Item, Nicholaus of Culzevo, and Garth of Ulsta, complenis upon the Laird, that at his first entrie, he compellit thame to tak the office of Underfowdrie of Zell upon thame conjointlie, and gart the said Nicholaus giff him thairfoir sax dolouris, and the said Garth ane silver spune quhilk coist him aucht gudlinis; notwithstanding, quhen ever thai held court or decreit in executioun of thair office, thai war dischargit by my Lord of the office; and immediatlie efter thair discharge, thai past to the Laird, and desyrit to have had thair zopindaleis and silver spune agane, quhilk he refusit. Bot the zeiris thaireftir, be offerit to mak thame Underfowdis, quhilk thai refusit, because of the first discharge, swa that thai want the silver and spune as zet, and can get na recompense thairoff.
Item, lykwyiss Edwarde of Odsta, indwellaire in Fetlair, complenis upon the Laird, that he wald have compellit him till have acceptit the office of Underfowdrie of Fetlair upon him, quhilk he refusit, becaus he was not qualifeit thairfoir; and to eschew the Lairdis yre in refusing of the same, till have his favor, and be relevit of the said office, he gart the said Edward giff him ane ox. Thir twa concerning the office of Underfowdrie provin befoir the saidis Commissionaris be the nichtboris of the saidis Yles befoir specifeit.
Item, Olaw in Hellzness, indwellar in Fetlair, haiffand licence of his nichtbouris to pasture his gudis in his gerss, tedderit sum gudis of his thairintill; and the Underfowde cummand by upon accident, persavit his gudis in his nichtbouris grund, maid arreistment upon thame, na intimatioun thairoff maid to the said Olaw that aucht the gudis, nor zet to his servandis that kepit thame; and the Laird gettand knawlege that thair was arreistment maid, but calling or pursewing of the said Olaw thairfoir, and na dome nor law passand thairupoun, poyndit him, and compellit him to pay fyve dolouris for the said pretendit arreistment.
Item, Magnus Johnsoun in Uredaill, Williame Johnsoun in Tow, Erasmus in Sinbustar, Gelis in Burgh, Magnus Erasmussoun, indwellaris in Burray, and Margrett Yirewing, ane puir wedo, indwellare in Trondra, complenis upon the Laird and his officiar, James Espline, quhay at his cumand hes chargit ilk ane of thame to pay thre dolouris to the Laird, becaus thai came not to cast peitis, till ane rewme callit Papill. And they allegeand that thai war never in use of sic service, nor was not callit ordorlie, nor dempt in the said pane, thairfoir refusit to anssuer the said officiar thairoff. Nevertheless, by order of law, the said James Espline, at the Lairdis comand, has poyndit fra the said Magnus Johnsoun, Williame Johnsoun, and Erasmus in Sinbuster, fra ilk ane of thame, thre zopindales, and the vther thre ar lyand under the daunger of poynding for alsmekle, ilk person. And the foirsaid persounis hes provin be the rest of the nichtbouris of the said Yle of Burray within written, that thai ar poyndit in maner foirsaid, and als hes causit to call certaine of the assyiss that the Laird had upon his Court to declair giff sic thingis was dempt be thame or not, befoir the Commissionaris, viz.—Swaine in Brindista, Marten in Sound, Magnus in Sound, John Thomassoun in Sound, Nichole Hutchissoun in Eister Quhairff, Nichole Swainsoun in Utrabustar, Magnus in Uradaill, Olaw Yirewing in Troindra, David Sinclair in Hugoland, James Sinclair in Northbustar, Robert in Clett, Richart Sinclair in Branxaclett, Magnus Symoundsoun in Burgh, and Magnus in Brek: Quha beand sworne upon thair grit aythis, deponit, that thai never voted anent the unlaw foirsaid of peitis casting, nor had never decreit, pronouncit, nor red thairupon.
