medieval-atlas/economic-development/320

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Valued rents ofburghs 1639 Approximate population Edinburgh Aberdeen Glasgow Dundee South Leith StAndrews Dumfries Perth Inverness Montrose Canongate 4,000 Ayr Stirling Haddington Irvine Elgin 3,000 Kirkcaldy ~:~~i~:~: ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~;M~;: Linlithgow ::::::::::::::::4.00():;: ......... pp~- Kirkcudbright ~~:~~{0 2,000 Dumbarton ;:;:;:;:;:3:'iS9:;:; ~:......-:.~ Banff BS~:~~?:+ Cupar ~~,~~7~ Lauder ~:~:.:4:~:; Rothesay ~~:~:~:~:S \,500 Forfar R:~;.~.~}.~ Tain ~3).~.?; Dunbar ~~)~:~:;; Brechin ~V.19.;; Culross p~;~.~.?; Dysart ~~:~:~~::;; Arbroath ~.~.§~~8 Dunfermline ~~:.996:;': 1,000 Renfrew (;:;:;:;: 1.667 ~:::~s :~.;~.;~.;:.:;:.';~. ~::~~ Rutherglen ~1.340 Anstruther /;;;;;;;; 1.333 Cullen I~;/~) 1.333 Jedburgh I':':':':':' 1.333 Kinghorn (;:;:;:;: 1.299 Crail /:;:;:;:; 1.253 750 Inverkeithing /« 1.200 Forres 2,;0 1.133 Dingwall ~1.067 Pittenweem 8 1.067 Selkirk r4 1.000 500 Stranraer ::::: 883 Nairn t+. 673 Anstruther ~667 Wigtown ::::: 400 Kilrenny Dornoch ~:~ 5 10 (Annan) (Lochmaben) (New Galloway) (North Berwick) (Sanquhar) (Whithorn) (000) 15 20 25 There are only stray indications of the size of Scottish towns before the poll and hearth taxes of the 1690s, except for an unusual tax levied by the Covenanting regime in 1639 on the basis of valued rent. This is likely to be a more accurate reflection of size than tax rolls, where they exist. It also has the advantage of including six baronial burghs, not subject as yet to conventional taxation -three of them, Edinburgh's satellites of Canongate, North and South Leith, were large enough to figure in the top twenty, giving a combined total for greater Edinburgh of 39% of the tax . Edinburgh's rent levels were exceptional, as probably were those of Aberdeen. Yet the size of Glasgow, assessed above Dundee and at twice the rental of Perth, although they paid the same in conventional taxation, is striking. The table can give only a rough notion of population and is better at indicating groups of towns of similar size. Outside larger burghs, levels ofrent ranged between £4 and £8 according to reports made in the 1690s. The example of Dunfermline, known to have had 287 households in 1624 and a valued rent of£2,000 in 1639, suggests £7 per annum as a figure for average rent. On this basis, the 1639 list suggests only nine outside greater Edinburgh had over £7,000 in valued rent and a population above 4,000. The distinct lack of medium-sized towns of 2,000 to 4,000 (and rent from £3,333 to £6,666) is clear and three of the nine lay within twenty miles of Edinburgh. Below this there was a steep fall in rental, with only a dozen towns, ranging from Banff to Renfrew, with likely populations between 1,600 and 1,000. The remaining nineteen, from Lanark to Domoch (three of them burghs of barony) were probably under 1,000. Perth Royal burghs Stranraer Burghs of barony (Whithorn) No returns Ranking of valued rents of burghs 1639 320

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