Thay depone, that the thrie zeiris bypast, viz., Jm Vc Lxxij, Lxxiij, and Lxxiiij zeiris, thair was tane fra thame be the Laird and his weyaris, for everie just lespund quhilk extendis to xxiiij merkis, thay tuik fra thame be wrang wechtis, and be the handis that weyit, thretty merkis. Bot this last zeir of Lxxv zeiris crope, thai depone that thai war relevit of the ane halff of the wrang wecht, swa that thai payit bot xxvij merkis this last zeir for the lespund, quhilk was bot thre merkis mair nor just of ilk lespund.
The foirsaidis Parochinaris of Brassay, sworne and examinit befoir the saidis Commissionaris, day, zeir, and place foirsaid, vpon this Secund Article, deponis as followis—
Anent the ressait of thair butter, thai are conforme to the men of Tingwall, Quhytness and Weisdale, formar deponaris vpon the said Secund Article; with this additioune, Erasmus of Kirkbustare, quha was Laurichman of Brassay in tyme of vmquhile Olaw Sinclair of Avera, Fowde of Zetlande, testifyit in presence of the Commissionaris, that he ressauit ane bismeyr, quhilk Williame Vrwing of Trondra maid, be the haill consent bayth of the Fowde and Commownis of Zetland; quhilk bismeyre he hes keipit neir xxx zeiris bypast, quhilk was haldin ane just bismeyre, ay and quhill the Laird of Cultemalindie enterit Fowde; bot sensyne the Laird hes refusit to ressaue ony buttir vpon that bismeyre, but causit ane new bismeyre to be maid, transmonting sax, sewin, or aucht merkis mair, betuixt the wecht and the hand that weyit, nor that auld just bismeyre was; and he hes continewit sen his entress to ressaue the buttir on that maner, except this last zeir, quhair in the ressait of the buttir, he diminissit ane pairt of the wrang wecht to the quantitie of twa or thre merkis of euery lespund that he had wount to tak in the zeiris befoir, bot zit he come not to the just auld wechtis be thre merkis at the leist, as the formar deponaris has declarit. And als the foirsaidis parochinaris affermis, that the Laird gart serse out the grittest bismeyre that was amang the Duchemen; and quhan he had gottin the same, the quhilk was thre or four merkis mair nor just, zit he wald not ressaue the buttir thairupoun, bot upon his awin bismeyre, quhilk he had gart mak; quhilk was twa or thre merkis mar of everie lespund nor the grittest bismeyre that was amangis the Duchemen.
The foirsaidis Parochinaris of Nesting, Lunasting, Quhailsay, Skerreiss, Burray, Trondray, Quharff, Goldberwyk, Vnst, Fetlar, Zell, Delting, and Scatsta, Northmaven, Wawiss, Sandsting and Aythsting, and Dunrostnes, sworne and examinit befoir the saidis Commissionaris, dayis, zeir, and place befoir specifiet, respectiue, vpon the Secund Article, deponis as followis—
Thay all affirmis and aggreis anent the bismeyre and the ressait of the buttir, and vpon the zeiris, conforme to the formar deponaris, wyth this aditioune of the parochinaris of Burray, Quharff, and Goldberwyk, quha affermit, that the man that weyit thair buttir durst do na vyther wayis for feir of the Laird, because he stude besyde him all the tyme of the weying: And wyth this additioune of the grittest nummer of the parochinaris of Scatstay and Delting, quha deponit, that thai gat nathing doune of the wrang wechtis the last zeir: And wyth this additioune of the haill parochinaris of Northmaven aboue specifeit, quha declarit, that Dauid Tulloch, thair Laurichtman, broucht his bismeyre wyth him to the Duchemennis buyt at Gluss, till haue weyit the buttir thairupoune to the Laird, according to the dewitie of his office, bot the Laird wald not suffer him to do the saimen; and he said to the Laird, It was ewill done that he wald not lat him wie the Commownis buttir with the just bismeyre quhilk he had broucht with him thair, and said it was not aneuche that he suld oppress the Commownis with ane wrangus bismeyre; and because he spak tha wourdis to the Laird for the rycht in favour of the Commownis, or ever the Laird wald luik on him with patience, he gart him pay to him for the said speiche fyve dolouris: And wyth this additioune of Magnus Reid of Ayth, quha producit in presence of the Commissionaris and the haill Commownis of