History of corn milling .. - Centrostudirpinia.it

SOME FEUDAL MILLS. 215
The entire community having thus agreed to be , ^
astricted to the mills, the corporation duly leased them corpora-.
Q^ mills.
out, and upon this footing matters stood for nearly
two centuries. On March ii, 1730, the ^-
magistrates Creating
and council '' resolved that they would expose their
milnes to roup on the 26th inst, and appointed publeck
intimation yrof to be made at the Mercat Crosse and
Kerk Door, advertising inhabitants and Strangers to
come and bid at ye said roup : And recommended to
the magrats or any of the council as a committee,
three being a quorum, to meet on the 14th inst.
and concert proper rules and articles for rouping
of the said milnes and settle the conditions to be
performed, hinc inde, by the inhabitants or that shall farme the said milns." On
persons
March 25
they resolved that "it would be for the benefit and
advantage of the entire inhabitants " that the mills
should be set in tack for nine years ; and ordained,
among other regulations, that " no other dues be taken
at the milns, but according to the regulation in the
Act of Thirledge of February 5, 1670 (ane attested
copie wherof to be given
to the lacksmen in order
to determine all disputs), any custom or practice
in the miln to the contrair, notwithstanding."
discontent with
In 1 740 the first symptom of public
the thirl seems to have arisen, and, it being
said that
a rumour was gaining currency to the effect that
certain papers were in the hands of the town clerk,
**
whereby
it is surmised the inhabitants are free of
stent," the clerk was directed to produce the said
papers, though upon production
nothing
they proved to be
more than various of the foregoing contracts
of the council for
leasing the mills.
1670.'
3. The crucial question, and that upon which the 3. Import
thirl was ultimately broken, arose
of the opposition of the council
in 1754 in the form
and the millers to
p^ohibk^ed
1754.