qualify foradmission as Burgesses of Guildprovided that they live or have abusiness address within the City ofAberdeen and should ­● Be at least 25 years of age● Have some years of experience inindustry, commerce or theprofessions● Hold or have held a position ofresponsibility in his or her businessor organisation● Have shown involvement inactivities outwith work which areof benefit to the communityThis booklet is not intended as adefinitive history of Aberdeen Burgessesof Guild. It is designed to give new oraspiring Burgesses, existing membersand the public an indication of how theorganisation came about and of its roleover the years, particularly from itsinception in the 12th Century until thefar-reaching reforms of local governmentin the mid-19th Century.The Dean of Guild is grateful toeveryone involved in the compilationand production of this booklet, much ofwhich is based on a previous history ofthe Guild written by the late Kenneth J.Peters. Those principally involvedinclude Judith Cripps, City Archivist,and other staff members of AberdeenCity Council. In particular, however,very special thanks are due to PeterWatson, who researched and preparedthe text, and to Gordon Henry, who notonly designed the graphics and format ofthe booklet but also oversaw all otheraspects of its production. Their effortsmade this publication possible.Text: Peter Watson©The Burgesses of Guild of the City of AberdeenDesign: Gordon E. HenryPhotography: Norman Adams©Aberdeen City CouncilPhotographs of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and WinstonChurchill courtesy of Aberdeen JournalsPrinted by Compass Print LtdISBN 0 900017 57 0Published May 2002

Dean of Guild Badge: CivicDean of Guild Badge used 1794-1899Assessor ’ s BadgeDean of Guild BadgeBurgesses Badge: Non-civic