Sandsting, Aythsting, and Dunrostness, ane letter under the commown seale of Zetland, of the electioune of Nichole Ayth of that ilk, fader to the said Magnus, to the office of Lawman-generale of all Zetland, quhilk is of the dait, In the Ting holm of Tingwale, the xxvij day of July, in the zeir of God Jm Vc xxxij zeires, togidder with ane bismeyre, quhilk the said Lawman keipit and observit as ane just bismeyre all his dayis. Lykas the said Magnus his sone, affermit, that he had keipit it sen his said faderis deceiss, and was repute and haldin as ane just and attentik wechte, and for verificatioune thairoff, the Fowdis merk and Lawmannis merk war ingravit in the same; quhilk bismeyre beand conferrit with the Lairdis bismeyre, quhilk he hes usit commounlie sen his entress, the foirsaid Lardis bismeyre transcendis and surmontis the said Lawmannis laufull bismeyre vpon the lespund wecht, aucht merkis mair nor just, quhilk extendis to the third pairt of ane lespund, swa that the Laird hes of the Commownis be hes bismeyre, of everie thre lespundis he ressavis, he hes the fourt lespund attour the just wecht wranguslie; and this was verifiit be the haill twa parochinaris aboue mentionat, befoir the saidis Commissionaris.
The Thrid Article of the Generale Complayntis, giffen in befoir the Regentis Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsale, be Arthour Sinclair of Ayth, as eftir followis—
Thridlie, The said Laurence hes, sen hes entrie foirsaid, compellit ws to pay our restis and dettis, and to delyuer to him silver zopindales for twa gulliounis, quhair as the samyn hes commoune courss in tymes bygane, and was ressauit for thre gudlingis be all Fowdis preceiding this tua hundreth zeiris bygane.
The haill Inhabitantis of Zetland befoir mentionat, sworne and examinit befoir the saidis Commissionaris, dayis, zeir, and place respective, foirsaid, vpon this Thrid Article, deponis as followis—
Thay all in ane voce deponis, that the Laird of Cultemalindie tuik the zopindale fra thame in payment of ony rest of dettis that thay war awand to him, for twa gudlingis allanerlie, quhair as of befoir, it was ay tane for thre gudlingis; and as zit the Duchemen will not giff ane zopindaill bot for thre gudlingis wourth of wairis, and thay ar compellit to giff it to him for twa gudlingis, swa hes rasit up vpon thame the thrid mair of all detties and dewities quhilk thai haue not in wairis, ffor the quhilk thay man pay monie, quhilk is the occasioune that bayth kirkmen, merchandis, and vtheris traffeicand in the cuntrie, will ressave the said zopindaillis and vther monie in na vther maner nor the Laird ressaveis the samen; as alswa, the angell nobill, quhilk was wount to be allowit in thair dettis for sax gudlingis, is now ressauit fra thame for fyue gudlingis, quhairby thai ar gritlie opprest be the Laird continualie sen his entres to the office. And als it is deponit be the Inhabitaris of the North Yles of Zetland, viz.—of the Yles of Zell, Fetlar, and Vnst, that [the] Laird tuik the zopindale fra the Duchemen, quhilk lay within thair Yles, for tua gudlingis, and quhat wairis he tuik fra thame againe, he compellit thame to tak the zopindale, in payment thairoff, for thre gudlingis. And als it is deponit be the men of Northmaven, that the Laird compellit all thame that wantit zopindales or angel nobillis to pay thair restis with, to pay for ilk gudling xxiiij s. Scottis, swa that for the dolour st. that suld haue bein thre gudlingis, to thame allowit in dettis to thame be him bot for tua gudlingis, thai payit xxxvj s. Scottis. And affoir his entres, the gullioune was nevir bot vj s. Scottis, swa that, quhair in tymes bypast the pryce of tua gudlingis was bot xij s. Scottis (to the quhilk pryce of tua gudlingis the Laird hes put the haill dolour to quhair he ressaues monie fra thame), notwithstanding, quhair thai uant the dolour, he compellis thame to pay thairfoir xxxvj s. Scottis, quhilk is thryss als mekle as thai war wount to pay of befoir.
The Ferd Article of the Generale Complayntis, giffen in befoir the Regentis Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsale, by Arthour Sinclair of Ayth, as eftir followis—