Henrie Halcro in Southsetter, underfowde of Tingwale, ane mareit man of xlviij zeiris of age or thairby, of gude fame, ressauit, sworne, and examinit, deponis, that the Laird sowpit that nicht in his houss, and depairtit fra the samyn. And is conforme to his broder, Malcolme Halcro, to the Lairdis and his servandis passing our the dyk to the hill toward Quhytness, and that he was in purpoiss to pass thair, to seik Arthour Sinclair, to invade him with bodelie harme, et cetera nescit nisi ex relatione aliorum, because he past not with him to Quhytness. Bot knawis that the Laird and his companie returnit to his houss in the morning, about day licht, quhair he sleipit ane whyle in the bed preparit to him at his departing. Bot the Lairdis servandis tauld him that the Laird and thai soucht Arthour in Quhytness that nicht, and gat him not.
Memorandum, That attour and besyde the Generale and Particular Complayntis giffin up be the Comownis of Zetland within specifeit to the Commissionaris within expremit, contrair Laurence Bruce of Cultemalindie, quhais probatiounnes precedis, Zet thair remanis ane grit number of Particular Complayntis not contenit nor written in the process of this buik, bot in the Particular Complayntis and Billis writtin and giffin in be the particular persounnis complenaris thairintill contenit. As sum complaintis and billis giffin in be the Yles of Unst, Zell, agains Williame Sinclair of Underhoule, sone of umquhill Olaw Sinclair of Avera. Sum complayntis and billis zet aganis the Laird of Cultemalindie. Sum complayntis and billis aganis the Kirkmen of the cuntrie. Sum aganis Harie Bruce and James Bruce. Sum aganis Robert Sinclair of Ness, and mony uther complayntis of ciuile actiounis, throw lack of executioun of justice: As at mair lenth is contenit in the particular billis and wrytingis maid thairupoun, and giffin in to the said Commissionaris, to be reportit be thame to the Regentis Grace and Secreit Counsale, quhilk the saidis Commissionaris hes omittit out of this buik, becaus thai . . . . . . by the parties compleinant.
Upone the twelff day of Februar, the zeir and place foirsaid, the haill multitude and number of the Comownis of Unst war examinit, quhilk complenit upone the said Williame Sinclair of Underhoule, compeirit befoir Maister Williame Mudy of Brekness, and Williame Hendersoun, Dingwall pursevant, commissionaris, etc., quhilk maid fayth all in ane voce, and alswa severalie the halie evangelis tuichit, be thair grit aythis, that thai feirit and dred bodelie harme to be done to thame be the said Williame, in respect and contemplatioun of thair particular and singular complayntis of oppressioun maid be thame to the said Commissionaris agains him. And thairfoir desyrit the saidis Commissionaris to causs the said Williame Sinclair find unto thame cautioun of lawborroiss of bodelie harme, that thai micht be scaythless and harmless at the handis of the said Williame, according to justice.
Upone the fyfteint day of the said month the Commissionaris foirsaidis, in respect of the premissis, chargit the said Williame Sinclair, personalie apprehendit within the Archeden of Zetlandis lugeing in Tingwall, in presence of Barthole Strang of Voisstgairth, Mr. Williame Lawder, Vicair of Zell, Andro Hawik of Scatstay, Johne Denone, Vicair of Delting, &c., to find sowertie and lawborrois to the Parochinaris of Unst above writtin in speciall and in generale nominat to the said Williame, of bodelie harme; and that be ressoun thai had maid fayth, the halie evangelis tuichit, that thai dreid him bodelie harme for the caussis above specifiit. The quhilk to do the said Williame denyit and refusit, and depairtit without lawborrois and sowertie fund be him to thame than and sen syne. Lat the Regentis Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsale find remeid heirupoun, as thai think expedient.
It is to be callit to remembrance, that efter the Laird of Cultemalindie last depairting out of Zetland, he causit Robert Zule, court clerk to him, with certane vtheris his servandis as witnesses, to pass throw all the Yles and parochins of the cuntrie, with ane testimoniale in wryt, of what tennor and forme it is uncertane to the maist part of thame that put thair markis thairto, becaus thai culd not reid nor wryt. Zet notwithstanding, the said Robert Zule persuadit ane number of the Comownis, ruid, rusticall, ignorant and barbar peple, partlie be feir and minacing, partlie be ignorance, to subscrybe and put thair markis to the said testimoniale. The quhilk doingis maid to the Commissionaris at the tryale of the veritie of the oppressiounis and complayntis writtin in this buik, grit impediment in the begynning, be ressoun that the said personnis that subscribit and put thair markis to the said testimonial for defence of the samyn, not only refusit to declare the veritie thame selffis of the foirsaid complayntis and oppressiouns, bot alswa corruptit the rest of thair nechtboris that thai suld not declair the veritie, but rathir justifie that testimoniale with thaim.
The Commissionaris perseving and understanding the said impediment, corruptioun, and seductioun, chargit all thais that had subscreyvit and put thair mark to the said testimoniale, to depairt asyde, and remove thame furth of the cumpanie and presence of the remanent that had not subscreyvit and markit the said testimoniale, quhill thai war all examinat that had not ado thairwith.
