“Actis and Statutis” for the Government of the several “Artis and Craftis” in the Kingdom of Scotland, by Sir Anthonie Alexander, General Warden and Master of Work.

From Appendix IV of The History of Freemasonry and the Grand lodge of Scotland, by Bro. William Alexander Laurie, which he took from the old Minute Book of the Aitchison’s Haven Lodge.

At Falkland the Twentie-sext day of October J^m vj and Threttie-sex yeiris.

The quhilk day in ane meiting haldin be Sir Anthonie Alexander General Wardene and M^r of Work to his Majestie of the Kingdome of Scotland of certane persounes Artificereis and Craftismen of the Craftis and Airtis restine vndirwrittin for ordour taking with the buiks and abuses committit in the saidis Craftis and Airtis and reformeing of the samen be estabilscheing of such protestis as thairby his Majesties leiges may not be prejudgeit be anie of the said Artificiers or Craftismen in the dischairge of their saidis Craftis or Airtis and quhairby they may leive the more peiceablie among thameselffis in tyme cuming and the said Sir Anthonie Alexander Generall Wardene and M^r of Work forsaid eftir conference with the saidis Artieficiers & Craftismen resolveit vpoun  the Actis and Statutis following his Majesties auctoritie interpoint thairto.

1. In the first it is thought meit that thair sal be establischeit companies of the Airtis and Craftis of Masouns Vrichtis Shipvrichtis Cowpers Glassinvrichtis Painteris Plumberis Sclaittours Plaistereris and vtheris Airtieficeris of Buildingies in ilk convenient plaice of the haill Kingdome of Scotland quhair thair is na establischeit companies be liberties & seills of causs alredie ilk companie being be thameselves to the number of twentie persounes that unioun and concord may be keipit amangis thame; quhilks companies to be sua establischeit sall have power to take assayis and tryell of the qualieficatiounes of all the saids Airtis and Craftis thairof and being fund qualiefiet and of guid lyff and qualiefications to admit thame M^rs of the saids Airtis and Craftis to the effect the persounis to be sua admitted may serve his Majesties leiges in all these pairtis of the said kingdome qhan thair is no privieledgeit companies alredie quhilks admissiounes sall be always reput lawfull having ye approbatioun of sex M^rs of Massounes to the admissioun of ilk M^r Masone sex M^rs of Vrichtis to the admissioun of ilk ane Vricht, twa M^rs of Shipvrichtis to the admissioun of ilk Shipvricht, twa M^rs of Cowperis to the admissioun of ilk Cowper twa M^rs of Glassinvrichtis to the admissioun of ilk Glassinvricht and twa persouns M^rs of ilk ane of the same vther Craftis to the admissioun of M^rs of the same Airtis and Craftis respective and gif defects of the saids numberis of M^rs of the s^d generall companies sall be then the nixt adjacent companies sall supplie the samen defective and that everie particular admissioun of the same Craftis respective sall be buikit in thair several companies buiks conteining the day and plaice of the same admissioun. The names of the persouns admitteris with the names of the person admitted and Airt quhair vnto he is admitted For the quhilks admissiouns ilk person to be sua admitted sall pay the soume of threttie pundis Scottis money quhairof the equall half to the S^d generall Wardane and the vther equall half of the same to the box of the saids companies.
2. ITEM For the guid of his Majesties leiges and weill of the saids Airtis ilk several companies to be sua establischeit sall have power yeirlie from yeir to yeir in all tyme cuming to elect and chuise out of ilk ane of the same companies ane sufficient discreit qualiefiet person of guid lyff knowledge and vnderstanding of anie ane of the foirnameit Craftis to be thair Wardane Ovirsman or Deacone quha and everie ane of thame sall have power to suppress all vilanes vnqualiefiet and vnadmitted persounis vsurperis of the saids Craftis with the taking of bribes with vnsufficient works of all sorts of false deceitfull meittingis of Measouns belonging to any of the said Airtis and repairing all pairties interest of all wrongis to be committit als weill to be done be any of the saids Craftis ilk ane of thame to vtheris to ymployiers and owneris of works as of the saids Craftis ilk and of thame to vtheris conforme to equitie and to collect all fynes and vnlawes to be ymposit vpoun ye contraveineiris of ye Actis sett doun or to be sett doun be ye said Generall Wardane with consent of thair companies and the said Deacone or Warden to be sua electit be the saids companies his name to be given up yeirlie to the said Generall Wardane and to be comptabill to him and his deputis of the equall half of all vnlawis and vtheris to be collectit be him and of the dischairge of his office and the vther half of the samen vnlawis to the box of the saids companies.
3. ITEM The said Ovirsman Wardane or Deacone to be sua electit at his election in the said office sall sweir and protest befoir God that he sall administrat his office during his abyding yrintill truelie lawfullie and with his honest duetie and diligence yrintill but feid or favor of any persoun.
