E106/22/7/1

Land tax transcription

1


VALUATION BOOK, or ROLL,

OF THE

County of Mid-Lothian, or Edinburgh.

The only authenticated copy of the Valuation Roll of the County of Edinburgh, by whichthe Land-Tax, usually called the King's Cess, and other Public Burdens, are collected, appearsto be one certified the 7th day of September 1738, by one Commissioner of Supply. This Rollseems to have been taken from the Rolls contained in an Old Volume, by which the Land-Taxhad been collected for the years 1726-1727-1728-1729, and 1730, from which, and from anunauthenticated Copy of a Roll in 1702, it differs but little. They often give Names of Personswithout Lands-Lands without Names-and Names of Persons long dead or denuded. Theyalso contain Separate Valuations added in Cumulo for the ease od collection, and Divisions and Sub-divisions of separate Cumulos added together, mixing Lands of different Proprietors, besides errors in summations, &c. In short, and many other inaccuracies, the collection of the Land-Tax, and other Public Burdens regulated by the Valuation Roll, has got into a state of confusion, and been much retarded.

In this situation, on a motion made by Mr Macfarlane, in October 1812, the Commissioners of Supply remitted to

The Honourable Baron Clerk,
Mr Sheriff Rae,
James Gibson of Ingliston,
George Robinson of Clermiston,
William Macfarlane, Writer to the Signet,
James Balfour, Writer to the Signet, and
James Wyllie, Writer to the Signet,

as a Committee, for the purpose of revising and correcting the Valuation Books, and reporting thereon to a General Meeting. The Committee met on the 1st of December 1813; when, after inspecting the Books as they presently stand, were of opinion that it would be of the greatest importance to the County, as well as for the interest of the Crown, that the Cess-Books of the County should, without delay, be corrected, and put into a proper state; and that this could only be done effectually by a person of accuracy, and of much local knowledge. The Committee were of opinion, that no person was so well qualified to perform this arduous task as Mr Macfarlane; and therefore they requested him to undertake it, and to proceed forthwith to

Transcribe other information

[Page] 1

VALUATION BOOK, or ROLL,
OF THE
County of Mid-Lothian, or Edinburgh.

The only authenticated copy of the Valuation Roll of the County of Edinburgh, by which
the Land-Tax, usually called the King's Cess, and other Public Burdens, are collected, appears
to be one certified the 7th day of September 1738, by one Commissioner of Supply. This Roll
seems to have been taken from the Rolls contained in an Old Volume, by which the Land-Tax
had been collected for the years 1726-1727-1728-1729, and 1730, from which, and from an
unauthenticated Copy of a Roll in 1702, it differs but little. They often give Names of Persons
without Lands-Lands without Names-and Names of Persons long dead or denuded. They
also contain Separate Valuations added in Cumulo for the ease od collection, and Divisions and
Sub-divisions of separate Cumulos added together, mixing Lands of different Proprietors,
besides errors in summations, &c. In short, and many other inaccuracies, the
collection of the Land-Tax, and other Public Burdens regulated by the Valuation Roll, has got
into a state of confusion, and been much retarded.

In this situation, on a motion made by Mr MACFARLANE, in October 1812, the Commissioners
of Supply remitted to

The Honourable Baron CLERK,
Mr Sheriff RAE,
JAMES GIBSON of Ingliston,
GORGE ROBINSON of Clermiston,
WILLIAM MACFARLANE, Writer to the Signet,
JAMES BALFOUR, Writer to the Signet, and
JAMES WYLLIE, Writer to the Signet,

as a Committee, for the purpose of revising and correcting the Valuation Books, and reporting
thereon to a General Meeting. The Committee met on the 1st of December 1813; when, after
inspecting the Books as they presently stand, were of opinion that it would be of the greatest
importance to the County, as well as for the interest of the Crown, that the Cess-Books of the
County should, without delay, be corrected, and put into a proper state; and that this could
only be done effectually by a person of accuracy, and of much local knowledge. The Com-
mittee were of opinion, that no person was so well qualified to perform this arduous task as Mr
MACFARLANE; and therefore they requested him to undertake it, and to proceed forthwith to
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