The Stair Society: Scotland’s Legal History Society

Manuscripts

Medieval legal manuscripts digitised for The Stair Society:

This manuscript, of the age of Robert I (1306-1329), appears to have belonged, in the fifteenth century, to the Burgh of Ayr, or perhaps to the Clerk of the Council or Guildry of that burgh. Digitised by The Stair Society in partnership with the Scottish Archive Network.

The Berne MS, so called because it was acquired in 1814 by way of donation from the Public Library of the Swiss city of that name, is now held in the National Archives of Scotland. It is the earliest surviving manuscript containing the texts of early Scottish laws. Digitised by The Stair Society in partnership with the Scottish Archive Network.

The document displayed here is the single surviving roll from the medieval burgh courts of Aberdeen, and dates from the period August-October 1317. It is currently held by Aberdeen City Archives, reference ACA/5/6. The Stair Society reproduces images of the roll here by kind permission of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums.