Thay all depone in ane voce, That the Laird was never fewer nor twelff personnis, by strangearis, boyis, and uthers, that convoyit his caryage, quhilk was sustenit be the honest men of the cuntrie into thair housses, quhen as he past athort the cuntrie; and was bankittit, and gat sic cheir as thai micht furniss, and payit nevar any price for it; and ofttymes the gudman of the houss, at thair departing, behuvit to propyne the maister houshald, the cuik, and stewart, with sum gift; with this additioun of the parochynairis of Nesting, that in Hervist was ane zeir, the Laird with his companie beand in Margrat Reidis houss in Burgh, quhen they had drukkin furth hir provisioun, thair was half ane barrell of beir in Thomas of Kirkabustar’s hous quhilk pertenit to Johne Magnussoun in Gounzefirth, and was put thair to keip be him, the Laird gettand wit thairoff, send and gart bring the same to Margrat Reidis houss to his provisioun, and gart publiss throw the parochin, that quhatever he was that had ony dreinking beir, and heild and conselit the same fra him, thair haill guiddis and geir suld be escheit, giff knawlege might be had thairoff in ony tyme eftir. As for the halff barrell that was tane, the awnar as zet has gottin na payment thairfoir. And wyth this additioun of the parochinairis of Northmaven, that in sum mennis housses, the Laird, with his companie, wald remane quhill he wald dreink halff ane last of beir, and sumtyme mair; lyk as he did in Andro Robertsoun’s, John Robertsoun’s, Magnus in Gluss, and Laurence in Glusses housses, and wald repair to thame thre or four tymes in the zeir. And the gudwyffes of the housse, nor thair servandis, gat na entress in thair awin sellaris sa lang as he remanit.
The Saxt Article of the Generale Complaintis, giffin in befoir the Regentis Grace and Lordis of the Secreit Counsale, be Arthour Sinclair of Ayth, upon Laurence Bruce of Cultemalindie, as followis—
Saxtlie, The said Laurence, contrair the custome of our said cuntrie and lawis of this realme, hes at all tymes, sen his entrie, causit courtis to be fensit and haldin within the feriat and cloiss tyme of hervist and vacanis for his particular proffitt, quhairthrow we micht [not] wait upon our hervist for winning of our cornis, hay, and vther necessars to sustein us in tyme of winter. And lyikwyiss causit dyverss of his servandis and suddartis, quhilk ar not natives nor indwelland men in our cuntrie, to pass upone our assyses and inquestis, contrair our lawis and customes, perverting thairthrow our haill lawis to his particulair comoditie.
The haill Inhabitaris of Zetland befoir mentionat, sworne and examinit befoir the saidis Commissionaris, dayis, zeir, and place respectivé foirsaid, upon this Saxt Article, deponis as followis—
And first, The men of Quhytnes and Weisdale anent this Saxt Article, deponis, That the Laird held courtis alsweill in tyme of hervist as ony uther tyme; and in speciale betuixt the Mariemessis, and at everie court, he had twa or thre of his awin men, quha votit and decernit all decreits at thair plessure, and wald gif the Commownis na place to vote bot conforme to thame: Quhairas na men suld sit upon thair decreits bot cuntriemen that kennis thair awin lawis, quhairthrow thair law was wreistit to the Lairdis particular proffit, to the grit hurt of the inhabitaris of the cuntrie; amang quham James Bruce sat upon the assyses this last zeir in mony of all the courtis haldin in Zetland be the Laird, notwithstanding, as thai wer informit, [he] was at the Kingis horne and unrelaxit.
The men of Brassay ar conforme to the formar deponaris upon this Saxt Article, with this additioun: At the last Lawting haldin in Scalloway, quhilk is the heid court of the cuntrie, thai affirme that thair was scarslie the ane halff of the assyiss cuntriemen, and thai gat na vote in the decreits giffin furth; quhairfoir thai war on purpoiss to have tane act that thai gaif na consent to the decreits decernit in that court, bot for feir of the Laird thai stayit and durst not.
The men of Nesting, Lunasting, Quhailsay, and Skerreis, examinit upon this Saxt Article, ar conform to the formar deponaris of Quhytnes and Weisdale, with this additioun: Efter that my Lord Robert had past throwout the parochinis of the cuntrie, and haldin his courtis, the thing that my Lord had remittit and forgiffin, the Laird thaireftir callit thame, and held courtis in Tingwall and Scalloway, and thair sett his awin servandis and utheris of his chosin upon the assysses, sic as James Bruce, Harie Bruce, and Thomas Boyne, sa lang as he was in his service; and thair wald convict thame in sic sowmes as he thoucht gude, haveand na respect to the lawis of the cuntrie nor gude conscience, bot ony voit of the cuntriemen; and also decernit faltis that was giffin up in Grandrie (quhilk is ane dittay giffin and tane up be ane privy inquest), without any preiff led thairupon: and thai that gaiff up the grandrie sat upon the assyiss, and in speciale Harie Bruce and Thomas Boyne, quha was bayth the upgiffaris of the faltis, and but preiff or witness sat upon the assyiss, and decernit upone the same. And for ane tuilzie that Johne Smyth, officiar, maid in Williame Garyochis houss, Edwarde of Garth, Williame Magnussoun in Beinsta, and the said Williame Garryouche, war ilkane decernit in sax dolouris, quhilk thai war compellit to pay to the Laird with rigor; and quhen thai requyrit the clerk for ane copie of the decreit, and bad him ane zopindale and ane halff for thair extract of the same, zet he wuld not draw it furth to thame. And thai affirme all, that for na payment nor requeist that thai can mak, the Lairdis clerk will not giff forth the extractis of the decreitis, nor zet can thai have executioun thairupon, except it be for the Lairdis awin particular proffit.
The men of Vnst, examinit upon this Saxt Article, agreis with Quhytnes and Weisdale, with this additioun: Harie Bruce and Thomas Boyne beand procurators, sumtyme efteir that thai have pursewit in ane actioun, hes been permittit to sit upon the assyiss, and to decerne in the same actioun that thai procurit in of befoir. And in speciale, in ane actioun quhair Harie Bruce stude up and procurit for Barthole Strangis wyff, the said Barthole beand furth of the cuntrie, and sche compellit to answer, for na exceptioun of the law that sche culd propone thai wald desist, bot procedit aganis her; quhairas of the law her husband suld have bein callit, and not sche. And the said Harie unrequyrit of hir, takkand hir procuratioun upon him, sat down agane upon the assyiss, and gaiff vote contrair the actioun, for the quhilk he procurit; this proven be certaine honest men of Vnst, viz.—Walter Smyth, Johne Coupland, Magnus Cowhouse, Paule of Maill, with vtheris dyuerss.
The Sewint Articule of the Generalle Complaintis, giffin in in Bill befoir the Regentis Grace and Lordis of the Secret Counsale, be Arthour Sinclair of Ayth, aganis Laurence Bruce of Cultemalindie, as followis—
Sewentlie, The said Laurence, under pretence and cullour of nichtborhood, quhair the use was that the haill parochin, callit ane Scathald, payit for the vnlaw of swyne worting, callit Swyne Ruting, xl s., he hes compellit ilk man in the parochin to pay to him thairfoir thre zowpundaleis throw the haill mayneland; quhilk extendit in ane zeir in the mayneland by the Yles to thre hundreth zopindales, to our vttar heirschip and wraik.