Burgh of barony facts for kids

A burgh of barony was a special kind of town in Scotland long ago. It was different from other towns because of how it was set up and who was in charge.

What Was a Burgh of Barony?

A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town. It was given to a powerful landowner by the king or queen. This landowner held their land directly from the crown. This meant they were very important people.

How Were They Different?

Burghs of barony were not the same as royal burghs. Royal burghs were often bigger and had more rights. For example, burghs of barony were not allowed to trade with other countries. They could only hold weekly markets for local trade. This was a big difference from royal burghs, which were important for international trade.

When Were They Created?

These special towns were created over many years, from about 1450 until 1846. More than 300 burghs of barony were made. The very last one created was Ardrossan in 1846. Even though they could hold markets, not many of them grew into big market towns.

Changes Over Time

Over the years, the way these towns were governed changed.

The Rise of Police Burghs

From 1833, people living in burghs of barony could create a new type of town called a police burgh. These police burghs were run by elected officials. This was a more modern way for towns to be governed. Sometimes, the old burgh of barony continued to exist right alongside the new police burgh.

When They Ended

Most burghs of barony were officially ended in 1893. This happened because of a law called the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892. If a police burgh had been formed, it took over the burgh of barony. If not, the burgh of barony simply stopped existing.

After this, there wasn't much practical difference between burghs of barony and other police burghs. However, some traditions continued. For example, in 1957, the Lord Lyon (who is in charge of Scottish coats of arms) introduced special crowns for towns. A burgh of barony crown was red, while a police burgh crown was blue.

Final Abolition

All burghs, including the remaining burghs of barony, were completely ended in 1975. This was part of a bigger change to local government in Scotland.

However, some old titles linked to the land, like baronies or lordships, were kept. These ancient titles are still recognized by the British crown today.