Country code |
GB |
Repository code |
234 |
Organisation |
NAS |
Repository |
National Records of Scotland |
Reference |
GD1/1152 |
Title |
Records Relating to St Boswells, Roxburghshire |
Dates |
1823-1969 |
Access status |
Open |
Description |
The books GD1/1152/1 and 2 deal with the management of the common green of the village of St Boswells. They are a record of an 'undivided' commonty, ie the proprietors of the common property had not applied to court under the 1695 Enclosure Act to have parcels allocated to their individual ownership.
The books begin as a record of the annual 'birly court' (more usually spelt birlay or birley) of the proprietors of the common green. Matters dealt with include the letting of the green (and 'little channel' and Little Stenhouse), the division of income arising and the appointment of birlymen for the ensuing year. There is very little indication of the role of the birlymen apart from their responsibility in some years for dividing the income from rent among proprietors. The meeting was last called 'the birly court' in 1840. However the proprietors continued to meet and minute their proceedings as before. |
Level |
Fonds |
Format |
Text |
Language |
English |
Related material |
Little information on birlay courts and birlaymen appears to have been published. See 'Statistical Account of Scotland' (1792), vol.4 pages 512-3 (parish of Crawford); David Robertson, 'The burlaw court of Leith', 'Book of the Old Edinburgh Club', vol.15; T C Smout, 'A History of the Scottish People, 1560-1830'; 'Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' 1866; and a plan of St Boswells green and the property adjoining belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch, 1839 (RHP9644). |
Related record |
RHP9644 |
Archival history |
These records were left to Mrs Gordon by the late Miss Jean Lawrie, local historian of St Boswells. |
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