Item, Christopheir Johnsoun beand giffin up in ane Granderie in Northmaven, for the allegeit uptaking of ane pece see-drewin tre, he beand than, at the upgiffin thairoff, dwelland in Delting, ane vther parochin: For the quhilk causs it was referred to the Court haldin in Delting be the Laird. And at the Lairdis cumming thair, the said Christopheir beand callit thairfoir in Court, was decernit to quyt him thairoff with the Lawricht ayth. The maner quhairoff is, the sheriff sall chois ane honest nichtbour that knawis his lyff, and him selff ane vther to stand on ilk hand of him; and first, he sall quyt him selff be his ayth, and than the vther twa ar requyrit giff thai will sweir that it is ane trew ayth that he has maid: Giff thai afferme it trew, than is he quyt. Bot giff thai or any of thame refuiss, than of the law for samonie as refusis him, he man pay ane merk Zetland payment, quhilk is the third part of ane dolour. And becaus this Christopheir was furth of his awin parochin, quhair the allegeit deid was done, and culd get na acquittance in the parochin quhair he thair dwelt, desyrit to be refferrit hame to Northmaven quhair he dwelt of befoir, to the quhilk the Laird wuld not condescend. And giff he had failzit acquittance, and had had na excuiss thairfoir, zet he suld have payit na mair bot twa gudlingis of the law, quhilk at the hieast is xvi s. Scottis. Bot the Laird by all ordor of justice, compellit him to pay sax dolouris thairfoir. And this provin be the nichtbouris foirsaid of Delting.
Item, Olaw in Yllisburgh, being on the sei in his boit, fand ane fische callit ane Homeir, quhilk he drew to the land upon his awin heritable grund, and tuik furth the liver thairoff, and made it in ulie, for the fische thairoff ganis for naething. The Laird gettand wit thairoff, he callit him in the Court thairoff in Nesting, in this present zeir of [God] 1576 zeiris, and layde him to the law thair; and siclyk at ane vther Court thairefter, haldin in Nesting; and in bayth the Courtis he was decernit free, and nathing dempt to the Laird thairfoir, as thai that sat upon the assyiss declarit. Zet nevertheless the Laird causit his officiar, James Espline, to poynd sewin ky of the said Olawis thairfoir, and for releiff of thame, he was constreinit to giff to the Laird four angell nobillis, or ellis to have wantit his ky. This provin be the haill number of the thre parochinis foirsaid.
Item, Nicholaus Johnsoun beand upon the assyiss in ane Court haldin at Sandness this last zeir efter Lammess, said to Harie Bruce, that quhen he votit upon the assyiss, he had mair mynd to wyn geir nor he had of his saull. And Harie Bruce takand witness of his speiking, summound him to the Varding, to underlie the law for the same, and pursewit the man, swa that he was glayde to aggrie with him, and be quyt of his cummar, and gaif him sax gudlinis. And swa the honest men of the cuntrie that is upon the assyiss dar not voit bot as the Lairdis men requyris thame. And this provin be the haill nichtbouris of Papay.
Item, Anent the complaynt giffin in be Magnus in Quhytnes in Wawiss, upon the Laird of Cultemalindie, that quhair he compellit him to tak certane land agains his will, efter that his takkis was run furth, and becaus he wuld not wone the land, the said Laird causit Laurence of Grunzevo cum till hous, and poynd fra him twa oxin and ane kow. Quhilk oxen war prysit to nyne dolouris and the kow to ane dolour. And becaus he was indigent of silver (except ane dolour that he had, quhairwith he lousit the kow), the oxen was tane fra him for ever, swa he wantit at that tyme the sowme of ten dolouris be plaine oppressioun, this present zeir 1576 zeiris. And this provin be the haill parochin of Wawiss within specifiit.
