Dean of Guild
Encyclopedia
A Dean of Guild, under Scots law
, was a burgh
magistrate
who, in later years, had the care of buildings.
Originally, the post was held by the head of the Guild
brethren of Scottish
towns, and dates back to the 12th century. Later, the phrase Dean of Guild also described the courts
set up in the 14th century to settle trade disputes. In the 19th century they became responsible for enforcing the burgh's building regulations, a role that was abolished in the mid 20th century.
This should not be confused with the Dean of a guild
, the head of such association.
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
, was a burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
who, in later years, had the care of buildings.
Originally, the post was held by the head of the Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
brethren of Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
towns, and dates back to the 12th century. Later, the phrase Dean of Guild also described the courts
Courts of Scotland
The civil, criminal and heraldic Courts of Scotland are responsible for the administration of justice. They are constituted and governed by Scots law....
set up in the 14th century to settle trade disputes. In the 19th century they became responsible for enforcing the burgh's building regulations, a role that was abolished in the mid 20th century.
This should not be confused with the Dean of a guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
, the head of such association.