Information for John Beveridge, Wheelwright, and town treasurer for the burgh of Auchtermuchty for the trial in the Court of Session. Issues in process of damages against John Scott and others. Beveridge was claiming £5000 damages.
Background information and advice for Beveridge’s counsel in the case against the officers and members of the mason lodge of St Cyre in Auchtermuchty, and George Coll, messenger in Falkland.The Lodge members in the case as defenders are described as John Scott manufacturer in Auchtermuchty sometime boxmaster of St Cyre Lodge; John Williamson junior, manufacturer in Auchtermuchty, master of St Cyre Lodge; David Chalmers residenter in Auchtermuchty clerk of St Cyre Lodge; James Stuart, wright; Alexander Simpson, mason; John Black, wright; James Dempster, weaver; and James Waddell, wright; all in the Burgh of Auchtermuchty and members of St Cyre Lodge.The document recites the progress of Beveridge’s action in the Court of Session, against the defenders from 20 May 1818 to 1821. This copy of the document is dated 1822.In February 1817 the Lodge decided to buy meal and they asked the Burgh of Auchtermuchty to repay a loan of £105. A bill was drawn up to raise from the bank the money needed to buy the meal. Beveridge was asked to sign the bill to avoid the cost of getting it stamped. When the Burgh was declared bankrupt and unable to pay the money back, the lodge tried to recover the money personally from John Beveridge. He was imprisoned in Auchtermuchty tolbooth for 20 days in May 1818. Includes notes on evidence by the witnesses Thomas Adamson, John Gardiner, Andrew Mitchell, Alexander Bonthron, James Tainsh, Peter Thomson, John Stark, John Gilmer, William Stark, George Stark, Douglas Cheape.[The National Archives of Scotland hold the Court of Session records for this case their ref CS311/86]
