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Weaver
· Weavers are one of the many craftsmen or women who sell or
buy goods at the mercat.
· A weaver buys wool from the mercat to weave into cloth.
· Before wool can be woven into cloth it is cleaned and carded.
· Carding is like combing and makes all the wool fibres lie the same way.
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Man in the Stocks
· Men are put in the stocks for crimes such as stealing or shouting insults.
· The burgh court decides how much time a man must spend locked in the wooden stocks.
· It is possible to avoid being locked in the stocks by paying a fine.
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The Messenger at Arms
· Messengers at arms read announcements at the mercat cross.
· The announcement always starts with "Oyez! oyez! oyez!". This messenger is announcing that Mary, Queen of Scots is having her son baptised at Stirling Castle. The townspeople are to pay extra taxes to pay for the celebrations.
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Woman in the Branks
· A metal helmet, known as the branks, is used to stop a woman talking. A metal part goes inside the mouth to prevent the tongue moving.
· The branks are used as a punishment for women who gossip or shout insults.
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The Farmer
· Most Scottish people live and work in the countryside.
· People that live outside the burgh have to pay a toll before they can sell their goods at the burgh mercat.
· A toll is a money tax based on the weight of the goods brought in to the burgh.
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