Burgess Casket of Lord Young of Lincluden

Burgess Casket of Lord Young of Lincluden, presented 26 June 1903.  The statuette on top is of St Michael and the dragon.   Only a burgess could run a business or carry out trade in the town.  People paid a fee in order to become a burgess and also agreed to defend the town when it was attacked.  Other people such as servants, labourers and the poor were regarded as "unfree men" and did not have the same rights.  Dumfries Town Council records are full of prosecutions against "unfree men" trading illegally.  By the 19th century, however, the title of Burgess had become honorary, with the same sort of status as "freemen of the city".  Burgess Tickets were presented to local dignitaries in ornamental silver caskets.   George Young was born in Dumfries and educated at Dumfries Academy and Edinburgh University.  He became a lawyer and served as Sheriff of Inverness from 1853, and of Haddington and Berwick from 1860.  He was appointed Solicitor General for Scotland in 1862.  He was liberal member of parliament for Wigtown from 1865 to 1874, and held the office of Lord Advocate from 1869 to 1874. He was responsible for the Public Health (Scotland) Act 1871 and the Scottish Education Act 1872.
Object no :
DMSW002a; DMSW002b
Creator :
Reid, J
Place of Production :
Glasgow
Dimensions :
height 260mm, width 183mm, length 273mm
Materials :
metal, silver, textile, satin
Location :
NA
Accession number :
DUMFM:1978.165.1
Copyright :
Dumfries & Galloway Council
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