Chapter XV: The Burgh
When George Shaw became Abbot, a considerable village had gathered in the neighbourhood of the Abbey, and especially on the opposite bank of the river. Its inhabitants were chiefly artisans and labourers, with one or two priests or chaplains who officiated at altars in the Abbey. [5] The tenants of the Abbey formed a community large enough to excite the jealousy of the Burgh of Renfrew. That burgh monopolised all the trade of the neighbourhood, and levied tolls and customs up to the very gates of the Monastery. Its exactions were very vexatious, and in 1487 the inhabitants of the Abbey lands made a fierce attack upon their oppressors, for which they were fined at the circuit court, or “justice aire” of Renfrew. Abbot Shaw had interest to obtain remission of the penalties inflicted on his vassals. James III., in the last year of his reign, and his son, in the first of his, granted them a free pardon. [6] “For asmeikle,” says the latter, “as umquhile oure fader quham God assolye, in honor of God and of the glorious Confessor, Sanct Meryne, and for the special devotioun he had to the said Confessor, patrone of oure Abbay of Paslay, remittit and forgaife to venerable fader in God, and our well-belovit orator, George, Abbot of our said Abbay, all the amerciamentes and unlawis in the quhilk the said venerable faderis tennandis, servandis, and all personis inhabitants of his regalite and landis pertenyn to our said Abbay was adjugit in the last justice aire of Renfrew, and gaif alsua his free remissoun to thaim for the actioun of forthocht felone done be thaim in the cummyn apone our leigis of our Burgh of Renfrew. We geive by these our letteres oure free remission to all persons, for the said actions of forthochte felone.”
In order to save his tenants further molestation from their neighbours at Renfrew, and following the example of other Scots Abbots, Abbot Shaw took steps to erect his village into a burgh, with its own cross and market, and all the privileges belonging to a town. He applied first to the Pope for liberty to feu certain ground in the Village of Paisley, alleging that it would be for the benefit of the Monastery, all the lands hitherto yielding only a rent of twenty-five ducats. The Pope, in 1483, [7] referred the matter to two commissioners—John Crichton, Precentor of the Cathedral of Glasgow, and Walter Abernethy, Provost of the Collegiate Church of Dunbarton. These, having made inquiry, and consulted men able to advise them and skilled in the law, were of opinion that it would be for the advantage of the Monastery that the Abbot's request should be granted, and gave him, accordingly, the requisite permission. [8] Having now got the sanction of the Church, Abbot George sought the sanction of the State, which was bestowed with equal readiness—the King, James IV., willingly granting the privilege to one to whom his family had been so much indebted. [9] He mentions in the charter erecting the village into a burgh his gratitude to the Abbot for the virtuous education and upbringing of the Duke of Ross, the King's brother, in his tender estate, and dwells on the singular devotion he had to the glorious Confessor, St. Mirin, and the Monastery founded by his progenitors, where many of their bodies were “buried, and lie sleeping.” [10] His charter gave the inhabitants the right and privilege of buying and selling within the burgh all kinds of goods and merchandise, and having all kinds of tradesmen and artisans; also, the right of having a market cross and holding a weekly market on Monday, and two fairs yearly, one on Saint Mirin's day and the other on Saint Marnock's day. It conferred, also, on the Abbot and his successors the power of electing annually a provost, bailies, and other officers for the burgh, and of removing them and electing others when necessary, without any election of the burgesses. It gave the Abbot right to hold with a firm hand his authority over the town he created. The Abbot having thus obtained the sanction of the necessary authorities, spiritual and temporal, granted a charter, [11] which was for long the palladium of the burgh. It defines its boundaries, its privileges, and its government, [12] and thus, by the favour and goodwill of the Abbot, the village of Paisley began its career as one of the towns of Scotland.
[5] A plan of the village of Paisley is given in Semple's “Saint Mirin.”
[6] Reg. de Pas., pp. 272, 273.
[7] Reg. de Pas., p. 260.
[8] Reg. de Pas., p. 261. This was in 1488.
[9] See Ante.
[10] Reg. de Pas., p. 264.
[11] Reg. de Pas., p. 265.
[12] See end of chapter for the King and Abbot's charters.