Guild Court: A London Story. By: George MacDonald: Novel (illustrated)

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The early origins of the Dean of Guild Court lie in the associations, or guilds, that arose to protect the rights and privileges of medieval traders and craftsmen. Their leaders, known as Deans, presided over courts composed of other guild members, and had legal jurisdiction over a range of disputes, including some relating to property and building. By the mid 19th century, most of their functions had been taken over by the growing machinery of local government. Glasgow was one of a small number of burghs where the ancient Dean of Guild Court continued to operate, and its powers were strengthened by the 1862 Glasgow Police Act, which decreed that anyone intending to build within the burgh had to apply for a warrant from the court. Elsewhere, a variety of different systems of building control had grown up by this date. To create a uniform system, the 1892 Burgh Police (Scotland) Act laid down rules for a new generation of Dean of Guild Courts with clearly defined powers. These standardised Dean of Guild Courts continued to be responsible for building control until their abolition in 1975. 1 Section 269 of the Act introduced for the first time the requirement to submit to the Court an application to construct a new building or alter an existing building within the city. Plans and sections were to show the intended work and the location of the building, adjoining streets or courts, and sewers. The plans also had to show rooms designated for sleeping; later conversion of rooms to provide sleeping accommodation would require a new warrant. 11 The day to day running of the burgh and the regulation of the lives of its inhabitants and the burgh's involvement in local and national affairs. Acts of the council, elections of councillors, bailies and other council officers, lists of inhabitants paying stent (tax), burgh schools, trade disputes, offenders against burgh regulations. Generally before 1600 the council minutes appear mixed in with court business in the court books.

An amended Building Regulations Act was introduced in Glasgow in 1900 with further by-laws in 1909, but these do not appear to have altered the building process to any great extent. Though the 1862 and 1892 Acts did apply to all parts of Scotland, a unified code of building regulations for the whole of Scotland was not introduced until 1963. 16 The Measurer A Guild Court was held to admit people to the Guild. Once they were in the Guild, burgesses could reap important benefits and these could be passed on to sons and grandsons without question. In the second half of the 19th century, the construction of new buildings or alterations to existing buildings in Scotland came under the control of increasingly comprehensive and stringent regulations set out in a series of Parliamentary Police Acts. In burghs, such as Glasgow, the planning and building process was overseen by the Dean of Guild Court; in rural areas planning committees were not established until after 1897. 1 In 1846 all the exclusive rights and privileges of trading that had been granted to the Craft were swept away by the Recissory Act, but the Craft members decided not to wind-up the Craft and distribute the funds to the members. Instead the members decided to channel the energy and enterprise of the Craft into the work of benevolence. Over the years since 1846 the Craft has still continued to attract men who are associated in some way with the trade of which its members once had a monopoly, but the old spirit of exclusion has long since gone. Today the Craft's benevolence continues and considerable funds are still distributed each year to the Craft's grantees.From the one way main gyratory system, past the leisure centre, take the signs for Birmingham which will bring you into Guild St after 200M you will pass the birthplace on the left, directly on the right you will see Guild Court.

In 1862, a new Police Act for Scotland was passed by Parliament. It was more comprehensive than its predecessors, and was innovative in its provisions in relation to the planning, construction and occupation of buildings and in giving statutory support to all of the activities of the Dean of Guild Courts, including Glasgow's. 10 Books kept by notaries, lawyers authorised to draw up certain legal documents including sasines - useful before the burgh register of sasines began or the register of sasines in 1617. Burghs of regality: burghs created by Crown vassals who had been given the Crown's rights over a given area. The medieval burgh court had both administrative and judicial functions. Eventually administrative acts were kept separately in the council minutes. The books include burgh statutes and ordinances, admission of burgesses, small debt, removal of tenants, assault, breach of the peace, inquests recognising someone as heir to a deceased person and offences against trade such as forestalling. The burgh also dealt with the moral and social good behaviour of their inhabitants. Cases were passed from the kirk sessions to the burgh courts - for example adultery, fornication, irregular marriage, witchcraft. Four processions. It's quite a long one, about 3 miles for vehicles and half that for walkers. From Moor Park to the Adelphi where walkers join, Friargate, Ringway, Lancaster Road, Covered Market, Flag Market, Fishergate, Corporation Street, walkers leave just before the Adelphi, Moor Park.

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The extensive Act also made detailed stipulations for the layout of streets, sanitation and ventilation, the quality of building materials, the dimensions of rooms and the occupation of existing buildings. In Glasgow, the Police Acts of 1866 and 1890 made modest amendments to the provisions of the 1862 Act but it was not until 1892 that a comprehensive and national code of regulations for burghs was introduced. 12