James Douglas, Burgess of Jedburgh
James Douglas c1669 was made a Burgess of Jedburgh likely
sometime well before 1734 (Petitions - Royal Burghs of Scotland -
the House of Commons - 15 February, 1738) "...at Jedburgh, the
prefiding Burgh of that Diftrift, on Saturday the 18th May,
1734...James Douglas...was duly elected Delegate for the faid Burgh
of Jedburgh, not being prefent at the Election of a Burgefs for the
faid Diftrift..." Douglas Scott author of the 'Hawick Word Book'
advised me on this "There were lots of Burgesses in a town the size
of Jedburgh. All tradesmen, merchants etc. - basically the middle
class - were usually Burgesses. They ran the town, set rules (so
that non-Burgesses have a hard time trading), elected the Council
and all the rest. It seems that the 1738 (sic 1734) record is of the
Burgh of Jedburgh selecting a *particular* Burgess to serve as a
"delegate". And then the delegates from a collection of burghs chose
one among their number to be Member of Parliament for this "District
of Burghs". It was perhaps a historical peculiarity, but
nevertheless a fact that these joint towns elected an M.P., separate
from the M.Ps. elected in the counties where each of them was
located. Your James Douglas must have been a prominent man in
Jedburgh to have been their delegate".
James Douglas was likely made a Burgess
of Jedburgh, well prior to 1734, it appears that assessment may need
some slight adjustment? For an article in the Glasgow Herald dated
Mar 3 1930 just discovered by me (Google newspapers online) states
under 'Freedom of Jedburgh for Councillors' - "At the monthly
meeting of the Jedburgh Town Council yesterday the practice of
enrolling members of the Council as Burgesses, allowed to lapse for
the past three years, was resumed...The present roll dates from
1736, when a James Douglas had the honour of the first entry..."
There is a good chance that it could have been referring to James
Douglas c1669. From this site -
http://db.poms.ac.uk/record/factoid/78003/ Ragman Roll - it shows
that there were Burgesses of Jedburgh at least by 1296. So James
Douglas may have been a Burgess well prior to 1734 and the
commencement of a (signed) roll in 1736 was a new type of record on
the Burgesses.
James Douglas also gets a mention in the
House of Lords entries in 1737/38 - he was involved in a Petition
and Appeal taken to the House of Lords concerning the Council of
Jedburgh - An Appeal by 'William, Marquis of Lothian & al V Haswell
& al'. The fight was over who was the Provost of Jedburgh and the
Councillors and the from the point of view of the Marquis, the
opposing forces were 'Interlocutors'. James Douglas, Gardener is
mentioned on the side of the Marquis, and along with all others
involved his name is preserved on a parchment scroll. I have a
digital copy of that scroll, obtained from the House of Lords -
Archives in London, England.
In the 1737/38 Appellant's Case
those of influence in the affairs of the Town Council included - the
Council Dean, the Bailiff, the Deacon of the Guilds, Burgesses
(including James Douglass or Douglas c1669) and the Deacons of the
Guilds of Merchants, Glovers, Wrights, Taylors (likely my ancestor
Gabriel Newton), Fleshers, Shoemakers, Weavers, Masons, Sadlers,
Smiths and Hammermen, plus some individuals who acted for themselves
such as a Tobacconist and a Writer.
The Appeal case from the
Marquis was - "That the said Interlocutors, so far as they are in
the Appeal recited, may be reversed, varied, or amended; and that
the Appellants may obtain such Relief as this House shall find just.
As also upon the joint and several Answer of the said John Haswell
and the Persons last named put in to the said Appeal, and due
Consideration had of what was offered on either Side in this Cause."
Judgement (by the House of Lords). It is Ordered and
Adjudged, by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament
assembled, That the Interlocutor of the Lords of Session, of the
19th of January last, whereby the Elections of the Appellants were
reduced at the Suit of the Respondents, be affirmed. And it is
Declared, That the Elections of Counsellors and Magistrates for the
Borough of Jedburgh, insisted on by the Respondents, were irregular
and void. And it is therefore further Ordered and Adjudged. That the
same be reduced, and that so much of the other Interlocutors
complained of, whereby the Court of Session decerned in the
Declarator, at the Instance of the Respondents, and assoilzied from
the Reduction at the Instance of the Appellants, with regard to all
the Elections thereby quarrelled (excepting those of Robert Winterup
and George Scougald), be reversed.
Comment:
This may be James Douglas , born 1669,
gardener,
progenitor of the watch and clock making families.
Note:
1. There was another James Douglas but he was on the side
of the imposters.
Content contributed by Sally Douglas
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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