4. ITEM Evirie Companie of the saids Craftis to be establischeit as said is sall have power of electiving of ane Box Master of any person of thair said companie from year to year and the custodie of thair s^d box and mony yerin to be intrustit in his hands being ane responsible man quha sall be anserabill for his intromissions thairwith to the remanent of the companie and to be distributit as they sall think expedient.
5. ITEM That no person or persounis be admitted Masteris of any of the saids companies bot sic as have serveit and past ther prenteisship in the saids Craftis and gyf he be fund to have bought doun any of the tyme of his indentor or yit not serveit the spaice yairof albeit he have his M^rs dischairge he also sall not be ressaveit and admittit ane Master.
6. ITEM That no admittit Mrs tak any Prenteiss for fewre yeires nor the number of seavin yeires and his Master sall give him nane doun thairof nor any fie all the said tyme vnder the pane of ffourtie punds mony fors^d the equall half q^rof to appertain to the s^d Generall Wardane and the vther equall half to be givin to the box of the companie.
7. ITEM That no admitted Masteris tak any Prenteiss bot ane ilk thrie yeiris ane at the maist and that onelie gif he be tolerated be his companie sua to doe quhilk is wished be sundrie that Masteris sould content themeselffis with ane Prenteis ilk seavin yeirs onlie and gif he obteyn the said consent and tolleratioun of his companie at any tyme within the s^d spaice of seavin yeirs to accept ane vther Prenteis he sall pay for the samen consent and tolleratioun fourtie schillingis money by and attoure the buiking silvir of the s^d Prenteis and gif he contravein this Pnt Act he sall pay ane vnlaw of ten punds toties quoties the equall half q^rof and the saids tolleratioun and buiking silver sall pertein to the s^d Generall Wardane and the vther half to the box of the companie.
8. ITEM Thair sall be ane generall correspondence amangis the saids haill Trades and Craftis at all occasionnis that ilkane companie may assist ane vther in his haill effairs sic as gif inquyrie be maid for any fugitive Prenteis or Serveand the companie with quhom the said fugitive salbe fund sall signifie the samen to the inquirer that he may repair it or put the said fugitive in waird quhill ather his last Master cum or send for him or he suld cum home or returne to his said Master.
9. ITEM It sall not be leisum to any Master to tyse or seduce ane vther Maisteris Prenteis or Serveand nor resseit not fie thame without thair M^rs Leive nather zit accept of any Prenteis or Serveand in thair companie and service vntill he schwa ane testimonial of his liberatioun from his last M^r quhome he last serveit or from the Deacone Wardane or Ovirsman of the said companie that he is ane frie Serveandman and gif the s^d Prenteis or Serveand be fund to be a fiet man the acceptor of him sall dismiss him from his work or send him back to his auld Master or put him in waird quhill ather his last M^r cum or send for him or he find cautioun to returne to his said auld Master to performe his conditiouns to him and the contraveiner therof or any point of the premissis sall pay ane vnlaw of twentie pundis mony by and attoure the restoreing of the pairtie interest the equall halff quhairof sall appertein to the s^d Generall Wardane and the vther equall halff to the box of the companie.
10. ITEM That no Masteris tak any Prenteisses at all quhile he first acquaint the Deacone Warden or Ovirsman of his companie that the said Wardene and his companie may try quhither the s^d Maister be of abilitie and apt for education and menteinance of ane Prenteis or not and being fund of abilitie and aptness fors^d sall be permittit and being fund vtherwayis vnabill and vnapt thairto dischargeit thairfra.
11. ITEM For keiping of amitie and concord amangis the haill Airtis and Craftismen all persouns quha ar to crave the benefit of being ane Master in his airt sall first be reconceillit to all those his Bretherin quhom he hes any wayis offendit and diligent inquyrie sall be had thairanent that no man have anything to lay to his chairge and gif he be fund to have done amis he sall redres and satisfie the pairtie interest befor he get his admissioun.
12. ITEM That all M^rs of the saids Airtis of this kingdome quhair the saids privieledgeit companies ar not sall within the spaice of fyftein dayis eftir the makeing of the Indentors builk their Prenteisses with thair Servands and Jornaymen in the Craftis buiks of thair companie the entries of the Prenteisses to be onelie reput fra the date of thair buikingis and the Prenteiss sall pay the soume of fourtie schillingis quhairof to the s^d Generall Wardane the equall halff and the vther equall halff to the box of the companie with vj s viij d to the Clerk and the soume of xx s for the Journayman or Serveand to be devydit in maner fors^d with four schillingis to the Clerk.
