Ferdlie, the said Laurence hes compellit the Duchemen and vther strangeairs resortand to the cuntrie of Zetland, be quham the haill traffeck of the said cuntrie consistis, to pay him als meikle dewtie be way of brybrie and extrordinar impostis, as thay war wount to pay of befoir to our souerane Lord and his Fowdis for his Hieness toll and custome; quhairthrow the saidis strangearis, quha furnist ws all victuales, clayth, yrne, hemp, and vther necessaris, ar appeirand till abstein fra traffeck in our said cuntrie, lykas the principall men of thame hes ellis done, and that for the oppressioun committit vpon thame, till our grit skayth, without remied be maid in tyme.
The haill Inhabitaris of Zetland befoir mentionat, sworne and examint befoir the said Commissionaris, dayis, zeir, and plaice respective, foirsaid, vpon this Ferd Article, deponis as followis—
The haill Inhabitantis of Zetland befoir written, deponis concerning this Fourt Article, that thay ar ignorant quhat the Laird hes gottin fra the Duchemen attour the just toll, becaus they are not permittit to be present at the delyverance thairoff, and ar not participant of the samyn; bot in respect of the grit favor, liberteis, and permissiounis that is grantit and permittit to the Duchemen be the Laird, zeirlie, sen his entress, by auld consuetude and customes of the cuntrie, to the grit hurt and damage of the puir Commownis of the cuntrie quhilk byis all thingis necessairis concerning thair sustentatiouns fra the Duchemen, it apperis, and is presumit, that the Laird ressaveis zeirlie gains and commoditie fra thame according to the termis of the Ferd Article, and in respect of the ressounis particularlie following—
And First, Quhair as it was and is the use, affoir that ony schip be tholit, the cowp and pryce of the merchand wairis and geir is and aucht to be sett be the Fowde, and certain honest descreit men of the cuntrie quhilk knawis the lawis, consuetudes, and pryces, bayth of the cuntrimenis wairis and merchandis strangearis resortand thair; the Laird of Cultemalindie, sen his entrie to the Fowdrie, hes not observit the auld order thairoff, bot hes alterit and brokin the cowp and pryces as followis: that is to say, The pryces of the Duchemen and strangearis geir is rasit hiear, contrair the auld use and custome; for the auld lawfull pryce of the barrell of drinking beir was and suld be for thre gudlingis of cuntrie wairis, sic as of fische, buttir, wadmell, or uther cuntrie wairis; and the barrell of rymeill brannes of twelff lesspond wecht, of the same pryce; bott sen the Laird enterit, the barrell of beir is sett to four gudlingis, and the warst beir that they bring is sett to three gudlingis and ane half; the barrale of branner meil, quhilk was thre gudlingis of auld, now they gar thame pay thairfoir thre gudlingis and ane half, and sumetyme four gudlingis: and zet the scayth is not sa grit of the cowp setteing to the Commownis, as is the hurt that thai have of the exorbitant gilding of the wairis; for quhair as twelff gild keling and aucht gild ling suld mak the gudling, and was evir in use to be tane fra thame for ane gudling, the Duchemen will not ressaive fra thame less nor fourteen, fifteen, or saxteen gild keling, and ten, elleven, or twelff gild ling for the gudling, and this is continewalie usit sen the Lairdis entress, and for na complaynt that thai can mak to him thai can have remeid thairoff, bot the Duchemen ar ouirsein, and the cuntriemen opprest in maner foresaid, for lack of justice.
Secundlie, The Commownis of the haill cuntrie complainis upon the Duchemen, quhair as thai ar hevelie opprest be thair messuris and wechtis; for the Duchemenis can that they tax the beir with, is litill mair nor ane Scottis chappin, for the full of the quhilk they tak fra the Commownis ane Dens schilling, quhilk is ane gild keling, bot the can that they ressaive the ulie fra the Commownis with, is neir weill ane Scottis quart, albeit they aucht bayth to be equal and alike of messour.
Thridlie, The Commownis ar hevelie opprest be the said Duchemen, as thai affirme and deponis, be the bismeiris wrangusslie maid and markit, swa that xxx merkis upon the small wechtis will scantlie mak furth ane lesspund of the bismeire quhairupone the Commownis ressavis fra the Duchemen; bot they ressave the Commownis wairis upon the grit wecht in haill gudlingis, quhilk hinderis the Commownis of ilk gudling twelff merkis; quhilk diminisses the fyft part of thair dewitie, quhairroff they suld have allowance, be the wrang wecht; and thairby they pay the fyft part attour thair dewities mair nor just.
Ferdlie, It is affirmit and deponit be the Inhabitantis of the North Yles of Zetland, viz.—of Zell, Fetlair, and Unst, before mentionat, that thai are extorsit be the Duchemen be the rasing of the pryces of thair wairis, and diminissing of the pryces of the cuntrie wairis onlie in defalt of the Laird, for the Commownis was wont to get in all tymes of befoir the Lairdis entress, aucht cuttell of vnblicht carrott (?) for ane gudling, bot now, sen his entress, thai gett bot sax cuttellis for the gudling; lykwyiss the merk of copper of auld was sauld for twa schillingis of wairis, and now thai tak four schillingis thairfoir; and siclyk hes agmented the pryces of thair hemp and uther grayth: In respect of the quhilk, it is supponit and presumit that the Laird gettis gains fra the strangearis, to suffer and permit thame to use the Commownis on this maner; for thai declair, that the shippis that lyis in the Yles delyvirit to the Lairdis doaris, ilk schip halff ane last of beir and meill certane zeiris, bot thai knaw not quhidder he maid payment to the Duchemen or not thairfoir. Bot thai affirme that thai hard the Duchemen say, that the Laird payit thame nathing thairfoir. And als affermis, that the Duchemen schow thame that the Laird tuk the zopindaill fra thame bot for twa gudlings, yet in payment of thair wairis that he bought fra thame, he compellit thame to tak it again fra him for thre gudlings.
The Fyft Article of the Generale Complayntis, giffin in Bill befoir the Regentis Grace and Lordis of Secreit Counsale, be Arthour Sinclair of Ayth, upon Laurence Bruce of Cultemalindie, as eftir followis—
Fyftlie, The said Laurence, in his accustomit manner, efter his arryvale in Zetland with fyfteen or saxteen armit men, comis to the housses of us the inhabitantis of the said cuntrie, and remains thairintill quhill our victuales and provisioun be spendit; compelling us to furnish him and his cumpanie, for feir of grittar oppressioun, and swa depairtis bot payment of ony expenss and chargeis maid be him and his dependaris to us or ony of us, and that in manner of sorning and skafrie, to our uttar wrak and heirschip, we beand for the maist pairt all lawboraris and fischaris.
The haill Inhabitaris of Zetland before mentionat, sworne and examinit befoir the saidis Commissionaris, dayis, zeir, and place respectivé foirsaid, upon the Fyft Article, deponis as followis—