And swa the remanent multitude beand finalie examinit, and the matter thairoff brought to ane end, the Commissionaris causit call affoir thame the personnis following, that had subscryvit or markit the said testimoniale, and reid unto thame the generale and particular depositiouns of the haill multitude preceding, examinit upon the Generale and Particular Complayntis; and requyrit thame efter the audience thairoff, quhidder thai wald stand to the commoun and generale depositiounis and testificatiounis of the remanent multitude of the cuntremen ressauit befoir the Commissionaris, or to the narrative contenit in the foirsaid testimoniale be thame subscryvit and markit. The names of the personnis that subscryvit and markit the said testimoniale, that come affoir the said Commissionaris, Peter in Bega, within the parochin of Zell, Edwarde of Odsta, Nichole Patersoun in Crocebustar, and James Sutherland, underfowde of Fetlair, indwellaris of Fetlair. Nichole Hardwell, and Nichole Johnsoun, in name of his fader Johannes of Caldbak, and Thomas Urwing, indwellaris the parochin of Delting, Walter Hill, for him selff, and in name of John Ferquhair, indwellaris in Unst, Christopheir Laurenceson, lawrichtman, indwellar in the parochin of Wais, Johne of Murray, underfowde of Sandsting and Aythsting, for him selff, and in name of his gudefather, Turberie Steinzdaill, Patrik in Collafirth, Magnus in Sillivo, and Johne in Sillivo, indwellaris in the parochin Sandsting and Aythsting, Johne Smyth and Gilbert Coupland, underfowdis of Dunrosness, for thame selffis, and in name and behalff of Williame of Flattabustar, and Nichole . . of Aythsetter, Hendrie Halcro, underfowde of Tingwall, for him selff, and in name and behalff of his gudefather, Thomas Johnsoun in Laxfurde, and Jacob Tait indwellaris in Tingwall parochin, James Sinclair in Northbustar, Erasmus Johnsoun in Papill, Henrie Tailzar and Magnus in Brek, indwellars in Burray, quhilks . . requyrit in maner foirsaid eftir thair knawlege of . . . . foirsaid, and of the veritie thairoff . . . . . exceptioun or excusatione . . . . . thingis contenit in the foirsaid testimoniale . . . . . dissonant and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . the depositiouns of the remanent multitude of the Comownis pre-examinit upoun the Generale and Particular Complayntis, and ratifiit and approvit the said depositiouns to be of veritie. And protestit that thair subscriptioun and marking of the foirsaid testimoniale suld not be hurtfull, nocive, nor prejudiciall to thame, in case that the said testimoniale suld appeir to be contrair the foirsaid depositioun, in respect that thai, or the maist part of thame, war ignorant and unleterit, and culd nowther wryt nor reid. And utheris had na mark bot sic as Robert Zule maid of new in their names, and was all persuadit be compulsioun and feir, out of ane lawting and comown assemblie of the haill cuntrie, as thai depone suld have bein in sic casis, bot done pryvatlie be pryvat persounnis in pryvat places, unsworne, to declair the veritie, bot as it war rogatus rogo.
Item, fynalye, becaus the hail Comownis and Inhabitantis of Zetland hes beine in tymes bygane, lyk as thai ar instantly, grevuslye rubbit, oppressit, and spoliat of thair gudis and substance, be sic men as hes borne and beiris authoritie and offices above thame, sic as chalmerlanis, fowdis, underfowdis, officiaris and utheris, prevat personis, bangstaris, pairtlie throw wrangus meit, messur, and handling of thair dewities in the ressait thairof, pairtlie be wrangus and negligent ministratioun of justice, and pairtlie be wanting of lauful Lawrichtmen and Lawmen, quhilk the said cuntrie was wount to haiff, and hes never gottin na relief thairoff, bot at sic tymes as the supreme authoritie sendis Commissionaris to the said cuntrie, to tak tryall of thair estaitt and conditioun for the tyme, quhilk thing thay lament hes bein ouer lang betuix. Secundly, becaus the inhabitantis foirsaid are puir men, and may not thairfoir, throw laik of expenss, travell to the far pairtis of the realm of Scotland, quhar the courtis existis, to lament thair oppressiouns and injuris, the distance of the way being so remote and far of the sey. Thairfoir it is desyrit be thame that the Regentis Grace and the Nobilitie may mak ane publick and perpetual ordinance amang the actis of Parliament, that ewerie fourth or fyft zeir, giff neid beis, . . . . . . . . . and send to Zetland affoir the . . . . . and conditioun of the inhabitaris thairof . . . . . offensis done to thaim . . . . and servandis beirand care and charge over thame, and utheris privat persounis, cuntriemen and strangearis, sic as Duchemen and Inglismen resorting and frequentyng in the said cuntrie, zeirlie giffand and committand power to the saidis Commissionaris to depois, destitute, and depryve all sic officiars beirand rule above thame fra thair chargeis and offices, as sall be fund culpable, and gilteous in the premissis, and throw thair demeritis sall be fund worthie of deprevatioun and destitutioun of thair offices, quhatsomever estait, conditioun, or degrie that thay be of, with satisfactioun to the opprest: and to creat of new, and input in thair plaiceis sufficient men of knawledge, godlie of conversatiounis and lyff, freyndis to the cuntrie men, makyng confidence within the cuntrie; quhomto the opprest as oft as necessitie requyris, may haif recourss for impetratioun of justice. This the foirsaid haill inhabitaris of Zetland desyris the Regentis Grace and the foirsaid Nobilitie, to perform for Goddis saik, and the zeil thai beir to justice, according to the dewitie of thair commissioun under God.
Maister William Mudy of Brekness, Commissionare to the process within written, with my hand.
Williame Hendersone, Dingwal Pursewant, Commissionar to the process foresaid, with my hand.