13. ITEM That the haill M^rs of evirie companies all convein be thameselffis in the plaices to be appointed to thame quarterlie or at the least once in the year for election of thair Wardenes or Ovirsmen and Box M^r and takeing compt of thair vnioun boxis chairges and dischairges thairof vplifting of fynes and vnlawes admissiounes of M^rs and all vther busienes belonging to the s^d Craftis ilk person absent at the electioun of Ovirsmen Box M^rs and making of comptis foure punds money of vnlaw and at vther tymes being warnit thairto ten schillingis of vnlaw to be equallie devydit as s^d
14. ITEM In all causis belonging to the saids Craftis it sall not be leisum to any Master for ony wrong committit betuix M^r and M^r and M^r and Servands to seik justice at any Judgis hands bot att the hands of the Ovirsman Wardens or Deacones of the companies or of the Generall Wardane and his Deputtie quhairin gif any be fund to contravein the contraveiner sall pay ane vnlaw of ten punds money to be equallie devydit in maner foirsaid.
15. ITEM That ilk ane admittit Master of the vnprivieledgeit companies allowit to be establiseheit sall pay yeirlie xiij s iij d money to be equallie devydit in maner forsaid.
16. ITEM Quhen any Master salhappin to work out of that pairt of the countrie quhair he wes admittit ane Master then he sall be lyabill to the actis of the companie quhair he sall resid and work for the tyme and buik himself in the s^d companies buiks And the s^d M^r for himself and his Servands sall pay thairfoir fourtie schillingis money to be equallie devydit in maner fors^d with the Clerks dueties forsaids quhilk sall serve for thair friedome in that pairt in all tyme thaireftir.
17. ITEM Quhen any Serveand sall happin to cum and work out of that pairt of the cuntrie quhair he was first buikit Serveand then he sall be lyabill to the actis of the companie quhair he sall resid and work for the tyme and buik himself in the s^d companies buiks and the s^d Serveand sall pay thairfoir tuentie schillingis to be equallie devydit in maner fors^d with the Clerkis deuties fors^d qulk sall serve for his buiking in that pairt in all tyme thaireftir.
18. ITEM It sall not be leisum to quhatsumevir M^rs of the saids Airts to work conduis or aggrie with all M^rs of Work for any mae works or airtis bot sua far as it concernis tham allenairly and Craftis allenarlie vnder the paine of ane vnlaw of threttie punds mony by and attoure the dischairgeing of thame from the work quhilk vnlaw salbe devydit in maner fors^d.
19. ITEM That na Master sall taka ne vther Masters work over his heid eftir that the first Master hes aggreit with the awner of the work ather be contract airless or verball conditiouns vnder the paine of ane vnlaw of the fourt pairt of the pryce to be gottin for the s^d work it being always probable and knawin to the s^d last taker of the samen the fors^d vnlaw to be equallie devydit as s^d
20. ITEM That na vnadmittit persoun of quhatsumeverof the s^ds Airtis sall tak any work in hand or vnttred the samen or tak Prenteissis or Serveands vntill they be admittit ane Master in ane companie and vntill the quhilk tyme he sall onelie be reput ane Serveand the alredie admittit and to be admitted M^rs of the frie establischeit companies of certane privieledgeit companies of certane of the frie Burrowis being exceptit.
21. ITEM That na Master sall take the working of any work that vther M^rs hes wrought at of befoir nor serve that ane M^r vpoun no conditiouns vntill the tyme that the first workers be satisfeit for the wark quhilk they have wrought for vnder the paine of sex punds by and attoure the dischairgeing him from the s^d work vntill the s^d former Master be payit and the s^d vnlaw to be equallie devydit in maner fors^d.
22. ITEM The s^d companies of the frie Burrowis quha have alredie establischeit guid ordors be thair liberties and seills of causs sall tak tryell of assayis of the s^d Artieficiers of the saids Craftis duelling and resideing nixt adjacent thairto gif these persounes desyre to be admitted be thame and they being fund qualiefiet and of gud lyff to admit thame vnto the s^ds Craftis that they may work and serve his Majesties leiges without thair liberties in all these vnprivieledgeit plaices of this kingdome they paying and performeing to the s^d Generall Wardane his allotted deuties to be ressaveit from the saids persounes to be sua admitted and doing and performeing the vther deuties conteinit in the aboue rehearsit Articles sua far as the samen may be extendit to the establischement to be maid thairanent pro tanto the doing and performeing quhairof sall nowayis be prejudiciall to thair former liberies.
23. ITEM Because certane of the frie Burrowis have diverse gud orders and liberties alreadie establischeit be seills of causs and thairfor the s^ds frie establischeit companies of the Burrowis sall nowayis be subject to the saids prior Actis yrof they to keip all thair auncient liberties quhilk sall nowayis be interrupted nor impedit be the s^d Generall Wardene within the bounds of thair seills of causs and gif they sall work and resid furth thairof in ony vther companies bounds then they sall onelie pay for thameselffis and thair Servands fourtie schillingis mony to be equallie devydit in maner fors^d q^lk sall serve for thair friedome in that pairt in all tyme yreftir.