Item, It is hevelie lamentit and complenit be Magnus Leslie of Ayth, upon Laurence Bruce of Cultemalindie, his servandis and complices, that quhair thai come to his houss of Ayth in Brassay, in the month of Januar, the zeir of God Im Vct lx zeiris, he beand in his awin houss with his wyff, servandis and bairnis, under sylence of nicht, his wyff beand bot aucht dayis efter her delyverance lyand in chyldbed lair, and thair put him selff, his wyff, bairnis, and servandis furth of the houss and biggingis; and placit his servandis and suddartis thairin under his principall captain, Thomas Boyne, quha was the slaar of Alexander Duff in Strabogie, and of Patrik Wynrahame in Zetland, to the number of xv or xvi suddartis and boyis, quha remanit still at the said houss als lang as the Laird was in the cuntrie, be the space of nyne or ten dayis; and in the meyntyme speindit and waistit his meit, dreink, fische and flesche, buttir and cheis, and all vther provisioun that was within his houss. And at thair depairting, spulzeit and away tuik with thame fra his houss and feildis that was thairin, or that thai culd appreheind, that is to say, twa barralis of new aill, and ane half barrell of auld aill, ane barrell of malt of nyne setteins wecht, ane barrell of ait meill, and ane hogheid of beir meill, foir lesspundis of butter ryndit with hinnie, two coigges full with vther four lesspundis of salt butter, aucht lesspundis of talloun, fyve scoir of maid candill, extending to twa lesspundis of talloun, sewin reistit muttounis, ane reistit swyne, that coist twa lesspundis of butter, tane and spulzeit furth of his ness be thame xv wedderis, sax gryiss, sax or sewin foulis that was gangand about the houss, ane ox quhilk thai slew, quhilk coist foir dolouris, ane barrell of salt beiff, with certane hard fische, xvi elnis of keltar, ane pair of dowbill blankettis, ane covering of ane bed, ane dublitt of cramesie of the said Magnus, ane black cowal quhilk coist ane crowne of the Sonne, thre cristale stains set in silver, of the Dutch fassoun, ane kettill of copper, ane cag with twelff pundis of saip, with thre flahattis of came, certain tyn cannis and tiem stoupis, half ane barkit hyde, ane cag with certane hunnie in it, and this by crusis, piggis, stalis, coppis and bikkaris, togidder with all his servandis clothing, sic as cassies, breikis, doublatis. And attour all this, or ever the Laird wuld suffer him to returne hame agane to his awin houss, he compellit him to borrow fra his nichtbouris twentie dolouris, quhilk Harie Bruce ressavit fra him at the Lairdis comand. And quhen he, his wyff, barnis, and servandis returnit to thair awin house, thair was na maner of meit, dreink, clothing, nor vther geir left to sustein thame, quhill he behovit to borrow fra his nichtbouris wyff ane lesspund of meill to sustain his wyff and barnis on. Mairattour, the said Magnus complenis upon the said Laird, that quhair he had ane steding, callit Sater, lying in Brassay, of four merk and ane half land perteining to the Kingis Grace, quhilk he possessit xxiv zeirs or thairby, for the quhilk he had payit males, gerssowmes, and all dewities, conforme to the rentale thairfoir, lykas he had payit for the gerssowm thairoff to the Laird in the lxxii zeiris of God, for the thre zeiris thairefter to rin, twa dolouris: nevertheless, quhen he had gottin bot ane zeiris crope thairoff, he put him furth of the same, and tuik new gerssowm fra his broder, Andro Leslie, thairfoir, ejectand the said Magnus and enterand his said brother thairto, quhilk he hes wantit sensyne, to his grit dammage and scayth; desyris that the Regentis Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsale wuld causs him be recompensit of his scaythis above writtin.
This complaynt is provin to be of treuth in all pointes, be John Smyth, Magnus Lawrencesoun, Christopheir in Grindiscall, Thomas in Kirkbustar, Duncane Inksettar, Erasmus Robertsoun, and John Robertsoun, with the rest of the inhabitaris of Brassay. Bot thai ar incertane of the geir and quantitie thairoff befoir specifeit, contenit in his houss the tyme foirsaid, bot thai knaw perfytlie, that thai usit all that was thairin at thair plessure, and at thair depairting, left nathing thairin but bair wallis.