Charter of Burgh of Barony of Gatehouse of Fleet
30th June 1795
George, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, to all upright men of his whole kingdom, clergy and laity, greeting – know that we, with advice and consent of James Montgomery, Esquire, Lord Chief Baron of our Exchequer in that part of our kingdom of Great Britain called Scotland, Fletcher Norton, Esquire, Sir John Dalrymple, Baronet, Cosmo Gordon and Archibald Cockburn, Esquires, remanent Barons of said Exchequer, have given, granted, disponed, and by this our present Charter have confirmed, and by the tonor thereof give, grant, and dispone and for us and our Royal successors perpetually confirm, to our Lovits, James Murray of Broughton, Esquire, and his heirs and assignees whomsoever, heritably and irredeemably, all and whole the lands of Gatehouse-of-Fleet, Lochens or Loghans, Standingstone, and lands of Fleuchlarg or Flilarg, lying within the Parish of Girthon, and Stewartry of Kirkcudbright; and all and whole the lands of Boreland of Cardoness comprehending the lands of Boghall, Woodend, Goatend, Bridgend, Fleetside, and Fordmouth, which are parts and portions of the Barony of Cardoness, and lie within the Parish of Anwoth, and Stewartry of Kirkcudbright aforesaid, together with the whole parts, pendicles, and pertinent of the same; which wole lands, with the pertinent thereof, pertained heritably of before to the said James Murray, Esquire, holden by him of us and our Royal predecessors, immediate lawful superiors of the same; and the same were, by virtue of a procuratory of resignation granted by him, of date the 21st day of the month of February... (1795) duly and lawfully into the hands of the said James Montgomery, Baron, for himself, and in name of the remanent Barons of the said Exchequer, as in our hands, immediate lawful superior of the same, and favour and for new investment of the same, to be made and granted to the foresaid .... .... we, with advice and consent foresaid, of now have given, granted, and disponed, and by this our present Charter have confirmed,...... together with the Town of Gatehouse-of-Fleet built upon the said lands, and by these presents constituted a Burgh of Barony;......
... and, moreover, considering that the said James Murray, Esquire, has built a town on the said lands, that he might encourage industry and favour manufactures, and that these good purposes may be encourage, we will and desire, that the said Town so built, or which may hereafter be built, within the particular limits and boundaries after specified, be erected into a free and independent Burgh of Barony.... over which the powers, priviledges, and jurisdictions of free Barony, granted to the said James Murray... over the whole other lands and hereby disponed, shall noweys extend; and we, with advice and consent foresaid, have erected and hereby erect, the said Town of Gatehouse-of-Fleet, in so far as now built or to be hereafter built upon the said lands and pertinent before disponed, within the special limits and boundaries after described, -viz., from the great stone wall by the south-west side of the military road from the small rivulet opposite Gallowhill, next Bush or Cleuchyardpark, to the eastern angle of Nathan Richmond’s feu at Gatehouse, and then by the said wall on the south side of the gardens of the said Town to the River Fleet, and along the bed of the said river to the higher boundary of the ancient canal, and there crossing the river by the north part of the ancient course of the river, till it comes opposite the old castle of Cardoness, and then to the south-west corner of the wall of the court of the said Castle, and along the west wall of the west side of the said court in a direct line to the west side of the lake called Woodend Loch, and round the sid loch ad down the rivulet flowing from it, until it joins the River Fleet, and from thence up the said river until its junction with the Burn of Barlay, and along the said burn to the march dyke or boundary of Flilarg, which separates the said farm of Flilarg from the farm of Disdow, and along that march dyke and the march and boundary which separates the lands of Gatehouse and Lochans from the lands of Hillhead and Cleuchyard, and crossing the military road running as aforesaid, until it joins the foresaid wall beyond the Gallowhill before mentioned; which special boundaries are hereby declared to be the territory of the foresaid Burgh of Barony....
...and that the administration and polity of the said Burgh of Barony may be better regulated, it is hereby declared that the Magistrates shall consist of one Provost and two Bailies, who shall possess the legal and accustomed jurisdiction; and that the administration of any common good, which may belong to the Burgh, shall committed to four Counsellors, jointly with the said Provost and two Bailies... with power to the said Provost , Bailies and Counsellors,.... of making such Municipal laws and regulations... as may conduce to the establishment and preservation of the peace and the advantage and prosperity of the said Burgh; and that all the inhabitants within the territory of thesaid Burgh before described, of lawful age, and having right by feu or tack of a hundred years to a house or garden ground, shall have the right of burgesses, and a right to have a vote at elections, and to be elected to the office of Magistrate or Counsellors... that the first election shall be on the eleventh day of the said month of September yearly.... and we... give full power and liberty to the said Burgh..... of holding and having one weekly market within the said Burgh on Saturday, and also of having four yearly fairs (Feb., June, Oct., Nov.) ... each of the said fairslasting six successive days... reserving always to the said James Murray... the feu duties, annual rents, and casualties... in feu rights, tacks, or others, lready granted, or which may hereafter be granted, to the said burgesss... within the territory foresaid... to be holden and to hold the said lands, Burgh of Barony..... by the said James Murray.... immediate lawful superiors of the same...giving thereof yearly the saidJames Murray... the sum of one penny Scots money... at the term of Whitsunday yearly... if asked only...
Written to the seal and registered the tenth day of July 1795.