National Records of Scotland (NRS) holds a variety of records relating to burghs. The earliest burghs date from the reign of David I (1124-53). He introduced feudal tenure into Scotland and encouraged the growth of towns as a means of fostering trade and increasing crown revenues. The burgh's privileges and obligations, including trading privileges and the right to hold markets, were enshrined in a charter granted by the king or other feudal superior. In return for their privileges, royal burghs made annual payments to the crown of the rents of burgh properties and the customs of trade. Later this became a fixed annual sum. Any surplus money was paid into the 'common good fund' for the benefit of the burgh.
At first the burghs were governed through the burgh courts, originally a gathering of 'all the good men of the community'. Gradually the burgh court meeting in a judicial capacity came to consist of the bailies only, while the town council (provost, bailies and councillors) attended to the administrative business. The merchants dominated the magistracy of the towns as the royal charters of trading privileges were in effect charters to merchants as they brought in the largest part of the burgh revenues, the burgh customs.
Different types of burghs exhibited a wide variety of systems of government, until 19th century legislation imposed uniformity. The 1833 Burgh Reform Act also swept away the corruption of self-perpetuating town councils by introducing proper elections for town councillors. Royal burghs still retained certain privileges, including their own registers of sasines, but in the 20th century all except the largest lost some powers and functions, mostly to the county councils.
Types of burgh
- Royal burghs: those given their privileges directly by the Crown. They acquired a monopoly of national and foreign trade.
- Burghs of regality: burghs created by Crown vassals who had been given the Crown's rights over a given area.
- Burghs of barony: granted their charters by barons or churchmen.
- Parliamentary burghs: 13 non royal burghs created by the Representation of the People (Scotland) Act, 1832.
- Police burghs: the Burghs and Police (Scotland) Act 1833 allowed inhabitants of royal burghs and burghs of barony to set up police commissioners. This was extended to parliamentary burghs in 1847.
- Cities, large burghs and small burghs: the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 divided all Scottish burghs into cities (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow), large burghs and small burghs, based on the size of their populations.
Using the records
The burgh records can be consulted in the Historical Search Room at General Register House. When using the records you should bear in mind that the burgh boundaries have changed over time. Check the report of 1832 on Parliamentary Representation in Scotland available in the Historical Search Room. It gives the proposed constituency boundaries and contains maps and reports on the appearance, condition and population.
