he concept of the Burgess oath belongs - Aberdeen City Council

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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
Page 2 and 3: he concept of the Burgess oath belo
Page 6 and 7: Detail from Plan of Aberdeen 1661
Page 8: We do not know who were the firstBu
Page 11 and 12: ut Guild members had to pay a furth
Page 13 and 14: Although it was agreed that theGuil
Page 15 and 16: BURGESS OF GUILDABERDEEN1214Left to
Page 17 and 18: Royal authority for the formation o
Page 19 and 20: The Dean in full regaliamaintains a
Page 21 and 22: Guildries of Scottish burghs. At a
Page 23 and 24: Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother ad
Page 25 and 26: The Dean of Guild andCity Archivist
Page 27 and 28: chosen each year from those who had

he concept of the Burgess oath belongs - Aberdeen City Council

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